It's-a me, mobile Mario. Super Mario Run, Nintendo's first-ever stab at a smartphone game, was released Thursday for all iOS devices. A one-time app store purchase of $9.99 gets gamers six worlds, 24 levels, three game modes, and multiple playable characters. Here's what people are saying about Mario's newest adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom:
- While it's shocking to see Mario on a non-Nintendo device, Super Mario Run is "knock-your-socks-off good," Time reports. "Nothing else looks or plays like an authentic Mario escapade, and Super Mario Run feels like one for the ages."
- Kotaku agrees with that sentiment, noting that its cleverly designed levels and three game modes make it a "far cry from the standard mobile fare." "It's a full-featured Mario game that just happens to run on your phone."
- But the Verge found that Super Mario Run "feels like a compromised version of the classic game" because Nintendo went and messed with its tried-and-true formula, creating a constantly running Mario whom users can only make jump.
- Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who created Super Mario Bros. 31 years ago, gave Wired seven "surprising" facts about Super Mario Run, including that it started with a decade-old idea for the Wii.
- A research firm expects Super Mario Run to make $60 million in its first month—before it's even released for Android devices, GameSpot reports. Another analyst thinks it will "easily" reach 1 billion downloads, joining the ranks of the most popular mobile games ever.
- Speaking of Android, Nintendo isn't saying when fans without iPhones or iPads will get a shot at Super Mario Run, telling Polygon only that "information about that version will be revealed in the future."
- Finally, TechCrunch reports that Nintendo could have a "windfall" if it can successfully use Super Mario Run to introduce the character to a new generation of kids who may have never touched a traditional console but are glued to their phones' Angry Birds and Pokemon GO apps.
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