The game was first launched on iOS in December and raked in a record 40 million downloads in just four days.
Android users rejoice! Nintendo is finally launching a Super Mario Run version for Android in the month of March. The company made the announcement through its official Twitter handle. It further said that users can pre-register on Google’s Play Store to receive an update on the launch of the app. If you are an Android user, you can search for Super Mario Run on the Play Store and click on pre-register to receive a notification on your Android smartphone whenever the app is released.
#SuperMarioRun will arrive on Android in March. You can pre-register in Google Play to be notified when it launches! https://t.co/u4H9bxVi9R pic.twitter.com/Hd5uzRcYcK
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 19, 2017
One of the reasons for Super Mario Run’s exclusivity to Apple’s iOS platform was to avoid piracy. Veteran designer Shigeru Miyamoto explained in an interview with Mashable, “So this is just — based on the current development environment — a requirement that’s been built into the game to support security and the fact that the three different modes are connecting to the network and interacting with one another.” He further said, “Unlike our dedicated game devices, the game is not releasing in a limited number of countries. We’re launching in 150 countries and each of those countries has different network environments and things like that. So it was important for us to be able to have it secure for all users.”
However, despite the concerns about piracy, game enthusiasts have already found their way around the app and seeking help from less legitimate sources to download Super Mario Run. By launching Super Mario Run on the most widely used mobile OS, Nintendo will be able to tap in a larger share of mobile gamers who prefer Android for its open nature. As of now, there are less than 10 percent people who downloaded the game, agreed to pay the fee to unlock other features of the game, Reuters reports. ALSO READ: Here’s the real reason why Super Mario Run is not on Android
Super Mario Run, launched first on December 15, brings back the iconic game from the console days to the smartphone era. After launching exclusively on iOS, the game downloads topped a record 40 million in just four days. It was also the most downloaded app worldwide on Christmas and New Year’s Day according to Apple. In a separate data from Apptopia, Super Mario Run saw 2,850,000 downloads in its first day on the App Store, compared with the 900,000 Pokémon Go had garnered when it was first launched.
The game requires internet connectivity to play. While the app is free, only the first three levels are open to play as many times as one wants. In order to unlock all the levels, one needs to pay Rs 620. However, this is a one-time fee and there are no other transactions in the game other than the purchases made from using the coins you collect in the game.