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Super Mario Run launch date and pricing announced

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Mama-mia! Everybody’s favorite Italian-American plumber is due to hit the App Store in time for Christmas. Super Mario Run will launch on December 15 as a free download, with additional game modes unlocked for a one-off $9.99 fee.

Nintendo’s first proper game, after the fun-but-baffling social experiment Miitomo, and the hugely-popular-but-not-actually-made-by-Nintendo Pokémon GO, was announced on stage in September by Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto. Since then details have been sparse, but with an official launch date and pricing now announced, hype for the game is bound to increase.

$9.99 is an unusually high price point for a mobile game, but Nintendo have stressed that much of the game is playable completely free. And there are no adverts, and no other IAPs in sight – its a premium game that won’t try to fleece players out of money every time they open the app. It’ll be interesting to see how players respond to the cost of the full unlock, which will allow players to access additional game modes.

Super Mario Run looks like a fully-fledged Mario game in terms of the 2D platforming gameplay and slick 3D graphics. The controls have been simplified for touch, and Mario will run automatically – meaning we can probably expect an experience deeper than most “auto-runners” but still some way short of a full console game. Nintendo has launched a new video introduction showing off the gameplay, which you can view below.

The game will be compatible with both iPhone and iPad and is set to launch in 151 different countries. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it rocket to the top of the App Store charts over the Christmas period. You can register on the App Store page to receive a notification as soon as the app is made available.