Pop quiz, hot shot: when was the last time Mario properly appeared on a non-Nintendo console? That would be Super Mario Bros. for the Atari 8-bit. in 1988.
So yeah, Super Mario Run is a big deal. Not just because it’s available for iPhone and iPad, but also because it’s a brand new game that’s been made for mobile. And it’s good. Really, really good.
If the so-so Miitomo was Nintendo gingerly dipping its toes into the world of smartphones, then Mario Run is a full-on cannonball off the top diving board. There are few half-measures in this one-handed affair, which means it’s an app that’s actually worth asking price. Even if you can’t play it offline.