Nintendo’s first ever mobile gaming phenomenon, Super Mario Run, has initially just been made available on iOS in mid-December. It had then been promised that Nintendo would make its game available on Android in the coming months. Now, it is taking a small but important step closer to the game’s release for Android users.
Yes, you will be able to run with your favorite Plumber on Android sooner than expected. Nintendo has today unexpectedly made the Google Play Store listing for Super Mario Run available for users along with an option to pre-register for the same. Though you cannot go ahead and play the game right away but you will be notified, once the game is available for download. Nintendo made this release official via its Twitter account as well.
Android版『Super Mario Run』の事前登録を開始いたしました。登録された方には、正式なアプリが配信された際にGoogle Playからの通知で配信開始をお知らせします。紛らわしいページやアプリにはご注意ください。https://t.co/xMNtY4cObH
— SuperMarioRun (@SuperMarioRunJP) December 29, 2016
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario had dispensed a pretty accurate statement for the delay of the Super Mario Run’s arrival of Android. He had then cited piracy concerns as the primary cause for the release being after iOS, else they would’ve most likely happened at the same time. The security concerns regarding the game are also the primary reason behind Nintendo’s approach of making it run on an always-on internet connection. In the interview, he had also mentioned,
For us, we view our software as being a very important asset. And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we’re able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure, and that they’re able to play it in a stable environment. The security element is one of the reasons that we decided to go with iPhone and iOS first.
For those unaware of the specifics, Super Mario Run, which is currently available on iOS as a free download enables users to play the first four levels. Post the completion of these four, you are required to shell out $9.99 to purchase the complete unlocked version of the game. It features three modes, namely World Tour — run and jump to rescue the princess, Toad Rally — challenge mode to play against friends, and Kingdom Builder — enables you to gather coins and toads to build your very own kingdom.
Nintendo is planning to follow a similar pricing strategy for unlocking all 24 levels across six worlds on Android as well. This is a part of the company’s broader mobile strategy under which it is planning to release two to three mobile games annually. After reaching a 40 million download milestone in just four days, the popularity of the game has started tanking due to the lack of game levels on the free version, in-app purchases, and its hefty pricing.
