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Super Mario Run is out soon on iOS (15th December), and is Nintendo's biggest mobile release to date - Pokémon GO, remember, isn't a Nintendo game. The moment Nintendo announced its partnership with DeNA in early 2015 most people will have said "there'll be a Mario runner", and they will have been right; nevertheless this title does include three modes and online features, so some thought has gone into it.

With a free-to-start download and a flat $9.99 to unlock the full game, it'll be interesting to see how download figures line up against purchases. App Annie, the mobile analytics resource, has published an interesting article on the app's prospects based upon its pre-launch reception and marketing; it seems Nintendo's been making some smart moves.

One criticism of the launch has been the timed exclusivity on iOS, and though Nintendo is unlikely to talk about it, the likelihood is that favours (and probably money) changed hands as Apple chased being first with Mario on Mobile. App Annie highlights the reveal at an Apple press event as an important moment, and there've been follow-up backslapping publicity moves since. With the app launching in 151 countries (a massive day one roll-out) the article also shows how Super Mario Run has had almost unprecedented promotion and visibility on the App Store. Not only have the day-one notification sign-ups been a new feature on the App Store, but Nintendo's platformer has had store placements and banners typically reserved for the biggest apps when they launch; all of this well ahead of its release.

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The article's worth a read - it praises Nintendo's marketing, the quality of the official website, store page and so on. It also points out that the price tag could make a lot of sense in the context of the game's launch (right in time for the Holidays) and purchasing trends in the Far East, in particular. One cautionary note revolves around the online features, which will surely be under strain when the title rolls out around the world and users rush to try it out.

While not particularly interesting for Android users, Apple device owners will soon have a chance to play the first Mario game on Mobile; it'll be interesting to see whether it takes off.

[source appannie.com]