Super Mario Run: 7 tips and tricks to be a master

1) Take your time

Along your travels through the Mushroom Kingdom you’ll stumble upon "pause blocks". These stop you dead in your tracks until you jump so you’ll probably feel like you want to get off them ASAP to maximise that sweet, sweet time bonus.

Don’t be hasty, though. The timer actually pauses while you’re on the block, so you’ve got all the time in the world to sit around, weigh up the obstacles in front of you and decide what route to take to get the best score.

2) Stick to playing on your iPhone

As much as you’ll be able to appreciate a super-sized Mushroom Kingdom by playing Mario Run on an iPad, you’re better off sticking to your smartphone if you want to best Bowser (and your mates).

It’s easier to quickly scan your whole screen on a smaller phone, while playing on a tablet can give you tired arms after you lose track of time and end up on a four hour Toad Rally binge.

3) Take a time out with Toad

As with all Mario games, Run’s later levels can get pretty challenging. Especially if you’re trying to collect as many coins as possible. If you find yourself stuck on a particularly tricky level don’t just give up, there’s still hope!

Hop into Toad Rally to race against other players to grab as many goodies as you can in the level before the time runs out. It’s a fun, more relaxed way to play, focused on doing as well as you can rather than completing a level; letting you get in some practice before you take on those tougher stages. Plus, this lets you unlock other playable characters such as Luigi and Yoshi who have slightly different abilities to Mario.

4) Log in, show off

Make sure you link Super Mario Run to your Nintendo account or you’ll miss out on unlocking everybody’s favourite fungus, Toad, as a playable character. Plus, if your virtual hopping skills are something you want to show off to all your friends, you can share your scores with all your pals and even have your character run as a ghost against them in the Toad Rally.

That not enough? Well, you also get access to missions, such as “do 3 Toad Rallies” or “add 5 friends”, that give you points to spend on all sorts of decorations for your Mushroom Kingdom.

5) Stomp those Goombas

Mario’s newly found parkour skills let him take a more peaceful approach to evading his adversaries this time around. Rather than having to squash them flat you can now just automatically vault over them, leaving you both unharmed (as long as they aren’t too spiky).

Sometimes sacrifices have to be made though. If you want to nab all the coins in the Kingdom you are going to need to become an expert Goomba smasher. Landing a jump on-top of one of Bowser’s boys will give you a load of air, letting you hop up to all those hard to reach places.

6) Be a block buster

If you’re looking to get every last drop of Nintendo goodness out of Super Mario Run you’ll want to go back and nab all the hidden coloured coins on each level once you’ve completed the game.

A lot of these can be found just by pulling off a bit of neat platforming. Others have been stashed away in the brick blocks above you, so don’t hesitate to bash your bonce into every block you see in case you come across some colourful currency.

7) Get decorating

All those coins you’re collecting aren’t just for bragging rights. They can be spent on all sorts of decorations to customise your very own mushroom kingdom. Now not only will you be the king of crushing Goombas, you’ll also have the fancy-looking castle to go with it. There are even limited edition items like the Christmas snow globe for you to collect.

Your pretty palace isn’t pointless though. Special structures will give you access to all sorts of cool stuff like additional characters, mini-games and bonus levels.

Download Super Mario Run for iPhone and iPad