Mario will no longer appear in mobile games according to Shigeru Miyamoto

The iconic Italian plumber will not appear in any future mobile games, according to Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, after appearing in a handful of entries.

The details:

• Miyamoto stated in an interview with Variety about the making of the recently released Super Mario Bros. Movie that "mobile apps will not be the primary path of future Mario games." The decision was made because "the intuitiveness of the control is a part of the gaming experience," but deciding what type of game should be made for a touch screen mobile is difficult given its control limitations, which is why he participated in the development of Super Mario Run as its director to "translate that Nintendo hardware experience into the smart devices." He concluded the discussion by stating that the release of the simpler titles “opened the doorway for far more audience to experience the game, and also expands the Mario gaming experience, where you only need your thumb on one hand."
• Super Mario Run, a game featuring automatic side-scrolling gameplay with three free-to-play levels before requiring a one-time payment to unlock the rest of the game, was Mario's first foray into the mobile market in 2016. It received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, grossing $60 million in its first year. Three years later, Nintendo released Mario Kart Tour for Android and iOS devices, which received mixed reviews because, unlike Super Mario Run, the game used a loot box system that allowed players to purchase premium currency in exchange for a chance to win a random kart, vehicle part, or character. Dr. Mario World, the third and final Mario mobile game to be released, received criticism for its monetization model as well, though the game would be shut down two years after its release in 2021.
• Even though Mario will no longer appear in mobile games in the future, Nintendo is still releasing and supporting titles in the market, including Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes, Pikmin Bloom, and the massively popular Pokémon Go. The future of these titles is unknown, as some of its previous attempts to capitalize on the market, Miitomo, and Dragalia Lost, were also shut down alongside Dr. Mario World.

Other Nintendo news:

• Nintendo of Europe has updated its policy surrounding the issue of Joy-Con drift, entitling anyone within the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the European Economic Area (EEA) to free repairs if their controllers suffer from the problem, even if they’re out of the warranty period.
• Pokémon Stadium is coming to Nintendo Switch Online for Expansion Pass owners. The turn-based fighter will be available for free starting April 12th, joining 22 other N64 classics on the service, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, and Super Mario 64.
• The cult classic GameCube racing game F-Zero GX may be getting a remaster soon. Next Level Games, best known for its work on the Luigi's Mansion franchise, which began with Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, is said to be working on the remaster. Although the F-Zero franchise has been inactive for nearly two decades, series protagonist Captain Falcon can still be found in Nintendo's Smash Bros. franchise.