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Super Mario Run Is Now Available (independent.co.uk)

Nintendo's first smartphone game "Super Mario Run" is now available in the App Store across the world. The game follows the success of Pokemon Go, which launched earlier this year. Nintendo owns a third of the Pokemon Company, but the game itself was developed by Niantic. The Independent reports: But just like Pokemon Go, the game requires that anyone playing it has a connection to the internet. That's intended as a way of stopping pirates getting around the game's relatively expensive $10 price -- not required to download the game, but to unlock it -- but has already drawn some complaints. In the case of Pokemon Go, which also required that people were online, the huge popularity of the game meant that its servers regularly crashed and were sometimes intentionally taken offline. That in turn meant that the game was impossible to play for large amounts of time, since it required that same connection, as Super Mario Run will. The restriction will also mean that fans won't be able to play the game underground or on flights, or anywhere else with restricted Wi-Fi. But for the most part, the game has been hailed as a signal that Nintendo are finally bringing their nostalgia-inducing characters to a broader range of platforms and consoles. The company unveiled the game at the launch event for the iPhone 7, drawing praise for having liberated Mario and his friends and enemies from Nintendo's own consoles for the first time. You can download Super Mario Run here.

40 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Want no need for net connection? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Then do YOUR part. Turn in pirates to the local constabulary. Administer some rough street justice. Women, withhold sex. Help Nintendo, they will help you.

    1. Re:Want no need for net connection? by hackwrench · · Score: 1

      ,,,then just download roms and rom hacks and play those.

    2. Re:Want no need for net connection? by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      I tried to turn in some Somali pirates, but it didn't help copyright infringement any. Do you have any hints as to how turning pirates in will lead to less copyright infringement?

      --
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  2. Re:Slashvertisment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    How does it feel to finally be old enough to be completely dead inside?

  3. What the fuck?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Jesus christ, $10 for one of those retarded 'endless runner' games? (which only exist because shitty touchscreen controls make even NES-caliber phone platformers impossible)

    Also why are we mentioning this in the same breath as pokemon go? I hate the very concept of PG with a passion, but no one can say it wasn't innovative.

    1. Re:What the fuck?? by Yosho · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I hate the very concept of PG with a passion, but no one can say it wasn't innovative.

      Actually, everybody who played Ingress can say it wasn't innovative.

      --
      Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
    2. Re:What the fuck?? by gnick · · Score: 1

      I hate the very concept of PG with a passion, but no one can say it wasn't innovative.

      And successful. It seems to have been a flash-in-the-pan, but it was a HUGE flash. Plus it introduced a lot of people to the idea of augmented reality which, many predict, will become nearly ever-present in every day life. At least, that's what the sci-fi movies tell me.

      Riding the coat tails of PG's success has to be the source behind the gigantic balls it takes to charge $10 for a phone game.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  4. Only 18 levels by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    I'd honestly rather go back to one of the many Mario titles I missed over the years or pick up one of the Virtual Console full Mario games for about $5-$8 instead.

    Sure it looks good for a typical autorun game but that's not a very high bar, and the genre is already driven into the ground.

    1. Re:Only 18 levels by Jule926 · · Score: 1

      I agree. I wasn't really impressed with it at all. :/ It has a great nostalgia factor, but I won't be spending my money on it. Like you said, just pull out one of your old consoles, and play the real deal. I'm still left with some mixed feelings from it - http://thepollyanna.com/super-...

      --
      Julie http://thepollyanna.com
  5. Problem is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    this is just adding DRM to see if people will accept it. It will then be used a a metric to gauge that all other games should require constant communication to prevent piracy.
    Pokemon Go at least tried to have an excuse for why online connectivity was required.

    1. Re:Problem is... by Dan+East · · Score: 1

      You have to look back at Nintendo's history of DRM and control over their platform and software. Arguably one of the things that made the NES a success was Nintendo's DRM implementation at a time when it was literally shiny and new. In fact you can argue that Nintendo defined DRM, at least outside of general computing devices / home computers. One of the mistakes Atari made with the 2600 (which probably couldn't be avoided at the time due to the technology available) was no DRM on their cartridge and binary formats. This led to anyone creating games for the platform without Atari getting a cut in the revenue, or having any say so as to the quality and approval process.

      So for Nintendo to venture outside of their hardware universe, in which they can satisfy their insecurity with draconian DRM measures at the hardware level, it at least makes sense from a control perspective for them to go overboard with DRM in their first software-only venture. I find it a little interesting in an interview where a Nintendo exec was basically like "The always connected requirement is so we can copy protect the game" as if everyone should totally understand their viewpoint and be in agreement. That was amusing.

