Review: Super Mario Run (Android)

Super Mario Run was initially released on the iOS and then released on Android systems. The free-to-start version of the game only consists of the first world. The full price of the game is Rm39.99. Played it on Samsung Note II with settings set to ‘Low’. Got most of the Black coins for a majority of the levels and done enough Toad Rallys to get the required amount of Toads to unlock new buildings. A constant internet connection is required to play the game.

It’s been awhile since I last played a Mario game. Super Mario Bros. 3 was the last time that I sunk in an appreciable amount of time into a Mario game. Super Mario Run feels like Nintendo’s attempt to recapture the hearts of those who have a nostalgia for Mario games but have lapsed and not kept up with gaming ever since their younger days. Similar to how Pokémon Go served as a way to reintroduce gamers who used to play Pokémon games by appealing to their nostalgia.

Which has been Nintendo's strategy for the mobile market. Take games which resonate with an older demographic that has moved away from games to encourage them to take a look. In the process, they would simplify gameplay mechanics to accommodate the mobile phone market with the lack of buttons and directional controls. It was a successful strategy with Pokémon Go, leading to greater sales of Pokémon Sun & Moon. However, with the lack of a 2D Mario game on the horizon, this game needs to stand alone more than the others and I think it manages to succeed.

The reason why I feel this way might come more from a gamer's perspective. While some might argue that the pricing of the game being on the high side for a mobile game. The amount of content present more than makes up for it. The free-to-start version of Super Mario Run only allows gamers to play up to the castle of World 1 and to unlock the remaining 5 Worlds you have to purchase the full game. But even with the 4 levels that are available for free, you can see the craftsmanship in levels that are designed by skilled level creators compared to games that make use of randomized elements to prolong the game. There's a different feeling when you get better through your own skill and memorization rather than buying upgrades so that you can survive longer against a non-stop barrage of obstacles.

The game itself is played just by tapping on the lower third of the screen. There’s no swiping or using another hand for movement or to activate power ups, just tap. It keeps the game simple and only requires the gamer’s reflexes and their ability to figure out and memorize the location of coins. Many gamers would be able to breeze through a majority of this game if their main goal was to only reach the next stage in a day or two. Gamers can also jump into a Toad Rally mode that lets you compete with other players for Toads so that you can unlock more characters and stuff to do on the map screen. It makes use of the same levels as the main mode, so you should be well prepared to tackle your opponents if you play through the main levels first before jumping into Toad Rally.

There are a few stages that require puzzle solving but they are few and far in between. So, the challenge that gamers of traditional Mario games comes from looking for the Pink/Purple/Black coins in each stage. There will be 5 colored coins that Mario will need to collect and clear the stage. If the gamer succeeds, then the next set of colored coins will be unlocked and the gamer will then have to go through the stage again to collect them all. The placement of the coins changes and gets more devious each time you complete a set. So in essence, each stage has three difficulty levels for a total of 72 different stages. They might not all be widely different from each other but it adds a level of replayability for those who seek it out. I would like to mention how some of the Black Coins levels are really mean, requiring the player to make skillful jumps from between enemies and blocks to reach out of the way locations. There's a challenge to this game if you're looking for it. I would be replaying levels for hours trying to plot out a perfect course to take and even when I knew the course like the back of my hand, it still takes a skillful execution to pull it off. I wonder if it would be easier if I have more control over Mario but I'll just say that I'm not skilled enough to pull them off.

So, is Super Mario Run worth the price of admission? I think it depends on the type of gamer you are. If you plan on replaying levels over and over again to get all the coins and unlock a harder difficulty to get more coins, then I feel that Rm 39.99 is not a big amount of money to ask. Especially when the game itself is fun and levels are short and it’s quick to retry. However, if you only plan to see the game once, I don’t think you would get the satisfaction of retrying and getting a particularly difficult level done as the game is easy enough to go through very quickly. And I also feel that the lack of control of Mario is bothersome for someone who is used to taking full control of a game character. I would recommend to those who are interested, that because the game is free-to-start. Give the free levels a run-through. Try and get all the coins and try it again on harder difficulties, if that is for you then you should buy this game. But if you aren’t that type of gamer, then I think it’s not worth the investment.

Review: 3.5/5