Nintendo has long been the king of handheld gaming. But there’s no denying the impact of mobile gaming on phones and tablets. After experimenting with Miitomo and licensing Pokémon GO, Nintendo is bringing the most iconic figure in gaming to mobile devices in Super Mario Run.
“The wait is almost over for a Super Mario game that can be played on mobile devices,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. “Developed under the direction of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Run brings a new take on the series’ beloved action-platforming gameplay to iPhone and iPad for the first time.”
Super Mario Run will launch on December 15 worldwide in over 150 countries. It will require iOS 8.0 or later. It will support several language options including English, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian.
Super Mario Run is modeled after the most recent 2D Mario games. The best example is New Super Mario Bros. U. Actual gameplay is based on the “Run” genre of iOS games. This style of platforming lets you control a character who’s constantly running forward (or to the right), and you make them jump with a tap of the screen.
Three modes will be available: World Tour, Toad Rally, and Kingdom Builder. World Tour has the classic platforming gameplay. Toad Rally is a challenge mode with some multiplayer elements. Kingdom Builder lets you spends coins from Toad Rally to build up your own Mushroom Kingdom.
Super Mario Run will be free to try. The press release states that “players can try elements of the game’s three modes for free.” The full game can then be purchased with a one-time payment of $9.99.
