Being able to keep one hand free while playing Nintendo’s first smartphone game might turn out to be a pretty sweet deal.
For most people, there are two major, closely related talking points regarding upcoming video game Super Mario Run. One is that Nintendo is entering the world of smartphone gaming, and the other is that the venerable Kyoto-based developer is releasing software for non-Nintendo hardware, since the game looks to be exclusive to iOS devices.
However, Nintendo itself seems to have latched onto a different facet of the game to tout. In promotional materials and statements, the company has repeatedly trumpeted the fact that this is “a Super Mario game you can play with one hand.”
It’s kind of an odd boast to make, since I don’t seem to recall ever hearing someone say, “Yeah, I hear the Mario series is great, but I just can’t get into any sort of entertainment that requires both hands.” Besides, even if you’re only using one hand to play Super Mario Run, what’re you supposed to do to keep your other hand occupied?
Allow Shigeru Miyamoto to demonstrate.
In a video for YouTube channel BuzzFeedBlue, Miyamoto, creator of the Super Mario franchise, plays the series’ latest title while snacking on an assortment of pastries. Just like good video game design involves introducing skills and easily managed challenges before gradually ramping up the difficulty, Miyamoto starts off with what appears to be a petite cream puff before progressing onto cupcakes and eventually an entire red velvet cake.
Adding this new wrinkle to the gameplay definitely makes the game trickier, but Miyamoto eventually seems to get the hang of the unique multitasking combination. Unfortunately, since playing the guitar requires two hands, we don’t get to hear more of his musical stylings, but just like Super Mario Run represents the promise of combining the industry’s highest level of polished game design with the convenience of smartphone gaming, Miyamoto’s video demonstrations shows us that sometimes in life it might just be possible to have your cake and eat it too.
Source: YouTube/BuzzFeedBlue via Jin
Images: YouTube/BuzzFeedBlue
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