It looks like 'Super Mario Run' is coming to Android sooner rather than later (NTDOY)

December 29, 2016 at 10:38 AM EST

Business Insider/Jeff Dunn

It looks like Super Mario will hit Android devices before long.

Early Thursday, a “pre-register” link for Nintendo’s first-ever smartphone game, “Super Mario Run,” went live on the Google Play Store.

Much like the “notify” option that was made available in the iOS App Store once the game was first announced in September, the idea is to make it so you’ll receive a notification once the title becomes fully available for download.

Since its release on December 15, “Super Mario Run” has been exclusive to iOS devices. Nintendo introduced the title at Apple’s iPhone 7 event back in September, and while the company noted at the time that an Android version was in the works, it hadn’t yet made clear when that version would arrive. Now, it appears we’re at least closer to Apple’s exclusivity period coming to an end.

That said, there was a three-month wait between the game’s announcement and its actual release, so exactly how close an Android version may be isn’t totally clear. Nintendo and Google did not immediately respond to separate requests for comment.

In terms of sales, “Super Mario Run” appears to have gotten off to a hot start. Nintendo said earlier this month that the game had generated more than 40 million downloads in its first four days of availability in the iOS App Store, which is a record for that time frame.

However, Nintendo’s business model — in which the first handful of levels are made available for free, and a single $10 payment is required to unlock the whole game — has been a source of controversy. The game’s user rating now sits around 2.5 stars out of 5, and the company’s share price has fallen since launch, with investors seemingly concerned over the game’s chances of generating revenue as steadily as a title like "Pokémon Go," which has elicited a steady stream of in-app purchases since it launched this summer. Along those lines, recent data from research firm App Annie suggested that the game's momentum has started to fade.

Coming to Android will open “Super Mario Run” up to a much larger user base, but, if past trends are any indication, a less lucrative market in terms of potential revenue since iOS users are still more likely to pay for premium downloads.

It’s not clear if the Android version of the game will be different in any way, but its description in the Play Store is virtually identical to its listing in the App Store. As before, Nintendo says users will be able to download a portion of "Super Mario Run" for free, then unlock the full game after paying a “set purchase price.” It will also still require a constant internet connection to play, a move likely due to piracy concerns.

For what it’s worth, we’ve found the game itself to be a wholly enjoyable, if a bit brief, adaptation of the series.

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