Content area
Full Text
Nintendo shocked and pleased the iOS gaming world when it announced its first Mario game for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Now that the game is out, reviews have started to come in from around the web.
Is Super Mario Run for iOS worth buying?
I’ve compiled a list of the latest reviews of the game to help you make up your mind before paying $9.99 for the full game. I've also included some video reviews at the end of this post that offer some different commentary and that will let you see Super Mario Run for iOS in action.
Macworld: Yes, Super Mario Run is worth $10
Andrew Hayward at Macworld believes that the game is definitely worth its purchase price:
Nintendo’s demo-like approach lets you download Super Mario Run for free and play through the first three levels, as well as get a 20-second taste of the first end-world stage-and then it stops there unless you pay $10 for the full game unlock. You’ll find no ad banners or other in-app purchases for premium currencies or power-ups; this isn’t a freemium game. It’s a premium one, but you don’t have to make that purchase immediately.
Expectedly, people are mad about this. One App Store review I read this morning claimed that asking for payment makes this is “a sham that Nintendo should be ashamed of.” Look, I’m a big proponent of paying for quality things that people create, which shouldn’t be a controversial or unpopular opinion. Nintendo built something that is joyful, imaginative, fun, and terrifically polished. That said, $10 is a larger-than-usual ask for a mobile game, so I understand some resistance… even if much of the criticism tends to be caustic and obnoxious.
I happily paid for the full game, and Super Mario Run is well worth the expense. We should pay for quality experiences, and we should reward developers for making smart adaptations to bring their best games to mobile. Millions of players keep unimaginative dreck like Mobile Strike or Game of War: Fire Age on the Top Grossing apps chart, happily pumping in money for in-app purchases. However, they’ll grumble about the one-time purchase of a game that is full of personality, not to mention precision-crafted and balanced...