Super Mario Run Update Brings 'Easy Mode' and More

A new update for Nintendo’s first smartphone game – Super Mario Run – brings an 'Easy Mode' for players who want to explore things on their own time, without any worries. Making the announcement via a tweet, Nintendo called the new game mode “pressure-free”.

There’s another change as part of the new update for Super Mario Run – you will now lose fewer toads when you lose a level in the game’s Toad Rally mode. Plus, the update also “sets up future events”, which haven’t been detailed further.

The news follows on the heels of Nintendo’s quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday, wherein it not only posted its first profit in a year, but also revealed that Super Mario Run has been downloaded around 78 million times, since launch a month and a half ago on iOS. The game is expected to make its Android debut sometime in March.

But it seems that players aren’t willing to pony up the Rs. 620 / $9.99 one-time fee required to unlock the full game – Nintendo said only 5 per cent of customers had done so. That has helped it earn JPY 6 billion, or about Rs. 358 crores.

Meanwhile, Nintendo’s second foray into the world of mobile gaming – Fire Emblem Heroes – will launch Thursday on both Android and iOS devices. Unlike Super Mario Run, the game will be free-to-play with optional in-app purchases. Unfortunately, India isn’t in the list of countries targeted for launch, much like the Nintendo Switch.

The Japanese giant’s third smartphone game – Animal Crossing – has been pushed from its planned release of the first quarter of 2017, citing work demand on the aforementioned titles.

We discuss Super Mario Run and what to expect when it hits a wider audience on Android. All this and more on Orbital: The Gadgets 360 Podcast.

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