What Makes Super Mario Run

Nintendo’s Super Mario series has captivated players around the world with charming, well-crafted gameplay since 1985. And 2016’s Super Mario Run brought the beloved franchise to iPhone with intuitive one-handed control and accessible platforming challenges.

The core Mario team is full of experienced developers. In fact, leads Shigeru Miyamoto, Toshihiko Nakago, and Takashi Tezuka have worked together for more than three decades.

“If we were a rock band, we’d have disbanded long ago,” laughs director Tezuka.

So how does a team with this much history consistently create fun and engaging experiences?

“After working together for 30 years, our sense of what’s good and what’s bad in terms of quality is in sync,” explains Tezuka.

That internal harmony has paved the way for countless celebrated Mario games. The three pioneers have a consistent creative process that starts by building game prototypes of all kinds. Many of them go nowhere, but eventually—after hours upon hours of tests—something clicks.

“Mario is fun because there are discoveries along the way, and we always made sure players felt a sense of accomplishment based on how well they played,” Tezuka explains. “We believe that players are more creative than we are, and it’s their creativity that makes our games fun.”

Folks who play Super Mario Run will sense that “Mario-ness,” as well as Nintendo’s effort to appeal to a broader audience. The game has the depth of a traditional Mario title, while incorporating new mechanics like auto-run to assist novice players. This helps everyone feel a sense of accomplishment only real pros could in previous games.

In the Remix 10 mode, players frantically zip through 10 bite-sized levels in random sequences that change with each try. You can fail a level with no penalty—you’ll proceed to the next one no matter what and won’t need to start the stage over. When you stop worrying about failure, the focus becomes more about your quick reactions to different obstacles.

“We wanted players to better appreciate the tempo of Super Mario Run and play the game carefree. We wanted each encounter to feel spontaneous and unique,” says Tezuka.

Perhaps it’s the team’s kindness toward players that shapes the core Mario experience—the sense of achievement, the wonder of discovery, and the joy of overcoming challenges. Mario has always seamlessly delivered these positive feelings, and Super Mario Run is filled with Nintendo’s hope to deliver that joy to more players than ever.

Super Mario Run

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