      --
      Better known as 318230.
  6. Internet required for single player game by MtHuurne · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A big difference is that Pokemon Go actually required the internet to make the game possible, as there is interaction between players. Mario is a single player game, so the internet connection is only required for DRM. I imagine users will be less accepting of it for that reason.

    1. Re:Internet required for single player game by Pulzar · · Score: 1

      That's a huge turn-off, and not for some moral reasons... I'm not going to play Mario, my kids will. And my kids play on tablets, which could be in cars, school buses, or even on restricted wifi connections. The last time I had to explain to a 5 year old why his game stop working when he gets in the car was not fun, I'd rather not go through that again.

      I don't expect that I'll be able to hide the existence of the new Mario game from him forever, but I'll do my best to hide it for as long as I can.

      --
      Never underestimate the bandwidth of a 747 filled with CD-ROMs.
    2. Re:Internet required for single player game by Thanatiel · · Score: 1

      Or you could simply say "no" ?
      There are other games that are not actively working against you and treating you as a criminal.

      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
    3. Re:Internet required for single player game by dugancent · · Score: 1

      It has multiplayer features. Toad Rally, specifically.

      --
      SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
    4. Re:Internet required for single player game by Ranbot · · Score: 1

      ...The last time I had to explain to a 5 year old why his game stop working when he gets in the car was not fun, I'd rather not go through that again.

      I don't expect that I'll be able to hide the existence of the new Mario game from him forever, but I'll do my best to hide it for as long as I can.

      You might not have to hide it that long, because as you I'm sure you know kids learn technology quickly. Before too long he'll probably be showing you how to work your phone and gadgets.

  7. I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 4, Interesting

    On Android there is a joystick standard. Just make a deal with one of the many nintendo emulators out there, and you could port ALL your titles and charge between .99 and 4.99 and people would loooove it. The new push in Android gaming is game pad gaming. I predicted it long ago, but now it is a thing. Nintendo could also make a standardized Apple Gamepad if they ported their games with it, then everyone would adopt the standard! There is tens of millions waiting on the table for just a negotiation with an emulator, and weeks worth of interns populating and uploading games.

    1. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by kamapuaa · · Score: 2

      The new push in Android gaming is game pad gaming.
      No it isn't. Nobody uses a game pad with Android gaming; just the idea is absurd.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    2. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by samkass · · Score: 2

      Nintendo could also make a standardized Apple Gamepad if they ported their games with it, then everyone would adopt the standard!

      Apple introduced this over three years ago, called MFi controllers. You can go to an Apple Store today and chose a wrap-around controller for a phone, or a separate bluetooth controller for a phone, iPad, or Apple TV. From a few manufacturers.

      --
      E pluribus unum
    3. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I do and also know several people who also do.
      And it's not absurd: Nowadays a smartphone has more or less the same components of a portable console, adding a gamepad allows it to play games which require precision beyond what you can get from a touchscreen. Also, many games on Android already support gamepads. What do you prefer? playing GTA San Andreas (available both for iPhones and Android) with crappy touchscreen controls or use a gamepad which is the originally intended control method?

    4. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by dj245 · · Score: 1

      Absolutely not absurd for anyone running RetroArch

      --
      Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
    5. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by Ranbot · · Score: 1

      On Android there is a joystick standard. Just make a deal with one of the many nintendo emulators out there, and you could port ALL your titles and charge between .99 and 4.99 and people would loooove it.... There is tens of millions waiting on the table for just a negotiation with an emulator, and weeks worth of interns populating and uploading games.

      It's a good idea and Nintendo is the undisputed expert at repackaging and reselling old games over and over again. Nintendo could even use their hardware experience to make a Nintendo-branded controller for mobile games with DRM baked into the controller, which would be hated by Slashdotters but average people wouldn't care and it could ease Nintendo's concern for their trademarks. I'm not a rose-tinted glasses nostalgic type for old games, but even I think re-playing a straight port of original Metroid on a mobile phone or tablet would be more fun than 99% of the mobile games available, including Mario Run.

    6. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      On Android there is a joystick standard.

      This would be a fantastic result for the 5 people who actually use the standard. Porting a game to Android that requires a joystick is dead on arrival. A couple of devote gamers may be pleased but for the most part the casual gaming crowd are not going to carry a joystick in their pocket. It's a waste of time and effort for manufacturers.

