Nintendo Made a Bold Move 9 Years Ago (Did It Work?)

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Nintendo has long been a leader in portable gaming. The original Game Boy was a game-changer, and even when other consoles didn’t perform well, its continued success helped Nintendo stay profitable. However, the popularity of smartphones like Android and iPhones eventually began to impact sales of both Nintendo consoles and handheld devices.

This led Nintendo to actively seek a stronger position in the evolving mobile gaming market. The Nintendo Switch proved to be a huge success, with its combination of home console and portable play driving record-breaking sales. Nintendo also tried to expand its presence on phones with games like Super Mario Run. Developed by the team behind the original Mario games, Super Mario Run remains a notable example of both the potential and the challenges of adapting a classic character like Mario to mobile platforms.

Almost A Decade Ago, Nintendo Entered The Mobile Gaming Space

Following the success of Pokémon Go, Nintendo released Super Mario Run to test the waters with mobile gaming. While a bold attempt, it wasn’t as successful as hoped. It was the first game Shigeru Miyamoto was deeply involved with since Super Mario Galaxy about ten years earlier. Super Mario Run combined classic Super Mario Bros. gameplay with the auto-runner format, focusing on skillful jumps and timing within the levels.

Nintendo was initially reluctant to create games for mobile devices, but the huge popularity of mobile gaming in the 2010s changed their mind, particularly as it began to affect sales of the Wii U and 3DS. Instead of just bringing existing games to mobile, Nintendo wanted to try something new with gameplay, making it easier and more streamlined for players. They drew inspiration from speedrunners—players who strive to finish Mario levels as quickly as possible—and designed the game to focus on quick level completion and collecting every coin.

Super Mario Run’s Initial Success Eventually Became A Stumble

Super Mario Run showed Nintendo the potential of mobile gaming, but also highlighted its challenges. While the game received generally positive reviews, some critics found the gameplay to be fairly typical. Initially, many players were hesitant because of the $10 price tag. Nintendo chose this price point to avoid using pay-to-win tactics, but it still faced criticism from gamers.

Even though it had some issues, Super Mario Run was initially a huge hit for Nintendo. It made over $5 million on its first day and was downloaded 40 million times in just four days – even faster than Pokémon Go at its launch. However, many players only tried the free trial version, and didn’t purchase the full game. Ultimately, this meant Super Mario Run didn’t perform as well long-term as Nintendo had hoped. Another mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, which used a more standard free-to-play model, actually earned more revenue overall.

Almost A Decade Later, What Is Super Mario Run’s Legacy?

Although games like Pokémon Go still have loyal players nearly a decade after their release, Super Mario Run feels more like a curious part of Nintendo’s past. It was initially successful, along with Miitomo and Pokémon Go, and paved the way for other mobile games like Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour, and Dr. Mario World. However, many of those games have since been discontinued. Super Mario Run is still available, but it hasn’t received significant updates in years; recent changes have mostly been cosmetic, adding items related to other Nintendo games, like those from Donkey Kong Bananza.

Honestly, as a mobile gamer, I think Nintendo’s biggest hit on phones has to be Fire Emblem Heroes. It’s made over a billion dollars since launch, and a lot of that is thanks to a really dedicated fanbase in Japan. I was reading an interview with Neil Long from MobileGamer, and he was talking about how much money Nintendo’s mobile games have brought in – billions! But it seems like Nintendo really cares more about its consoles like the Switch than making mobile a huge thing. It’s kinda crazy to think that if the Switch hadn’t been such a massive success, Nintendo might have doubled down on mobile. Maybe Super Mario Run would have been their flagship mobile title then! As it is, Super Mario Run is still a fun game, but it feels more like a side adventure in Mario’s story, not a core part of it.

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2025-12-16 23:41