Super Mario Run Gets a Speedy Live-Action Trailer
By Jasmine Henry 07 December 2016
Nintendo releases a live-action Super Mario Run trailer, showcasing the spirit of the game and its fast-paced, coin-collecting gameplay ahead of its release on iOS.
With over 20 million iOS users having signed up to be notified the second that the game is available to download, it’s clear that plenty of people are excited for Nintendo’s next foray into the mobile gaming business, Super Mario Run. But just in case there’s someone who isn’t hyped for the upcoming platformer, Nintendo has released a new trailer for the game to get people into the spirit.
Live-action, this new trailer features Super Mario Run players from all over the world as they run, jump, skate and somersault to go and meet Mario in New York City’s Times Square. While obviously very over the top (the game doesn’t include skateboards, for example, and players are unlikely to have much success if they play the game while running alongside giraffes), it certainly captures the general spirit of Super Mario Run‘s gameplay. It also highlights how the game can be played on the go, just in case any Super Mario Run players feel inclined to multi-task.
In previous Super Mario Run gameplay videos, viewers can see how the iconic red plumber sprints through the Mushroom Kingdom, able to punch boxes and collect coins just as the live-action trailer (briefly) suggested. The goal of the game is to avoid getting chomped by Piranha Plants and bashed by other such enemies, and to collect as many coins as possible along the way. Super Mario Run also allows players to compete against their peers (including players from their Miitomo friends list) in the Toad Rally mode and players can also craft their own bases in the Kingdom Builder mode.
Unfortunately, while the live-action trailer conveys the gist of what the game is about, it doesn’t make any mention of Super Mario Run‘s pricing plan. Somewhat controversially, the Mario-starring platformer will not be entirely free to play as, although some content will be available to players at no cost at all, Super Mario Run players will have to pay $10 to unlock all of the game’s content.
The decision to not make the game entirely free to play makes good business sense for Nintendo, as the company didn’t make as much money as it had hoped with its aforementioned mobile release, Miitomo, which is free to play and supported with microtransactions. The company will be hoping that the bar to (full) entry in Super Mario Run will make the title more financially viable, but it’s yet to be seen how many gamers will stick to the free content that the game offers, choosing to keep that $10 in their wallets instead.
Super Mario Run will be released on iOS on December 15.