    7. Re:I'm sad at Nintendo for not trying hard by kimvette · · Score: 1

      Yes, it is, and it is actually gaining popularity thanks to Samsung Gear, Google Cardboard, and others who are starting to make inroads into the market.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  8. No android version? by wbr1 · · Score: 1, Funny

    FOAD

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:No android version? by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

      TOAD

      ftfy

  9. Re:Slashvertisment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I dunno. Better than being naive enough to think shit like that doesn't happen the majority of the time? Experience and a bit of cynicism doesn't make you "dead inside" but being gullible and stupid can possibly result in being dead inside and out.

  10. Re:Mario is a console slut. by _merlin · · Score: 1

    Yeah there have been officially licensed Mario games on CDi, PC and various Japanese home computers, and if you count ports of the Donkey Kong and Mario Bros arcade games you can add a whole lot of othe 8-bit consoles and home computers.

  11. Controllers, please. by jxander · · Score: 3

    Can we please just get a physical controller for our phones?

    It can be Bluetooth or physically plugged in, I don't care. Just make it universal, or only split Apple/Android if you absolutely must. A physical connection with a cradle dock that functions in both portrait and landscape would be ideal, but at this point I'm honestly not too picky.

    The devices we keep in our pockets today have several orders of magnitude more computation power and graphical fidelity than the first few generations of home gaming consoles. The only thing we lack is a proper input device.

    Fix that, and we can have actual games on our devices (tablets, if not phones) instead of this half-assed shovelware.

    --
    This signature is false.
    1. Re:Controllers, please. by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      there's like 100 models on ebay for android and i-os via icade for like the last decade you lazy cheap fuck

      you want a controller pay the 3.99 - 49.99 free shipping like everyone else

    2. Re:Controllers, please. by iampiti · · Score: 1

      As other people have said this has existed for a long time. Example: http://www.dx.com/es/p/ipega-p...

    3. Re:Controllers, please. by shadedream · · Score: 1

      Since it hasn't specifically been mentioned, Apple has had a standard for quite a while (I assume Android does also). See https://afterpad.com/mficontro...

    4. Re:Controllers, please. by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      You mean like these?. I mean, with Amazons 10,274 results there has to be something like what you're describing. ;-)

  12. Re:Mario is a console slut. by ausekilis · · Score: 1

    Not to mention the Zelda CDI games... which were all kinds of terrible. Here's some description and video for those mario games released on other platforms.

  13. Game? by dohzer · · Score: 1

    Is this one a game, or do you just walk around collecting things for no reason like Pokemon Go?

    1. Re:Game? by Jule926 · · Score: 1

      You can also run right against the computer, or a friend, I think you left that part out. lol

      --
      Julie http://thepollyanna.com
  14. No Android Version by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    Apple only? Fuck you, Nintendo.

  15. Re:seriously? by gnick · · Score: 1

    You can get a lot of free games for the price of a $10 app. I didn't even know there were $10 phone games. I'm not sure they've thought this through - But what do I know? I'm sure they've done their homework - That's why all this collected data is so valuable, right?

    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  16. Re:seriously? by Ranbot · · Score: 1

    You can get a lot of free games for the price of a $10 app. I didn't even know there were $10 phone games. I'm not sure they've thought this through - But what do I know? I'm sure they've done their homework - That's why all this collected data is so valuable, right?

    Square Enix has been pricing their various Final Fantasy and Dragon's Quest mobile games at $10-$20 (sometimes higher) for many years. The model seems to be working for them. Nintendo has a similar history and following as Square, so I expect it will probably work for them too.

    A higher base price has advantages to a company beyond profit margins too. Price lets a company to differentiate their app from others in a crowded app market, and offer discounts to boost sales and interest. When an app is free, if active users and downloads drop there's nothing the developer can do to make the free app stand-out from the sea of other free apps. A price makes an app stand out and more so if you run a sale. But, if an app is $2 and they run a 50% off sale, few will care. If an app is $10 and they run a 50% off sale it's probably going to get more interest and sales.

  17. Impossible to play for large amounts of time? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    That in turn meant that the game was impossible to play for large amounts of time, since it required that same connection,

    Did the person who wrote TFA actually ever play Pokemon Go? People are definitely playing it large amounts of time. What is limiting people is that they drained their battery. There were even Pokemon Go branded battery packs on sale shortly after the release and people manage to power through (pun intended) those too in a typical day.

    If there's one thing that Pokemon Go didn't have a problem with, it was features that limited time people could play it.