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Nintendo’s iconic plumber sprints onto iOS with ‘Super Mario Run’

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto revealed Super Mario Run, an autoscrolling endless runner will launch on iOS this holiday season, during the Apple keynote in San Francisco Wednesday.

Borrowing its aesthetic from New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Run features simplified, one-handed platformer gameplay in which players guide Nintendo mascot Mario through a series of side-scrolling obstacle courses. Mario runs to the right automatically, and players can tap their device’s touchscreen to make him jump over chasms, pounce enemies, and navigate tricky platforming sequences.

While early levels offer simple challenges, the game’s later stages introduce blocks that change Mario’s direction, and items that allow players to stop and start Mario with precision timing. Though Super Mario Run eventually ramps up in difficulty, the goal remains to collect as many coins in each stage as possible before reaching an end-of-level flagpole.

mario-run-iphone
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Super Mario Run‘s gameplay is split across three modes. The game’s core campaign features a series of back-to-back levels, similar to previous Mario platformers released for Nintendo consoles. A second mode allows players to compete with friends in asynchronous coin-collecting challenges. Players can collect coins and toad followers in Super Mario Run‘s first two gameplay modes to unlock new items within a third mode, which features a customizable version of Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom.

Super Mario Run follows up on a handful of recent Nintendo mobile releases, including Miitomo, a unique social networking app that allows players to create and dress custom Mii characters. Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise also recently hit mobile platforms with Pokemon Go, a wildly successful monster-catching sim built atop an augmented reality framework.

Nintendo specified that Super Mario Run will be available as a paid app, rather than free-to-play, but did not announce an exact price. Super Mario Run will hit the Apple App Store this December.

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Where to find the Ghost Medal in Super Mario RPG
Mario sleeping in a bed.

One of the best aspects of Super Mario RPG is how beginner-friendly it is as an RPG. You don't have a ton of stats to manage, and your weapons and equipment are mostly linear upgrades outside of some secrets. Accessories are the most interesting ways you can customize your party, allowing you to add unique attributes. The Ghost Medal is one of the strongest of these. but it's tucked away in a hidden corner of the game. It's no time for a nap, so let's go over how to get the Ghost Medal in Super Mario RPG.
How to get the Ghost Medal

The Ghost Medal can be found only after you've reached Monstro Town, which is a good way into the game. Once here, enter the house directly to the right of the Item Shop, turn off the mushroom light, and rest in the bed. While sleeping, the Three Musty Fears will appear around Mario and tell him clues as to where their flags are. By collecting them all, you will earn this accessory. Here's where to find them:

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Toad explaining Hidden Treasures to Mario.

The remake of the SNES game Super Mario RPG is about as faithful as any fan could hope for. The classic characters, locations, combat mechanics, and music are all back in a new and charming graphical style. While there are a few new tweaks and additions here and there, for the most part, the world is just as you remember from your childhood. That includes those tricky Hidden Chests. Just like in the original, a special set of hidden chests are waiting to be found all across the game world, but for those who haven't played the original, you may go most (if not the entire) game without finding them. Hidden chests, in this case, are actually invisible until Mario jumps up and activates them. Mario is a superstar jumper, but even he would get tired of jumping everywhere possible in search of these secret chests. We'll point out where to find all 39 Hidden Chests in Super Mario RPG so you can reap the rewards without pulling your hair out while trying to find them.

We will list every Hidden Chest in the order you should naturally come across them as you're playing the game so you can follow along. However, if you've already missed some, none of them are missable, so you can always backtrack to get any you might have accidentally passed by. You should also equip the Signal Ring to alert you when a Hidden Chest is in your area.
Hidden Chest 1

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Princess Peach with a parasol in Super Mario RPG.

Mario and friends have chased down Peach to Marrymore late into Super Mario RPG. It isn't Bowser who has her in his clutches this time, but Booster, who intends to marry the princess against her will. After busting into the church to call things off, Peach's crown and other accessories will be scattered across the chapel. You will need to find every last missing item before the ceremony begins, but they aren't all in plain sight. Here is where to find Peach's crown and all her other accessories in Super Mario RPG.
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Aside from her crown, you will need to find her shoes, ring, and brooch as well.
Peach's crown location
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