Super Mario Run : le plombier tient dans une main

Super Mario Run: the plumber fits in one hand

1334 mots | Temps de lecture : 6 minute(s)

In September 2016, on the stage of an Apple keynote, Shigeru Miyamoto himself unveiled Super Mario Run (title kept as is in French): the mascot's very first game designed from start to finish for smartphones.

The idea can be summed up in one sentence: Mario runs by himself, you just have to touch the screen to jump. A Mario playable with one hand, on the subway or in a queue — and a business model that, for its part, would generate a lot of discussion.

Summary

The First Mario Born for Smartphones

Until then, Nintendo had always refused to bring Mario to mobile, deeming smartphones incompatible with its game philosophy. Super Mario Run marked the break: it was the first original platformer in the series designed for touchscreens.

The release was done in two stages. December 15, 2016, on iOS (iPhone and iPad), then in March 2017 on Android. The choice of an initial iPhone-exclusive launch was no accident: Miyamoto had presented the game a few months earlier, in September 2016, directly on the Apple stage, alongside the iPhone 7 — a moment that remained symbolic of the rapprochement between the two giants.

Gameplay Designed for One Thumb

The principle is remarkably simple. Mario automatically moves to the right and crosses small obstacles by himself: you only manage the jump. A brief press triggers a small jump, a long press a big jump, with the duration of contact with the screen determining the height.

The game adds some subtleties to avoid monotony. Pause blocks allow you to suspend the run to aim, while Mario automatically crosses certain chasms and bounces off walls. The goal of each course: reach the finish line without falling while collecting as many coins as possible, including the famous pink, then purple and black coins that significantly increase the challenge with each new attempt at the same level.

Three Modes at Launch

Upon its release, the game revolved around three complementary modes:

  • World Tour: the main adventure, consisting of 24 levels spread across 6 worlds, punctuated by confrontations against Bowser and Boom Boom. A bonus world, World ★, adds additional courses to unlock.
  • Toad Rally: one-minute races against the "ghost" — recorded data — of another player. The goal is not to finish first but to attract as many Toads as possible with your acrobatics, to bring them into your kingdom.
  • Kingdom Builder: a mode for building and decorating the Mushroom Kingdom, where earned coins are spent and recruited Toads unlock buildings and characters.

A later update, in Fall 2017, added a fourth mode, Remix 10, which strings together ten mini-stages — but the three original pillars remain the core of the game.

An Unprecedented Economic Model on Mobile

This is perhaps where Super Mario Run surprises the most. While mobile gaming thrives on ads and microtransactions, Nintendo chose a "free-to-start" model.

Specifically, the first levels are free, then a one-time purchase of €9.99 unlocks the entire game, its 24 levels, and all modes. No subscription, no ads, no loot boxes: you pay once, like a classic game. An unusual gamble, praised for its honesty but deemed expensive by a part of the public accustomed to everything being free.

The real drawback lies elsewhere: a permanent internet connection is mandatory, even for playing World Tour alone. A requirement linked to piracy protection, but heavily criticized, as it makes the game unplayable on a plane or without network coverage.

A Download Tsunami

Commercially, the launch was colossal. The game exceeded 40 million downloads in four days and broke the launch record previously held by Pokémon GO. Over the years, it crossed the 300 million download mark, one of the biggest mobile launches in history.

The downside was the conversion rate: only a small fraction of players paid the €9.99, which fueled the debate about the price. In terms of content, replayability heavily relied on unlockable characters: Mario is there from the start, followed by Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, and Toadette — Peach is freed once the adventure is completed — later joined by Daisy, who arrived with the Remix 10 update. Each is earned through Toad Challenges and Kingdom Builder.

A Turning Point for Nintendo on Mobile

Beyond the numbers, Super Mario Run marked Mario's true debut on smartphones and confirmed Nintendo's shift towards mobile, initiated with its partner DeNA. It joined other in-house applications like Fire Emblem Heroes, released shortly after in early 2017.

The game also served as a large-scale test: Nintendo measured the public's appetite for Mario on phones, while advocating for the idea that a mobile game could be sold at a fixed price rather than relying on micro-payments. A choice few publishers followed, but one that remains emblematic of how Nintendo approaches mobile: in its own way, even if it goes against the grain.

Super Mario Run in brief

French Name Super Mario Run
English Name Super Mario Run
Japanese Name スーパーマリオ ラン (Super Mario Run)
iOS Release December 15, 2016
Android Release March 2017
Type Auto-runner platform game (mobile)
Developer / Publisher Nintendo
Price Free to try, €9.99 to unlock everything

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FAQ

  • Is Super Mario Run free?
    It's "free to try": the first levels are free, but unlocking the entire game (24 levels, 6 worlds, and all modes) requires a one-time purchase of €9.99. No subscription, no ads, no micro-transactions.
  • Can you play it offline?
    No. A permanent internet connection is mandatory, even for playing World Tour alone. This constraint, linked to piracy protection, was one of the most frequent criticisms of the game.
  • What are the game modes?
    Three modes at launch: World Tour (the adventure), Toad Rally (one-minute races against the "ghost" of other players), and Kingdom Builder (construction). A fourth mode, Remix 10, was added in Fall 2017.
  • What platforms was it released on?
    On smartphones and tablets: December 15, 2016, on iOS (iPhone, iPad), then in March 2017 on Android. It's the first platform game in the Mario series designed specifically for mobile.
  • Which characters can be unlocked?
    Mario is playable from the start. Then come Luigi, Peach (freed at the end of the adventure), Yoshi, Toad, and Toadette, followed by Daisy with the Remix 10 update. They are obtained through Toad Rally and Kingdom Builder.
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