Mario
A man using a smartphone walks past Nintendo's "Super Mario Run" game advertisement board at a subway station in Tokyo, Japan, December 21, 2016. Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon

“Super Mario Run” will be receiving a new update in the form of yet another “Mario” title: a “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” DLC (downloadable content) pack will be coming to the Nintendo side-scrolling mobile game. News of the upcoming update was first revealed on the Nintendo of America Twitter account. According to Nintendo’s announcement, the update will be available on April 28 and is in celebration of the “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” release. Upon the update’s availability, players will be treated with special buildings with themes centred around the “Mario Kart” franchise.

According to WWG, a notification was also sent to players of the mobile game, informing them of the upcoming special event. “To celebrate the release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Run is holding a Mario Kart 8 event!” reads the message sent by Nintendo. “During the event, certain deluxe buildings and decorations will be given to each player as in-game gifts.”

The crossover mega event may see a return of old players to Nintendo’s mobile game. As of late, “Run” has not had any buzz despite the app adding updates and tweaks to the overall gaming experience. The crossover special between the two “Mario” titles may also be a reflection of how several players have a preference for the Toad Rally world in “Run,” which is an ode to the very nature of “Mario Kart.” Though it may have been Nintendo’s first foray into the mobile gaming world — for Mario, at least — it may still have some ways to go, if the title’s lukewarm performance is any indication of room for improvement.

Despite the somewhat lacklustre response to “Run,” “Mario Kart 8,” on the other hand, became a hit upon its release for the Wii U in 2014. A rehash of the original game, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” will be available on April 28 — the same day as the special crossover event with “Run” — for the Nintendo Switch. Early reviews have already praised the Switch title, claiming that the game runs impeccably on Nintendo’s new hybrid console.

The special “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” DLC may be Nintendo’s effort to lure in players back into “Super Mario Run.” Whether or not this approach proves to be effective will be up in the air until the deluxe event’s launch.

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