Nintendo's Stock Drops After Super Mario Run Receives Negative Reviews

Super Mario Run apparently isn’t the smash hit many thought it would be. After a slew of negative reviews hit the App Store, Nintendo’s stock fell 7%, according to Business Insider.

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The game has over 50,000 reviews on the App Store, but the overall score rests at two and a half stars out of five. It’s unclear what is causing people to dislike Mario’s first mobile outing, but it certainly comes as a surprise.

Super Mario Run launched last Thursday. Instead of the player having direct control over Mario’s direction and momentum, the crimson plumber instead runs continuously to the right. Players simply have to tap the screen to make Mario jump. Even with these simple mechanics, the game still has a lot of depth. Collecting the five colored coins in each level adds an extra layer of challenge, delivering a more robust experience, not to mention the three unique modes that all offer very different gameplay experiences.

Despite the incredibly solid gameplay foundation, some players may not like the game’s price structure. The first of the game’s six worlds is free, but in order to unlock the rest of the content, you need to put down $10. It’s a small price to ask for the wealth of content on offer, but it is more expensive than most mobile titles. The title also requires an internet connection at all time in order to function. This is reportedly an anti-piracy measure, but one that makes it more difficult to enjoy Super Mario Run on the go.

Despite this, Nintendo will continue to support the title and will take any lessons learned into its 2017 mobile offerings, Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing. While the gameplay of Super Mario Run is designed to appeal to a very wide audience, veteran players of the series may have been turned off by the simplicity.

Super Mario Run is available now on IOS devices.