'Super Mario Run' latest news: Game to come to Android OS in March 2017
Following its massive release on iOS, "Super Mario Run" will soon have its way to every Android device this coming March 2017.
Nintendo announced on its Twitter account last Jan. 28 that "Super Mario Run" would be released in March 2017 in Google Play Store. It is expected that the launch will boost its overall download numbers.
"Super Mario Run" will be free-to-play in the first three levels of the game, but players will soon have to pay $9.99 for full access. That means that players will have complete access to all levels including Toad Rally, the Friendly Run mode, and even the Kingdom Builder feature.
Even though Nintendo drew some flak for its $10 fee, some were in favor of the idea instead of running micro-transactions which is common on cheaper game apps. Even though it may have little impact on the game's profitability, the one-time charge would encourage players to play the game without worries of paying for any future transactions. According to Digital Trends, only a few players who downloaded the game went to pay the fee to play more.
It will be interesting to see if "Super Mario Run" can drive Nintendo's financial success as soon as it gets released on Android. According to ComScore, more than 50 percent of smartphone users are buying Android devices. Super Mario fans were all excited when Nintendo announced that Mario was going to be available on mobile.
In other news, Nintendo will also release "Fire Emblem: Heroes" on Feb. 2, about a month before the release of "Super Mario Run" on Android devices. The Fire Emblem maintenance caused Nintendo to push back Animal Crossing's initial release.
"Fire Emblem: Heroes" is a tactical role-playing game mixed with modern free-to-play elements. Meanwhile, "Animal Crossing" is an exploratory game where players can create a village complete with animals and even human friends. It is still unclear when Nintendo will release "Animal Crossing," although the game is set to come out as a free premium title.