While I'm not sure astronomical download numbers of Super Mario Run [Free] will really surprise anyone, but early this morning Nintendo reported that the game had been downloaded 40 million times inside of its first four days on the App Store- An incredible feat, particularly considering the game isn't even available on Android. To put this number into perspective, the original Super Mario Bros. was sold 40 million times. It's hard to say what conversion rate Super Mario Run is seeing when it comes to people buying the $9.99 full unlock IAP, but the fact remains: Through the magic of mobile free to play, Super Mario Run will be the most played Mario game ever, which I'm sure is really going to make some people angry if it hasn't already.

Nintendo's official statement: 40 million downloads for Super Mario Run in 4 days. Reached No. 1 in free app ranking in 140 countries. https://t.co/w4GZ6gRakp — Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) December 21, 2016

Additionally, these download figures just go to show how wildly inaccurate the estimates were that the various app analytics firms were reporting. Just like Pokemon Go [Free], it's practically impossible to build any kind of realistic forecasting model on a worldwide sensation. It really makes you wonder what the future holds for the game, as while Nintendo has insisted there won't be updates (even though we've already seen two), it feels like they'd be leaving a lot of money on the table by just letting Super Mario Run ...