I was one of the lucky few that was able to play Super Mario Run in advance of the launch. I've been tapping my fingers to the bone, laughing like a little girl the entire time. In my gaming adventures, I've come across a couple of things you might find helpful when playing Super Mario Run. Check it out!
How to jump like a boss
Want to get as many coins, Challenge Coins, and power-ups as possible? You need to know how to jump.
Mini-jump: This happens automatically, and allows Mario to avoid small obstacles.
Normal jump: Tap on the screen.
High jump: Tap and hold on the screen.
Spin jump: Tap, hold, then tap again to make Mario spin and stall in mid-air for greater hang time.
Flip jump: Tap when Mario is about to fall onto a platform edge to flip down.
Wall (reverse) jump: Tap when Mario either hits a wall or grabs onto an edge to rebound off that edge backwards. This is a great jump if you want to grab coins both above and below you!
Advanced jumping tricks
- Time your jumps to hit multiple blocks at once - If you time your jumps right, you can smash multiple blocks — and gain multiple power-ups!
- A mid-air stall can make all the difference - Sometimes, a well timed jump just isn't good enough. You can actually perform a special move that will pause you in mid-air and move you backward just a step. It's called a mid-air stall and to perform it, touch the screen to high-jump, and then swipe to the left while in mid-air.
- Do a spin jump to grab the flag - The best way to grab the flag at the end of a level is to do a mid-air spin. It gives you just that right amount of leverage to soar straight to the top. Touch and hold the screen to perform a high-jump, and then tap the screen again while in mid-air to spin.
- Find the Super Star to get the Challenge Coin on level 1-1 - If you're having trouble reaching the last pink Challenge Coin on the first level, hit the lone brick that's above the question mark block (jump onto the block, and then jump off of it to hit the bricks) to get the Super Star. The Super Star gives you invincibility, and also draws coins toward you. So, when you get near the last Challenge Coin, it will be easier to reach!
- Bubble to rewind - You'll pop into a bubble when you die, but you can also tap the Bubble button at the top of the screen at any time to rewind the level. Miss out on a Challenge Coin? You can bubble back and make the magic happen. Just remember that you won't get any extra time on the clock, so hurry!
- Tap a bubble to get the second purple Challenge Coin on level 1-1 - That second purple coin on the first level of the first world is a doozy. To get it, hit the first ? block to grab the extra bubble. Then, tap the bubble icon at the top of the screen to rewind. Tap the screen to pop the bubble when you are on top of the tiered blocks. Jump on top of the second tier if you're not already on it. Then jump up to grab that purple Challenge Coin!
- Dying isn't necessarily a bad thing - You lose a couple of coins when you die, but it can also put you back at the very beginning of the level without resetting the content. So, if you want to go back and get more coins or try to defeat that Koopa Paratroopa that keeps eluding you, you can do so with little repercussion. Just remember that you might run out of time, so don't dawdle.
Let the level show you the way
- Use the arrows to guide you to more coins - When you see an arrow, prepare to follow it's direction. It will oftentimes lead you to new heights and more coins (and maybe even a hidden Challenge Coin).
Boss trial tips
- Go into a boss battle powered up - To defeat Bowser, you'll have to jump over his massive shell and land on an axe, which will fall and bust up the bridge he is standing on. It's really hard to jump over him, especially if you're tiny. You'll have a much better chance at success if you are powered up. This will also give you an extra shot at getting to the axe if you don't die and get sent backward in a bubble.
- Jump on Boom Boom to defeat him - When facing Boom Boom, use your skills in wall climbing to get major air, and then aim your landing so it's right on Boom Boom's head. You'll have to hit him a few times before he goes down, so keep it up!
Get exclusive rewards with your My Nintendo account
- Sign up for, or log into My Nintendo - There are extra rewards for connecting your My Nintendo account. If you played Miitomo and signed up then, you can use the same account for Super Mario Run. Rewards include extra coins, Toad Rally tickets, decorations for your kingdom, and unlocking Toad as a playable character.
- Unlock Toad - If you are signed into your My Nintendo account, you can unlock Toad right away. Tap the My Nintendo button in the upper right corner of the Kingdom screen and then tap Redeem under Toad's picture.
Bonus tips!
- Save your battery by turning down rendering and graphics settings - You can lower the amount of battery power Super Mario Bros needs by lowering the rendering and graphics settings in the game. Tap the menu button. Then tap Settings. Then tap Options. Tap the rendering and graphics settings to switch them from high to low.
- Increase how many coins enemies are worth - At the end of each level, you'll see a meter showing how many enemies you've defeated on a level. Once you reach the number, you'll upgrade their worth so you will get more coins for defeating that type of enemy in Toad Rally.
- Ask Siri - You can ask Siri if it likes Super Mario Run!
Any tips?
Have you come across any sweet moves that unlock secret content or found any easter eggs yet? Let us know in the comments so we can all share in the fun! You can also check out our Super Mario Run forum to see what others are talking about.
