Super Mario Run

by Bryony Harrison (follow)

1 player (236)      Android (173)      Single Player (126)      iOS (98)      Platformer (19)      Nintendo (6)      Runner (3)      Mario (2)     

Summary

For the first time Mario goes mobile as the pumbler joins the app world in a runner game.

Description
Type: Platformer
Platform: iOS, Android
Players: Single Player
Age: 3 plus
Game Time: Endless
Developer or Designer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Pros

Cons

Review


It has been 36 years since the Italian plumber entered our digital lives, and what adventures he has taken us on. Climbing ladders, shooting down pipes, jumping platforms - in more ways than one.



For Mario has jumped from the arcade to the game boy to numerous consoles, and now he has jumped over to the App Store.

The game was released on iOS on the 15th December 20016, but Android users have had to wait. It will not be long now, however, as it will be available from the Play Store from 23rd March 2017. This is the first time Mario has appeared on a non-Nintendo gaming system.



Super Mario Run - as the name suggests - is a side-scrolling runner game. That basically means that Mario (or your character of choice) runs automatically, rather than waiting for you to tap the controls. At first I was not sure if I liked Mario in this format - mainly because it was frustrating if I missed a coin, which I could not go back to - but after a while, I got used to it, and actually began to love this style of play.



Super Mario Run is made up of three parts. This includes Tour, Toad Rally, and the Mushroom Kingdom. And all in an effort to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. Surprise Surprise.



The main game is a very familiar format, with all the landscapes and enemies we know and love. There are six worlds, each made up of four levels. The first three levels are free to play, but after that it costs £9.99 to unlock the rest of the game. This is expensive for an app (especially for the relatively few levels), but at the same time, hardly surprising, given that Nintendo know people are willing to pay the price to play a Mario game. I personally am not one of them, so have stuck with demo mode.

There is still plenty to enjoy in demo mode, as Toad Rally and Mushroom Kingdom are available to play for free.



Mushroom Kingdom is the homepage of the game. All the coins and treasure you collect while on Tour can be used here to rebuild the Kingdom - which Bowser destroyed. One of the Toad Huts contains a mini game, which you can play once a day. It is a simple luck of the draw, in which you choose the two doors you wish to go through. Some of the doors will give you lots of coins and a ticket, while other doors might have nothing.



Tickets are required to play Toad Rally, which allows you to compete/race against ghost players. The aim is to get the highest score by collecting coins and the most cheers from the Toad community. It is this part of the game that I find the most fun, but I do think it could be improved upon.



Instead of merely running up against ghost players, it would have been nice to be able to compete live, in real time. I am surprised that this is not an option.



Given that there are only twenty-four levels (three of which are free), I think £9.99 is too pricey as Nintendo could make plenty of profit just from in-game purchases, but Super Mario Run is entertaining and will satisfy most Mario fans.

Category
#Platformer
#iOS
#Android
#Single Player
#1 player
#Nintendo
#Mario
#Runner

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