'Super Mario Run' reaches Android on March 23rd

Android users won't have to wait much longer to find out whether or not Super Mario Run has justified any of the hype. Nintendo has made good on its earlier promise and revealed that the Android edition of the touchscreen runner will arrive on March 23rd, in sync with version 2.0 of the game. That update will give you more character choices beyond the current six, and will throw free players a bone by letting them tackle World 1-4 if they complete a challenge. There's more to 2.0 than that, Nintendo teases, but you'll have to wait to learn the rest.

The news sets a firm end date for Apple's temporary exclusive on Super Mario Run, which first hit iOS in December. That lock-in wasn't great news for Android fans, but it appears to have paid off for both Apple and Nintendo. Even though the number of paying customers didn't meet Nintendo's loftier goals, the game still raked in $53 million in revenue before the end of January -- no mean feat when it was only available on the smaller of the two dominant mobile platforms. While Nintendo isn't necessarily poised for a windfall the moment Mario comes to Android, it's no doubt eager to see how the wider device support improves its bottom line.