In a very unexpected move, Apple has just announced on stage that Mario is coming to the iPhone! The game is called Super Mario Run [Free] and is, of course, a runner starring the world's most famous plumber. The game looks like a lot of fun with plenty to do, but the news here is that we are finally getting Mario on iOS, which was a total surprise. And we are also getting a Mario sticker pack with iOS 10. So, I think it's safe to say that Nintendo has finally realized the benefit of bringing even its most famous IPs to iOS. Who knows what other famous Nintendo characters we'll be getting on iOS in the future (Zelda, please).

The game offers three different game modes. The first offers challenging courses for you to complete, the second lets you challenge other people's ghosts, and in the third you can create your own Mushroom Kingdom using coins collected from the other modes. Keep in mind that many thought Nintendo would never bring Mario to the App Store because it would cannibalize the Japanese company's own handhelds. So, this is quite the surprise and bodes very well for everyone who enjoys iOS gaming. According to Nintendo, the game will be free to download and then will have a set price that will unlock the rest of the content. Super Mario Run will release December 2016, and I can't wait.
Update: Here's a trailer directly from Nintendo:

Subscribe to the TouchArcade YouTube channel

 

...