I’ve officially lost hope in Nintendo’s mobile efforts. Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s second mobile game (their first being the dull MiiTomo), is a huge disappointment, for many reasons, the first of which being that it’s just another “freemium” game that was made to make money, and for no other reason but that. Instead of immersing you in its gameplay, Super Mario Run gives you three levels to start off with, and then swoops in with a familiar phrase: Unlock All 6 Worlds – $9.99. Yes, you read it right. Ten dollars for a few more hours’ worth of content. Sure, the replay value is great, as you can go back and collect missed coins in levels, but paying ten dollars up front for a game that doesn’t really have much to it is pretty steep.

Their are two different modes in Super Mario Run: Tour and Rally. Tour is the main “story” mode, you do the classic running and jumping, and Mario collects the coins. Rally, however, is a new feature where players can run against other players and earn Toads for their Kingdom based on how well they perform. It’s one of the more redeemable parts of the game, and is actually pretty fun. Unfortunately, you need Rally Tickets to participate, which can only be acquired through completing worlds and collecting colored coins found throughout the levels. After that, there really isn’t much to do. Unlike the summer’s smash hit Pokémon Go, this game’s entertainment is limited. You can only have so much fun with it before it becomes obsolete, and that’s where its main problem lies. It simply cannot support the expectations set by the summer’s global phenomenon.

Now I’m not hating on this game because I’m a perfectionist. I’m hating on it because I expected more from a major company like Nintendo. This game should’ve been a smash hit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, and I’m severely disappointed in it. There’s no denying that the game itself is fun. In fact, it’s sort of addicting. But it leaves a lingering feeling that Nintendo’s next games will follow in this one’s footsteps, tricking fans of the company into paying a ridiculous amount of money for something they’ll regret purchasing. If you want a great Mario game, dig up your Wii, N64, or even your Wii U. Anything is better than this disappointing dollar-drainer. I’m going to give Super Mario Run a 4.75/10.