43 replies to this topic

[The Satellite]

No, this topic isn't about my newest speedrun time in Super Mario Bros., especially because I don't have a time. And if I did, it'd probably be a couple hours. No one cares. Least of all me.
 
...
 
Anyways.
 

 
Introducing, Mario's first ever foray into the mobile market, coming to iOS devices in December and Android sometime later. What kind of game might it be, you ask? An autorunner. An autorunner! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it's a shame Mario's first steps into the mobile world come in such a generic package. I guess I should continue to not be surprised because since when have I thought any mobile game ever had any quality to a gamer like me?

 

Now, I'm rational. I don't think this is gonna reflect on the future of Nintendo gaming and that this style of game development is going to solely stay within the realm of their mobile titles. Minus maybe a spinoff or two outside of mobile phones. So no, this isn't "the end of Nintendo" or any other such bullshit.

 

Where I'm a little worried is that this game is confirmed to have in-app purchases of some sort. Miitomo had them, and the upcoming Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem mobile games were said to be free-to-play... with in-app purchases. I really hope this is just following the mobile standard and won't leak its way into Nintendo's console games with similar DLC options. Arguably the Mii costumes in Smash strayed close already... Sure, it's all optional and aren't necessary elements to have a complete experience, but I do worry where such practices may lead.

 

But anyway, yeah, here, have a historic game that may unfortunately end up more widespread than even the original Super Mario Bros.

[Deedee]

More like "Super Mario Run-away!"

Seems okay, I guess...

10$ to change direction midwalk

[Cukeman]

I'm sure Nintendo sees this as providing more content on more platforms, but it also looks kinda desperate. The 3DS has a huge following, and actual real games on it. This is Pokemon Go all over again, take a big name property, rip most of its guts out, and slap it on a phone. For some reason people buy it even though the real thing is right there on the 3DS.

[Moonbread]

Yeah I mean Pokemon Go has only had like 500 million downloads and thus has bolstered the sales of both the 3DS and Gen 6 Pokemon games, but what does Nintendo know?

 

This isn't desperation to get their brand on other systems, it's called advertising.  We have a generation of kids who don't have nostalgia for Mario, or maybe most of Nintendo in general, because they didn't grow up in the 80s and 90s like the rest of us did.  Mario is as iconic as iconic gets, but let's be realistic, the people more attached to him are in their 20s and older.  Kids love stuff like Angry Birds and Minecraft on phones and tablets because it's what they're growing up with, the same way we grew up with Mario and Zelda on a CRT.  It's easier for parents to pass their smartphone to their kid to let them play on it.  This is a hell of a smart move.  Nintendo doing mobile stuff isn't about slighting their main stuff, it's about making people more invested in what the 3DS offers and what the NX will offer.  It does not matter how amazing your work is if it isn't getting around on the right channels.

[Cukeman]

Never said Pokemon Go wasn't a success, but it's still really inferior. Sales and depth are not the same thing.

[Russ]

Sales and depth are not the same thing.

This is true. Companies only care about one of them.

I know it's been discussed to death at this point, but I can't help but feel that the comparisons between Pokemon Go and actual Pokemon games on handhelds are missing the point entirely. Go wasn't trying to be a full fledged Pokemon game anymore than Wii Sports was trying to be Madden. It's an entirely different game, with an entirely different target demographic and playstyle. If they'd just put X/Y on the iPhone, it wouldn't have been nearly as successful. Like it or not, the game was popular BECAUSE it was different from the main series.

In the same vein, Super Mario Run is different because it'd be incredibly foolish to put an actual Mario game on a phone. What would the incentives be to buy a handheld? You could argue that, since a Mario game could feasibly be put on the phone, the handheld is obsolete (a position I won't necessarily argue again), but from the standpoint of a company like Nintendo trying to maintain status quo, it'd be suicide. By putting a Mario autorunner at there, they get the young generation, which is obsessed with phones and autorunners, hooked on Mario and thus more likely to buy a 3DS and New Super Mario Bros 2. You can say this looks dumb until you're blue in the face, and that's alright. It's not meant for you. Nintendo doesn't care what you think. They know what they're doing (in this case, at least).

[Mani Kanina]

A traditional mario game would not function on a mobile platform anyway, because the controls simply aren't tight enough to uphold a high enough quality standard.

That being said, this is apparently a premium charged title, and I can't help but feel the entire thing is a bit misguided. I highly doubt this is going to end up being a good auto-runner that will compete with other good ones on the platform. It's worth mentioning that the marketplace on mobile is completely over-saturated with games so visibility is a huge factor. If the idea was to advertise the brand (which is the only thing that makes sense because I highly doubt this will throw a profit) then I'm not sure how good it will be at it. Some games get really big on the mobile platform, but it often comes down to luck more so than anything. And if you're charging a premium up front then that significantly lowers the chance of people checking it out in the first place.

*Shrugs*

I have to agree with Russ here, this is not for me or anyone else that is already invested into the mario brand. But even as just a platform for advertisement I'm questioning how good it'll actually be.

Edited by Lunaria, 08 September 2016 - 05:46 AM.

[Dawnlight]

Sure it may not be a traditional Mario game, but I strongly think that this will benefit Nintendo in the long run. Nintendo embracing the mobile platform not only puts their name out there, but also gives Nintendo a boost in profits similar to the strong success with the Wii (which I believe Nintendo is trying to regain with this move).

 

Who knows? Perhaps future Nintendo games on Nintendo platforms may implement interconnectivity with the Nintendo mobile apps in some way. For example, imagine Pokemon Sun and Moon offering benefits of some kind for those with Pokemon Go. That's already promoting a smartphone user to also consider purchasing Nintendo hardware. That's something the NX really needs to make up for the Wii U's poor sales.  

[Geoffrey]

This honestly looks pretty fun. It also seems to have far more depth than the average autorunner. I hope it comes to Android as well!

Edited by Geoffrey, 08 September 2016 - 07:53 PM.

[Anthus]

If it plays anything like Temple Run, it could be fun, in spite of slapping some Mario paint on it. Now there's an idea: Mobile Mario Paint!

[The Satellite]

To be honest, I'd be sold on a remastered repackaging of all the minigames from SM64DS and NSMB. I'd buy that for a small fee.

[The Satellite]

 

A small introduction trailer.

[Anthus]

I feel like I'm complaining a lot lately but... You can't hold it sideways? The bottom third of the screen is not used? Why? Maybe you can turn it, but that's still... Why?

[LinktheMaster]

The bottom isn't used because they don't want you to cover up part of the gameplay with your finger. Seems like the right call to me.

As far as not being able to rotate, has that been announced?

[Anthus]

The bottom isn't used because they don't want you to cover up part of the gameplay with your finger. Seems like the right call to me.

As far as not being able to rotate, has that been announced?

Hm, actually, I never thought of it that way. It might be better after all. And it wasn't confirmed, I'm just kinda guessing based on that video TS posted. It's a day one download either way. This will give me even more to do in the bathroom