Super Mario Run is officially making its way to Android, as Nintendo promised what seems like so long ago. The company has now revealed an exact date for Mario’s Android debut: March 23. That’s this Thursday, in case you’re bad at math or don’t have a calendar handy, and it means iOS users had more than three months of exclusive access to the game.
Because that’s a virtual eternity in the fast-paced world of mobile gaming, here’s a reminder of what Super Mario Run actually is: Nintendo’s first mobile game leveraging its classic IP. It’s a one-tap platform, in which Mario runs of his own accord and you tap the screen to get him to jump, using your keen perception to figure out when are the best times to actually do that for max impact and score.
Android version of #SuperMarioRun will be available on 3/23 with the Ver.2.0.0 update! Pre-register now: https://t.co/dAxzTlppnG pic.twitter.com/nQ0T4znOBt
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 18, 2017
The game offers a taste of gameplay for free, with the full version available via a one-time payment for unlocking all levels. It’s still a game that focuses more on challenging others and completing daily challenges, however, as well as accumulating and spending virtual in-game currency to build out your virtual Mushroom Kingdom.
Super Mario Run accumulated huge download numbers from its iOS debut, and good conversions in terms of paid purchases when measured on the scale of mobile games, but it’ll be interesting to see how it fares on Android, where shoppers are known to be less willing to part ways with their hard-earned cash.
