‘Super Mario Run’ on Android & other updates: New characters & level in upcoming update; Larger user-base could mean more money

“Super Mario Run” will be released on Android on March 23, reports have confirmed. iOS users have had more than three months of exclusive access to the game. Now, it’s time for Android users to enjoy too. Nintendo has kept its promise.

Nintendo of America has revealed the news on its official Twitter account and has also asked fans to pre-register now. The game will be made available with the version 2.0.0 update. Android users have been waiting for long to build their very own virtual Mushroom Kingdom by spending virtual in-game currency, challenge other players and complete daily challenges. Players have to make a one-time payment to unlock all levels at one go. Rest of the game is free. The game has been a hit on the iOS platform.

It remains to be seen how “Super Mario Run” fares on the Android platform, writes Tech Crunch. Those who are not yet aware of the game, it’s basically a one-tap platform where Mario runs on his own, while players control his jumps and other movements. Players need to time the jumps and other moves perfectly for maximum score and impact. This is Nintendo’s first mobile game that leverages its classic IP. The game has had good conversions on the iOS platform in terms of paid purchases.

Android users can pre-register for the game on Google Play. Another tweet from the Japanese Twitter account of the title has revealed some characters of the new version. The tweet shows four different-coloured Yoshis. At this moment it is unclear whether more levels will be added. The game is a very important aspect of Nintendo’s mobile strategy. It was downloaded 40 million times in the first four days of its release on iPhones and iPads. However, only five percent of the players paid the US$10 (AU$15 approx) to unlock full version.

Experts believe that the Android release will make the game available to a larger audience that may convert into full unlocks, writes CNET. An upcoming update will be adding new characters to the “Super Mario Run” and also new level for free users. Players would need to complete one of Browser’s Challenges to unlock World 1-4 in the free version of the game. The update is expected to arrive later this week though no official information on the game’s release date and new characters have been revealed yet. Stay tuned on IBT AU for more updates.