The Italian plumber with his signature mustache did not just make an impact on the kids of the 80’s and 90’s, it continues to affect today’s generation as well. This much is evident in the continued support of every single Mario product released.

December 15 of last year proved this to be true when thousands of iOS users finally got to download Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s first venture into mobile gaming. It remains exclusive to iOS users, and can be downloaded for free.

What You Need to Play

Super Mario Run may be free to download, but expect to make a purchase if you want to make the most out of it. Full access to the game costs $9.99, something that you’ll probably end up being tempted to pay especially if you feel that the few levels opened are not enough to satisfy your Mario fix.

You would also need a stable connection to play the game. Creator and producer Shigeru Miyamoto says that they designed the game this way because they wanted to give a more seamless experience to users, with different game modes functioning all at the same time. He also believes this will help in keeping the software as secure as possible.

The Gameplay

Yup, the game will definitely be very familiar as the gameplay still looks like the old games, but with better graphics this time around. The only direction you can go however, is up, down and forward.

The main character moves on its own, so there’s no need for you to keep pressing forward throughout the game. All you need to do is tap the screen at all the right times to make Mario jump. When you long press instead of just tapping, you get to make him jump even higher.

You’ll also notice that Mario now has extra moves as he jumps and moves around. That’s something you’ll have to see for yourself once you experience the game.

It comes in 3 different game modes – World Tour, Toad Rally, and Mushroom Kingdom. World Tour lets you play the old school Mario way, moving through each level and collecting coins until you reach the end. Toad Rally lets you run against other players, while Mushroom Kingdom allows you to build your own kingdom using coins and Toads you’ve collected on the other modes.

What about Android?

For now, Super Mario Run remains exclusive to the App Store, but Google Play is already allowing Android users to sign up for updates the moment the game becomes available. There are a few fake ones in the market though, so you have to watch out for those if you want to make sure you get the real experience, not an imitated one.

So far, experts that sell iPhones report that the hype is real among iOS users. People have clamored to download the game right from the get-go, and so far, we’re seeing a lot of satisfied nods. We’ll see what happens next when Android users finally get their hands on it this year.