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Super Mario Run Receives First Major Update, Friendly Run Mode Now Available

Super Mario Run's maiden voyage on iOS hasn't been without its teething issues since launch last week, but it appears as if Nintendo is attempting to remedy some of the criticisms aimed at Mario's first major mobile adventure. From today, a new mode - Friendly Run - is available for all players, although it's not without limits. As is the case with the existing Toad Rally mode, players can now race against friends in Friendly Run without having to burn a ticket to do so, but you won't receive any rewards for doing so

Super Mario Run‘s maiden voyage on iOS hasn’t been without its teething issues since launch last week, but it appears as if Nintendo is attempting to remedy some of the criticisms aimed at Mario’s first major mobile adventure. From today, a new mode – Friendly Run – is available for all players, although it’s not without limits. As is the case with the existing Toad Rally mode, players can now race against friends in Friendly Run without having to burn a ticket to do so, but you won’t receive any rewards for doing so.

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Besides there being no potential to obtain new items for your own personal Toad Kingdom in Friendly Run, there’s an additional strict limit on how many you can participate in. If you’ve yet to drop the $9.99 required to unlock the full game – and therefore only have access to the first three levels of World 1 – you get just one free race per day. Those that purchased the full game and blitzed through the first two worlds can do up to five per day.

Whether this latest tweak to gameplay will encourage players to buy the full version remains to be seen, but there’s certainly no shortage of potential buyers – App Annie estimates (via Polygon) that just four percent of those that downloaded the title have taken the plunge and bought the full package. It’s too early to determine just yet whether Super Mario Run is a success or failure, but the revelation prior to release that a constant internet connection is required to play no doubt turned off many who were hoping to use it while on the go.

If you’re one such early adopter of the bite-sized platformer, let us know in the comments below if you think the $10 price tag was (or wasn’t) worth it!