'Super Mario Run' tops Apple's highest grossing, free app charts hours after launch

AppleInsider

Less than 12 hours after its launch on Thursday, Nintendo's ultra-hyped "Super Mario Run" now sits atop two of Apple's Top Charts as the most popular free and top grossing app.

As seen above, Super Mario Run is listed as the most popular free app on the U.S. iOS App Store, while at the same time coming in at No. 1 on the highest grossing list. The app debuted to much fanfare on Thursday.

While free to download, Super Mario Run includes an in-app purchase that is all but required to actually play the game. Paying the $9.99 entry fee provides full access to all six game worlds, 20 Toad Rally tickets and 3,000 coins.

Without the unlock, gamers can only play through three levels before being rate limited to 20-second try-outs.

At the time of this writing, Super Mario Run has an average 3-star rating with well over 21,000 reviews.

Considering the speed at which Nintendo's title soared to the top of Apple's charts, it is likely that both companies are making significant gains -- more so for Nintendo -- from gamers eager to get their hands on Mario's latest adventure.

Announced in September, Super Mario Run is Nintendo's first official attempt at an in-house iOS game. Hyped for months, the release might have temporarily crashed Apple's online storefronts due to expectedly high demand.

For those who tried out the sample levels, or have yet to download the title, and are on the fence about dishing out $9.99 for a full unlock, make sure to check out AppleInsider's in-depth review.

applesauce007

Way to go Nintendo...
Simply show them how it's done.

jdw

But when the hype dies down and people hop aboard an airplane without WIFI and fine they can no longer play their $10 game, I would expect some sort of outcry over the copy protection scheme.  I can understand it from Nintendo's stand point.  But copy protection has had a very troublesome history through the years. How many people steal apps on iOS anyway?  In fact, I don't think you can unless you jailbreak.  If you pay $10 for an iOS game, you should be allowed to play it even when you lack a wireless internet connection.

dacloo

Hundreds of other (better) games don't nearly get the attention because they aren't Nintendo.
Only Nintendo is able to charge $9.99 and get away with it. The mobile games market has been ruined by Apple, with developer fleeing back to PC/Console.
Way to go Nintendo, but a big middle finger to Apple.

soli

jdw said:

If you pay $10 for an iOS game, you should be allowed to play it even when you lack a wireless internet connection.

As a hard and fast rule. $9.99 and above means that no app categorized as a game should be unplayable without an internet? So would say a game, like Words with Friends that needs you to be connected via the internet to play? They simply won't be allowed to charge that much for it, regardless of how the developer chooses to price their game in a free market? Seems draconian to me.

How about we let the market decide? I think Nintendo should win or lose based on their choices with the game. Fortunately for them, then can remove their copy protection whenever they wish, raise or lower the price, and get plenty of free press when they do. At some point I figure each level will be hacked or ripped off, but maybe by then Nintendo will have already recouped their cost, made a profit, and feel that their position in the iOS game market is jeopardized by thieves.

PS: How did you come up with $10 as tipping point? Why not $5 or $25?

lightknight

"top free". "top grossing". 
This world. Really.

Sounds to me like having a "top demo" category :P

edited December 2016

slprescott

dacloo said:

Way to go Nintendo, but a big middle finger to Apple.

Your comment is offensive and factually incorrect. There is a vibrant and growing community of iOS developers; witness the growing attendance of WWDC each June. Apple has massively expanded the market for mobile gaming over the past 10 years and has done nothing to limit consumers' and developers' ability to keep using alternate platforms.

edited December 2016

pepe779

His comment is actually very spot on my friend. Have you played Mario Run yet? I have uninstalled it after just one level and no other Nintendo fan that I personally know was interested in it much longer than that. To me it looks like Nintendo simply caved in under the market pressure and decided to develop something for mobile platforms after all, just because so many people are for some weird reason convinced EVERYTHING has to be mobile these days. Well no, not everything works well using dumbed down tap controls, simple as that. To me this is unfortunately not even the best platformer on iOS, Rayman for example has been adapted much better for tap controls. Nintendo's strength has always been deep gameplay combined with complex controls and that's what creates the unique experience, that's why people love their console games. This iOS effort, in my opinion, is not even good enough to serve as marketing tool to get people buy Nintendo's consoles and their high quality titles. The early 2-3 star reviews seem to confirm that and I'm afraid this whole Mario Run hype will be over sooner than Apple or Nintendo anticipated. As a long time Nintendo fan and supporter I'm very disappointed, but hardly surprised to be honest.

nht

Soli said:

jdw said:

If you pay $10 for an iOS game, you should be allowed to play it even when you lack a wireless internet connection.

