Super Mario Run review: A solid Mario mobile game
A new Mario game is out, and although it isn’t the Mario game everyone wanted, it’s still pretty fun.
When Super Mario Run was announced, it’s safe to say that excitement was the most common reaction. Nintendo revealed their intentions to break into the mobile gaming market just a few months ago, and so far, it has been an absolute success.
They started off with Miitomo. It’s more of a glorified social media comments section rather than a game, but it’s definitely unique. Soon after, Pokemon GO was released and turned into a massive hit.
Although these games aren’t perfect, they definitely work and cater to different styles of players. Super Mario Run is the most recent release, and it’s a pretty cool gaming experience.
Right off the bat, the graphics stand out the most. As a mobile game, you wouldn’t think that the graphics would turn out with this kind of quality. Not only does it look great, but the graphics complement the gameplay even more.
Leading up to the game and watching all the trailers, the game looked like a traditional, side-scrolling Mario game. Yet Nintendo constantly reminded us that it would be played differently.
As soon as you pop open the app, it’s instantly evident. It has the same feel as most Mario games. Bowser is the main villain, and you must save Princess Peach. There’s a bunch of worlds with different levels to beat.
It’s your typical Mario experience, so we aren’t complaining about that. Like the phrase goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Super Mario Run is the perfect example of that.
However, as we stated, there’s a different way of playing this game. Mario doesn’t stop running in this game, unlike the other games where you can stop and go as you please. Mario is always moving forward.
He also automatically vaults over certain objects, like the tunnels/warp pipes, the Goombas and breakable blocks. You can still jump, though, and these jumps add a whole new dynamic to the game.
Now you’re not only progressing through these levels to try and reach the destination. With the help of these jumps, you can break blocks to get mushrooms or other items, like stars.
The biggest objective you need to worry about is getting coins. There are the traditional gold coins, but it’s the other types of coins that are more interesting. There are pink, purple and black coins, each serving a different purpose.
When you collect a full set (five) of any of these coins, it unlocks a whole new version of the same level. It’s a cool feature since it adds a bit more variety to the game.
Finally, there are different modes. One mode that will probably be the most popular is Toad Rally. A multiplayer mode, it requires you to beat your opponent’s score on an identical course, plain and simple. But it’s not like you’re competing against another opponent in real-time.
Let’s say you have a certain high score recorded. Anybody can compete against you and try to beat that high score.
There’s a visually blurry character that represents your play-through with the time recorded, and if they do better than your score, they now they hold the record. This is better known as asynchronous multiplayer. It’s very interesting and adds a competitive aspect.
Not only are you competing to beat their score, but you can also earn certain prizes. Depending on certain moves you perform, you can earn in-game items like Rally Tickets and so on.
Another mode is Kingdom Builder. This mode lets you create your very own Mushroom Kingdom. This mode is, by far, the worst out of the three since it seems almost uninteresting.
You can expect most people to just stick to one mode, that being the World Tour mode. This mode is what truly captures the essence of the game and what really makes it a Mario game.
The game has all the potential to be great, but there are a few gripes. For example, the lack of content. So far, there are only six worlds to play. Once you complete these worlds, there really isn’t any incentive to play.
Priced at $10, it’s very affordable, but more worlds need to be added soon. The repetitiveness can also get a bit boring and familiar after awhile.
In most Mario games, you’re almost forced to replay certain levels if you’re that kind of player who wants to collect it all and be a perfectionist. This isn’t a problem for certain people, but it can be a bit frustrating.
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Overall, Super Mario Run is simply fun. It’s not perfect by any means, but being a mobile game, it definitely works. The lack of content and repetitiveness holds it back a bit, but it’s still fun.