"Super Mario Run" was launched for iPhones and iPads on December 15, Thursday but many nonplussed Nintendo fans learned that playing the entire iOS game was not free. They expected it was free to download the entire game like the gaming giant's hit augmented reality (AR) title "Pokémon Go." In fact, many people complained online about the smartphone game having a $10 in-app purchase after downloading it from Apple's App Store.
"Pokémon Go" was released in July 2016. Nintendo's new Mario game includes coins, fireballs, power-ups, Goomba mushrooms, and other objects that make it as fun-filled as the Pokemon title, so some people thought it would also be a no-charge mobile game.
In fact, the initial download of "Super Mario Run" is free of charge. After finishing the first world, however, gamers must pay $9.99 for a single in-app purchase to continue in the game. Industry experts predict the game could earn up to $60 million for the NES and Wii maker in the first month, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.
"Super Mario Run" looks like a standard side-scrolling game but it is in fact an automatic runner title. Players control the short plumber's jumps that can include fast hops (tap screen) and longer leaps (hold finger down).
Mario can do many actions using a mix of taps and presses. They include wall jumps, ledge grabs, and blasting over enemies.
Several gamers took to Twitter to complain about the game's price tag. One common complaint was that the game was only "free" through the first world.
Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is the game's designer. In early interviews he shared that one purchase would unlock the entire mobile game.
The single in-app purchase allows full access to all six worlds of the game via a question-mark block. Shelling out $10 also gives gamers 3,000 coins and 20 Toad Rally tickets.
Players can use the 3,000 coins for a head start to construct buildings in Toad Kingdom so they can unlock other game characters including Mario's twin brother Luigi and dinosaur sidekick Yoshi.
The question-mark block, meanwhile, just ends a 20-second gameplay lock on the game's levels. Gamers will have to play through all the previous levels like other Mario games.
The in-app purchase also does not transfer. It cannot be used for other Apple IDs that have family sharing, according to AppleInsider.
"Super Mario Run" is a 204 megabyte game that expands to 345 MB following the first data download.
Here's a "Super Mario Run" review: