Move over, Angry Birds and Pokémon. Mobile has a new star today.
Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s exclusive game for iOS devices, is now available to download on your iPhone or iPad. You can try some of it for free, but you’ll need to pay $10 to unlock the full experience. After launching the social app Miitomo earlier in the year, Super Mario Run is Nintendo’s first actual game designed for mobile. Anticipation for this launch is high in the business world, with Nintendo’s stock price rising before its release.
Nintendo had an up-close glimpse at mobile mega-success earlier this year when Niantic’s Pokémon Go launched. However, Nintendo only owns a third of the Pokémon brand, so it did not reap the full rewards from that app. Mario, however, is fully a Nintendo creation. The success of Super Mario Run could be a big boost for the Japanese company. Industry intelligence firm Sensor Tower thinks that Super Mario Run could have 56 percent. more first-month downloads than Pokémon Go
Super Mario Run marks another new business strategy for Nintendo as it recovers from the disappointing sales of the Wii U console. Along with this new focus on mobile, Nintendo is preparing to launch a new home console/portable hybrid system next March, the Switch. Nintendo showed off both the Switch and Super Mario Run on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month.
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Mario has been a star for Nintendo since he debuted in the arcade hit Donkey Kong in 1981. In 1985, he starred in Super Mario Bros., the landmark 2D sidescroller that helped propel Mario and the Nintendo Entertainment System to the mainstream. The Mario series has sold over 210 games.
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