In what could end up being the largest launch in the history of Apple’s App Store, Nintendo’s Super Mario Run has been downloaded an astounding 2.85 million times in just one day, according to app analytics firm Apptopia.
This number even beat out the cultural phenomenon of Pokémon Go, which was downloaded 900,000 in its first day, according to Apptopia’s data (by day three, this number surged to 5.6 million). It is, however, important to keep in mind that Super Mario Run has initially launched in 150 countries, while Pokemon Go debuted in just three, before eventually rolling out in a variety of other regions.
Pokémon Go currently holds the record for the most first-week downloads in the history of Apple’s App Store, though the specific number of downloads the Niantic-developed title experienced in that week is still unknown.
Super Mario Run is priced at $13.99 CAD with the first three stages in the game being free-to-play. While the app is currently exclusive to iOS, it’s expected to make its way to Android at some point next year.
While Nintendo plans to go all in with mobile, the company’s first offering through a partnership with DeNA, a quirky social network app called Miitomo didn’t live up to expectations. Super Mario Run on the other hand, at least at the outset, seems to have found an audience and is an impressive transfer of the 3D platformer’s core gameplay mechanics to mobile.
We’ll have more on Nintendo’s Super Mario Run in the coming weeks, including an extensive review.