As a hard and fast rule. $9.99 and above means that no app categorized as a game should be unplayable without an internet? So would say a game, like Words with Friends that needs you to be connected via the internet to play? They simply won't be allowed to charge that much for it, regardless of how the developer chooses to price their game in a free market? Seems draconian to me.

How about we let the market decide? I think Nintendo should win or lose based on their choices with the game. Fortunately for them, then can remove their copy protection whenever they wish, raise or lower the price, and get plenty of free press when they do. At some point I figure each level will be hacked or ripped off, but maybe by then Nintendo will have already recouped their cost, made a profit, and feel that their position in the iOS game market is jeopardized by thieves.

PS: How did you come up with $10 as tipping point? Why not $5 or $25?

Yes at $5 too.  If you buy a game where gameplay doesn't require the internet then you should be able to play it in airplane mode.

The market makes poor decisions which is why we have IAP freemium games that cost players more money than flat fee and dumb copy protection schemes that disallow playing without internet.

/shrug

Its not like Apple is going to make a policy about this but it certainly is player hostile.

slprescott

pepe779 said:

His comment is actually very spot on my friend. Have you played Mario Run yet? I have uninstalled it after just one level and no other Nintendo fan that I personally know was interested in it much longer than that. To me it looks like Nintendo simply caved in under the market pressure and decided to develop something for mobile platforms after all, just because so many people are for some weird reason convinced EVERYTHING has to be mobile these days. Well no, not everything works well using dumbed down tap controls, simple as that. To me this is unfortunately not even the best platformer on iOS, Rayman for example has been adapted much better for tap controls. Nintendo's strength has always been deep gameplay combined with complex controls and that's what creates the unique experience, that's why people love their console games. This iOS effort, in my opinion, is not even good enough to serve as marketing tool to get people buy Nintendo's consoles and their high quality titles. The early 2-3 star reviews seem to confirm that and I'm afraid this whole Mario Run hype will be over sooner than Apple or Nintendo anticipated. As a long time Nintendo fan and supporter I'm very disappointed, but hardly surprised to be honest.

I actually agree with you.

My objection was was his comment, "a big middle finger to Apple."  Apple's making iOS available as a development platform does not FORCE Nintendo -- or any other developer -- to use it.  The Development community for iOS is very strong -- and growing.  That in no way suggests that iOS is the best platform for all games; it is not (as you've described well).

spice-boy

Played the game for 10 minutes then it hit me what am I doing tapping my iPad screen like an idiot to watch Mario jump on and over stuff. Surely there are better ways to spend ones time and money.  

boredumb

"Hyped for months, the release might have temporarily crashed Apple's online storefronts due to expectedly high demand."
Seriously???  Could we get a list of those for whom this level of demand was 'unexpected'?
It was a serious centerpiece of an Apple demo, after all!

macplusplus

pepe779 said:

...
To me it looks like Nintendo simply caved in under the market pressure and decided to develop something for mobile platforms after all, just because so many people are for some weird reason convinced EVERYTHING has to be mobile these days. Well no, not everything works well using dumbed down tap controls, simple as that. 
...

Five fingers in one hand can create more complex interactions with multitouch than the buttons can create on a console or game controller. This is game developers' fault to push half-baked, under-developed games falling short in exploiting the full power of iOS.

edited December 2016

crowley

Seems like a good game, it's retained the classic Mario need for perfect jump timing in order to get all the coins, but I'm not paying until they ditch the dialling home.  The game has already refused to work because of a connection error twice today, and that's been at home on wifi.  Too annoying.

boltsfan17

dacloo said:

Hundreds of other (better) games don't nearly get the attention because they aren't Nintendo.
Only Nintendo is able to charge $9.99 and get away with it. The mobile games market has been ruined by Apple, with developer fleeing back to PC/Console.
Way to go Nintendo, but a big middle finger to Apple.

