Mario Goes Mobile in New iOS Game Coming December 2016

Today, Apple and Nintendo announced that the popular Super Mario franchise will be coming to iOS soon in a new game, which, judging by the video, looks a lot like the Mario games on the old SNES and NES. (Nintendo sure has come a long way since then.)

The announcement was made by Apple CEO Tim Cook alongside Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Said Miyamoto:

“For the past 30 years, every time Mario has encountered a new platform he has evolved and continued running towards a new goal. Now Mario is running towards his next goal: iPhone. We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy playing as Mario and they’ll be doing it in a brand new game”.

This new app comes relatively quickly off the heels of Pokémon Go, which has been a hit for both iPhone and Nintendo. (Though Nintendo isn’t directly involved in the development of Pokémon Go, the game’s mega-popularity is the first time a Nintendo-affiliated franchise has crossed over with such success.) Three more Nintendo mobile games, including Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem titles, will be released in the coming months.

The game, which is called Super Mario Run, will feature multiple game modes. In an announced single player mode, players run across multiple courses working their way towards the ultimate big bad, Bowser. The second game mode consists of competing against fellow players across the world as gamers try to rack up the most coins and “impress turtles” with their style. The third announced mode, perhaps inspired by the success of Super Mario Maker, involves players making their own course for you and your friends to compete on.

The game will be freemium, which means the game itself and much of the content will be free with the ability to purchase premium items.

Fan reaction is already pouring in. And the Nintendo stock has surged in the wake of this news

What do you think? Are you going to play the new Super Mario game? Let us know in the comments or @WhatsTrending on Twitter.