Nintendo "Super Mario Run" Smartphone Game Makes Debut

Kyoto, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--Nintendo Co. <7974> began online distribution of the "Super Mario Run" smartphone game application in Japan Friday. The major Japanese game maker also launched the game app in the United States and other markets. Eventually, it can be downloaded in a total of 151 countries and regions. Super Mario Run, which has a free edition for limited use, can be played fully for 1,200 yen in Japan without any additional charges. Nintendo aims to catch up with rival firms in the smartphone game market by having Mario and other signature characters in its popular Super Mario game series show up in a smartphone game for the first time. Currently, Super Mario Run only supports devices made by Apple Inc., such as iPhone smartphones. It is unclear when Nintendo will make the game available to users of devices running on Google Inc.'s Android operating system. In the game, players tap their smartphone screens and hold longer to make Mario run, jump and collect coins until he reaches a goal. The game can be played one-handed. Pokemon Go, a smartphone game app which became a social phenomenon after its release this summer, was developed mainly by a U.S. game maker in cooperation with Nintendo. Now, the Japanese firm played the main role in developing the latest game, teaming up with Japanese mobile game provider DeNA Co. <2432>. END