Super Mario Run

Super Mario Run is an auto-run platformer starring Nintendo's mascot Mario, uncharacteristically for the company in an official game not running on Nintendo hardware. In the 24 2D side-scrolling levels Mario runs automatically from the left to right and needs to reach a flagpole to finish before time runs out. All actions are performed by tapping any part of the screen to interact. Mario clears small gaps, obstacles and enemies by himself, but taps are required to perform large jumps with different heights based on how long it is held. A higher jump is also achieved by landing on top of an enemy. Typically for the series he collects coins, defeats enemies by jumping on top of them, grows larger through mushrooms and different paths can be followed by staying high or low. Bumping into an enemy makes him lose coins and turns him small again. As player interaction is limited to timing jumps, this mechanic is used in many ways to grab and climb platforms, and defeat or ignore enemies. At specific section wall jumps are possible or special blocks can be used to return for a short while. By linking a Nintendo account, Toad can be unlocked as an additional playable character. Other unlockable characters are Luigi, Princess Peach, Toadette and Yoshi with slight changes to the control mechanism.

Levels are meant to be replayed several times to collect the different currencies. Next to regular gold coins each level can have three types of additional coins: pink, purple and black. The first additional task is always to collect the five pink coins in hard to reach locations of levels. When that is achieved, a new run of the level introduces five purple coins and that process is repeated once more for the black coins. A run with different coins changes the level lay-out slightly, turning it into a variation with new elements and challenges. It is possible to die in levels, but this is not an issue as long as it is completed before time runs out. There are three lives per level and when Mario dies he is transported back in a bubble to the last location. It can be popped before reaching the destination to start somewhere else. Lives can be lost deliberately and strategically to correct narrowly missing a special coin. Special and classic elements include moving platforms, arrow blocks that provide a boost, lava, flying cannon balls, red rings and red coins, jumping fireballs, chainsaws, disappearing platforms, and typical enemies such as Bowser, Goombas and Koopa Troopas.

Completing levels in the regular Tour mode as well as playing bonus games is rewarded with tickets that can be used in the Race mode. In that mode the player races the ghost runs of friends, other online players or a computer-controlled character. This is not done in real-time, but based on the rank of another player as a ghost run, based on the number of toads collected. The player can choose between opponents with different rewards. By performing stylish moves a gauge is filled gradually and then a Coin Rush can be launched. It provides additional coins or activates a temporary power-up such as invulnerability. Winning a level based is based on completing it before time runs out combined with the number of coins and the number of Toads earned through the stylish moves. The Toads are provided as a reward and they are used in the third game mode, Build, as residents. In this mode the player needs to restore the Mushroom Kingdom demolished by Bowser. Coins can be exchanged for material and items to redecorate the kingdom in a custom way using stars, houses, fences with about 100 items in total.

The game is free-to-play, offering three levels of the first world in the Tour mode, the Rally mode and the Build mode. After that an in-app purchase of $10 is required to unlock the full game with each of the six worlds with four levels each. The final level of a world is always a boss fight and levels are unlocked one by one. There are no other in-app purchases, but an online connection is required at all times.