Charging $9.99 is not bad at all. I prefer that model compared to free apps that charge you upwards to $100 for coins you basically need to advance in the game. How exactly is Apple ruining the mobile games market? I highly doubt developers are fleeing back to PC/Console. That's a whole different league creating games for consoles compared to mobile games. 

slurpy

pepe779 said:

His comment is actually very spot on my friend. Have you played Mario Run yet? I have uninstalled it after just one level and no other Nintendo fan that I personally know was interested in it much longer than that. To me it looks like Nintendo simply caved in under the market pressure and decided to develop something for mobile platforms after all, just because so many people are for some weird reason convinced EVERYTHING has to be mobile these days. Well no, not everything works well using dumbed down tap controls, simple as that. To me this is unfortunately not even the best platformer on iOS, Rayman for example has been adapted much better for tap controls. Nintendo's strength has always been deep gameplay combined with complex controls and that's what creates the unique experience, that's why people love their console games. This iOS effort, in my opinion, is not even good enough to serve as marketing tool to get people buy Nintendo's consoles and their high quality titles. The early 2-3 star reviews seem to confirm that and I'm afraid this whole Mario Run hype will be over sooner than Apple or Nintendo anticipated. As a long time Nintendo fan and supporter I'm very disappointed, but hardly surprised to be honest.

Wow, you played 1 whole level! I guess you're then in a position to rant about the game, eh? The 1st level is barely even a tutorial. Everything else about your post is completely wrong. The game is fantastic and designed around its control scheme. The whining and low star reviews are coming from the fact that people are too fucking cheap to pay $10 for a quality game, and they "assumed" it was free. As a "longtime Nintendo fan" (doubt it) you're in no fucking position to claim how "disappointed" you are, since you didn't even give the game a chance. 

nht

slurpy said:

pepe779 said:

His comment is actually very spot on my friend. Have you played Mario Run yet? I have uninstalled it after just one level and no other Nintendo fan that I personally know was interested in it much longer than that. To me it looks like Nintendo simply caved in under the market pressure and decided to develop something for mobile platforms after all, just because so many people are for some weird reason convinced EVERYTHING has to be mobile these days. Well no, not everything works well using dumbed down tap controls, simple as that. To me this is unfortunately not even the best platformer on iOS, Rayman for example has been adapted much better for tap controls. Nintendo's strength has always been deep gameplay combined with complex controls and that's what creates the unique experience, that's why people love their console games. This iOS effort, in my opinion, is not even good enough to serve as marketing tool to get people buy Nintendo's consoles and their high quality titles. The early 2-3 star reviews seem to confirm that and I'm afraid this whole Mario Run hype will be over sooner than Apple or Nintendo anticipated. As a long time Nintendo fan and supporter I'm very disappointed, but hardly surprised to be honest.

Wow, you played 1 whole level! I guess you're then in a position to rant about the game, eh? The 1st level is barely even a tutorial. Everything else about your post is completely wrong. The game is fantastic and designed around its control scheme. The whining and low star reviews are coming from the fact that people are too fucking cheap to pay $10 for a quality game, and they "assumed" it was free. As a "longtime Nintendo fan" (doubt it) you're in no fucking position to claim how "disappointed" you are, since you didn't even give the game a chance. 

With 3 kids and no family share its $30.  its not a $30 game.  Especially not for a game they can't play in the car when they don't have wifi.. 

jsnively

nht said:

[...]

With 3 kids and no family share its $30. [...]

Have you tried linking it to your Nintendo account (and creating the sub-accounts for your children there?) I would be curious to see how well (if) that works. I know the device limitation goes away as soon as your link it, i just don't have any dependents on my Nintendo account, so i'm not quite sure how that works.

nht said:

[...]

[...] Especially not for a game they can't play in the car when they don't have wifi.. 

Yeah... this falls under the "Nintendo is gonna Nintendo" category unfortunately. A whole lot of iOS games these days require a constant connection, but I do question whether or not the implementation here was necessary, given the type of game it is.

spamsandwich

lightknight said:

"top free". "top grossing". 
This world. Really.

Sounds to me like having a "top demo" category :P

You can play 3 free levels, then it's $9.99 for all the rest.

bestkeptsecret

To me, the most shocking this is that 8 Ball Pool is still on the charts!! Awesome!!