What is Super Mario Run, Is it Free?

Nintendo and Apple fans all around the world were surprised when Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Legend of Zelda, and countless other Nintendo franchises, took to the stage at the iPhone 7 reveal to announce Super Mario Run, the first true mobile game from Nintendo. But, what is Super Mario Run, does Super Mario Run cost money for Android and iOS, and what should fans expect out of the game?

What is Super Mario Run?

Super Mario Run is an iOS and Android game that will cost $9.99 to unlock anything after World 1-3. At the most basic level, Super Mario run is a runner game that features everyone’s favorite plumber, Mario, and some of his other pals. On a higher level, though, the game is more like a Super Mario game than anything. Featuring the typical ? blocks and coin collection goals of any true Mario Game, Super Mario Run tasks players with controlling a non-stop sprinting Mario character as they try to complete levels, some of which even include the franchise’s most notorious bosses. The game is also Nintendo first push into the mobile gaming space, as the previously released Pokémon Go has nothing to do with the parent company.

Super Mario Run isn’t just a runner game, though. In fact, it includes multiple game modes which can be used to further the enjoyment of fans everywhere. The regular game features typical Mario style worlds, which players can complete to unlock new levels. It also included a special Toad Rally mode, which takes pieces from various levels and mixes them together to create customized tracks. Then players can challenge their friends, and face off against each other in a battle to see how is the fastest coin collector in the game.

The third portion of the game appears to be one of the most fleshed out portions we’ve seen thus far. While we don’t have a huge amount of information on it, Super Mario Run also includes a special Kingdom Builder game mode, where players can build their very own Super Mario Kingdom by purchasing items in a special store. These items don’t cost real money, though, as Super Mario Run does not hold any free-to-play in-app transactions of any sort.

Super Mario Run Gameplay Details

What exactly can players expect from Super Mario Run? That’s an excellent question, and we’d like to address that right here and now. We’ve included a laundry list of gameplay details about Super Mario Run below, so take a look to see what all the hype is about.

• Mario runs in a non-stop sprint, but can be turned in different directions depending on the situation.
• Levels have multiple paths that you can take to earn even more coins. Choose carefully.
• Mario can roll jump, long jump, vault jump, perform a roll when landing, and even parkour roll over enemies to avoid them.
• Mario can mantle onto ledges, as well as perform a stall jump that slows him down.
• Pause blocks will allow you to take a breath and survey the level ahead of you for a few moments.
• The game features 24 levels, 4 of which can be accessed freely before purchasing.
• Toad Rally allows you to challenge friends and changes up sections of the main levels to create unique courses.
• Kingdom Builder lets you create your very own kingdom, and works as the game’s main start screen.
• You can get new homes for unlockable characters like Yoshi and Luigi.
• The population of your kingdom will determine what items you can purchase from the store.
• Winning a course in Toad Rally will get you all the Toad fans as new inhabitants for your kingdom.

Super Mario Run will release on December 15, and we’ll be covering the game more in-depth as we get closer to launch. You can currently head to your nearest Apple Store, where you can play a demo of the game. Head back over to our Super Mario Run guide for more tips, tricks, and information on Nintendo’s upcoming runner.