Nintendo to release Super Mario Run in mobile game test

For decades, the only way to guide Mario through a level was on a Nintendo console. That changed when the company announced Super Mario Run, a game built from the ground up for smartphones and starring its famous plumber. The release was widely seen as a test: could the firm that guarded its characters so closely make them work on devices it did not design?

A careful, staged launch

Nintendo chose to launch on iPhone first, with a wide international rollout across many countries at once. Android owners were told the game would follow at a later point. Staging the release this way let the company focus on one platform, watch how players reacted and fix problems before reaching a much larger audience.

The decision also frustrated a good number of fans. Android phones are extremely common worldwide, and plenty of people who wanted to play on day one simply could not.

Built for one thumb

Super Mario Run was designed around the way people actually hold a phone. Mario runs automatically, and the player taps the screen to jump. Longer presses produce higher jumps, and timing taps well lets you collect coins, bounce off enemies and reach tricky platforms. It is a simpler control scheme than a console game, but it keeps the feel of classic side-scrolling levels.

Alongside the main courses, the game included a mode for racing against other players' runs and a small kingdom-building section where earned rewards could be spent on decorations.

Paying once instead of paying constantly

The business model drew as much attention as the gameplay. Rather than filling the game with small, repeated in-app purchases, Nintendo let players try the opening levels for free and then buy the full game with a single one-off payment. Some critics felt the upfront cost would put off casual players used to free mobile games. Others welcomed a clear, honest price with no endless prompts to spend more.

The shadow of Pokemon Go

The launch came shortly after Pokemon Go had become a worldwide craze, showing how much appetite there was for familiar game characters on phones. Comparisons were inevitable. Pokemon Go was free to download and available on both major platforms, while Super Mario Run started on one platform and asked for money to go beyond the first stages. Observers wondered whether that difference would limit its reach.

Why it mattered

Whatever its sales, the game was a signal. Nintendo was willing to bring its most valuable character to smartphones, test pricing ideas and learn from the response. For mobile gamers, it meant one of the most recognisable faces in gaming was suddenly just a tap away, and it opened the door to more of the company's classic series appearing on phones later on.