As promised, Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad launched on Apple’s App Store on Thursday. The game marks Mario’s first official appearance on Apple’s mobile devices and was first teased this fall, and if the hype is any indication productivity is going to take a serious hit for the rest of today.
Super Mario Run is a platform runner game where players tap the screen to make him jump and leap to complete levels. Mario can catch coins and power ups, and scale walls if your tapping skills are up to snuff.
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The game includes three play modes: World Tour, Kingdom Builder, and Toad Rally. The first is the standard rap-and-run game. Kingdom Builder lets you play through levels to build your own village, and Toad Rally pits you against your friends for high scores.
Super Mario Run is a free download with access to some levels. Unlocking all levels is a US$9.99 in-app purchase. The game also requires an always-on internet connection, so don’t expect to play in airplane mode on your next flight.
Lets see how fast I can push the Buy button! Yes!