Super Mario Run surpasses 25m downloads, bags new game mode

It’s been one week since the Super Mario Run launch and there have been countless ups and downs for everyone involved.

“Super Mario Run” surpassed 25 million worldwide downloads in its four-day opening weekend starting December 15, while earning more than $21 million in global gross revenue during this same period, app intelligence firm Sensor Tower said Monday. Super Mario Run has also entered the top 10 ranking for games with best revenue in 100 different markets.

Nintendo’s Super Mario Run is now available for free download on iOS devices.

This games requires an always-on internet connection to play and as it turns out, Super Mario Run can chug down 40-70MB, based on your gameplay style and mode.

On Tuesday, shares of Nintendo slid following a series of mixed reviews, some of which criticized the game’s payment model.

The $9.99 price for Super Mario Run, which is prompted three levels into the free-to-download game, has been a pain point for some users. Going by standard statistics, though, 5% of those 40 million bought the game. Some analysts said the price is relative high for a mobile game and they wondered how many people are willing to pay for the entire game. Apple SVP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, confirmed the game to have broken all previous records in terms of App Store downloads since its availability.

Most other mobile games don’t have that kind of pay wall and instead let a small percentage of “whales” spend hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars to subsidize the rest of the non-paying audience.

Nintendo’s $10 price tag for Super Mario Run is still sending some gamers into paroxysms of rage, not to mention forcing down the company’s share price. Typically, earning Toads would allow the player to expand their kingdom and unlock items, but seeing as the game is actually fun even without these rewards, players are given the option to just compete with friends in a friendly, win-win wager.