During today’s fall Apple Event, CEO Tim Cook provided an update on the state of the App Store, highlighting that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are now the most popular gaming devices in the world, and he used the opportunity to segue into an announcement that Nintendo will finally be bringing the venerable Mario to the iPhone. Cook handed over the stage to the “father of Mario,” Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, to expand on the announcement, revealing a brand new mobile-optimized game, “Super Mario Run,” that will be coming to the iPhone. It’s designed exclusively for mobile, one-handed play.
Miyamoto and his team demonstrated the new game, revealing gameplay that will have Mario automatically running to the right, with on-screen taps used to have Mario jump and collect coins.
In later levels, blocks will appear that can reverse Mario’s running direction or cause him to start and stop movement with precision timing. The new game will also include a new battle mode called “Toad Rally” where players can compete against friends and other players around the world for high scores, determined by how many coins they can collect on their run and how many toads they can impress with special moves. Toads will also become residents of the player’s Mushroom Kingdom, which can be customized and expanded in the game by spending in-game coins collected on normal runs — Miyamoto was quick to point out however, that because they want everybody to be able to fully enjoy the game, it will be sold for a fixed price with no in-app purchases or subscriptions.
While pricing has not yet been announced, the game is expected to be released on the App Store in time for the 2016 holiday season. Miyamoto also announced that in advance of the full game, a Super Mario Sticker app for iMessage will be released on the same day as iOS 10.
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