Super Mario Run’s launch on iOS back in December was easily the most anticipated mobile game release in the history of the platform. With 10 million downloads on its first day and a whopping 63 publications weighing in on Metacritic—compared …
Super Mario Run’s launch on iOS back in December was easily the most anticipated mobile game release in the history of the platform. With 10 million downloads on its first day and a whopping 63 publications weighing in on Metacritic—compared to nine for Miitomo, Nintendo’s actual first mobile release—it seemed like everyone was playing Mario’s mobile debut. Of course, that wasn’t true: Apple-exclusivity left out a huge portion of Super Mario Run’s anxiously awaiting audience in Android users. Today, that disappointing delay has ended as the auto-running platformer set in the Mushroom Kingdom is finally available on Google Play.
Although the initial impressions were somewhat mixed, Super Mario Run received favorable reviews overall, and we here at Gamezebo had a blast with it. The precision-perfect controls, intricate and flowing level designs, and Nintendo-quality polish and charm won us over initially, and the company’s commitment to releasing regular updates and events only solidified our feelings. Android users will finally get to experience all this as well, and their version released today includes all of the changes that have been made to the iOS build since launch.
A number of those changes were just introduced in an update yesterday. The big adjustment that should be of benefit to the new batch of players is an extra level available in the free download: previously the free version of the game only included the first three levels, ending just before the first Bowser fight in stage 1-4. Now 1-4 will unlock once you finish 1-3, letting players try out a Bowser’s Castle stage in the demo. This is a nice bonus since it shows off a different level format and essentially expands the demo by 33% (not including the extra Toad Rally courses they’ve thrown in, too). The tutorial has been improved, Rally Tickets are now easier to earn, some building requirements in Kingdom Builder have been lowered, and Toad appearances have been adjusted in Toad Rally. All changes seem aimed at making the game a bit easier and newcomer-friendly, which is ideal for a brand new platform launch.
The other big addition–that should also appeal to iOS fans who have seen and done it all—is the ability to unlock different colored Yoshis. Each new type of Yoshi—Blue, Yellow, Purple, and Red—has their own house with building requirements. Purchasing their house lets you choose that color of Yoshi anytime going forward. Of course, since Yoshi doesn’t eat enemies in this game, you don’t earn their unique Yoshi powers, but it’s still fun to represent with your favorite (unless your favorite is Red, in which case, good luck earning 9999 Red Toads).
Super Mario Run already has over 175,000 reviews on Google Play from today alone, so Android users are catching up quickly. If you haven’t played it yet on either device, now is the perfect—and first—opportunity to do so. And if you’re a new player, be sure to check out our different guides for tips on unlocking characters, get lots of Rally Tickets, or just generally learn the ropes or master more advanced tactics.
