Super Mario and Donkey Kong could be coming to your smartphone

8 months ago

Gamers the world over rejoice – Nintendo is going to start making games for smart devices.

The Japanese gaming giant has just announced a new partnership with DeNA – itself a pretty big development studio – with the plan being to “develop and operate new games based on Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP), including its iconic game characters, for smart devices”.

It is the second half of that sentence that is probably the most exciting, because as well as getting some new games, it means the wait for smartphone incarnations of Super Mario, Donkey and Zelda could be over.

The news comes after years of Nintendo dismissing the threat of mobile gaming, and this new partnership will also see the creation of a new online membership service that will enables users to access content across all devices – from smartphone to PC and Nintendo consoles, including the 3DS and Wii U.

In the statement released confirming the deal, it was also announced that no ports of existing games will be released; instead all-new material and games will be pursued, potentially making the whole idea more appealing to smartphone and tablet owners, as they’ll be getting new content.

The deal sees both sides handing over 22 billion yen (£122 million) in exchange for shares as part of a “capital alliance” the two are forming.

Despite the obvious benefits Nintendo joining the smartphone gaming arena can bring, the reaction on social media has been somewhat mixed.