Nintendo’s Popular Super Mario Run Hits Android Devices In March 2017
Nintendo's first mobile game featuring its iconic plumber is headed to Android devices very soon. In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Nintendo of America confirmed that Super Mario Run would sprint over to Google Play in March and that users anticipating the launch can go there now to pre-register in order to be notified when it becomes available (Nintendo did not give a specific date).
Not only is Super Mario Run the first mobile title from Nintendo featuring Mario, it is also the company's first-ever smartphone game. It arrived to iOS devices on December 15, 2016, and quickly raced to more than 40 million downloads, taking just four days to get there. It did not hurt that Nintendo launched the game in 140 different countries simultaneously, which helped the game reach the top 10 list for highest grossing games over 100 markets worldwide.
Super Mario Run did not arrive without controversy. Nintendo eschewed the traditional mobile payment model of nickel and diming gamers with in-app purchases and instead decided to charge $9.99 for the full game. Only three levels of the game are playable for free, with a fourth level limited to a short trial before Nintendo asks for a Hamilton to unlock the whole game. That approach took fans off guard.
"Pricing was designed to reassure parents that they would be charged just once, not multiple times," said Nintendo in a statement about Super Mario Run Pricing. "We hope to maximize the number of people who interact with our characters on mobile, to bridge them to console gaming and to create synergies."
Despite Nintendo's rationale, iOS gamers hammered the title in the reviews section of the game's listing in iTunes. It currently sits with a 2.5 star rating (out of 5 stars).
Now that it is pretty well known that Super Mario Run costs $10 to unlock the full experience, game industry analyst Serkan Toto believes it will be received much more favorably on Android, telling CNBC that the "reviews and backlash will be much less" negative this time around.
If interested, go here to pre-register on Google Play.
