Nintendo shares surge on Super Mario game for iPhone www.bbc.com
Shares of Nintendo have rallied by as much as 18% in Tokyo after the company announced that a new version of its popular Super Mario franchise will be appearing on Apple's new iPhone.
Super Mario Run will be released in Apple's App Store in December.
It will be free to download but users will have to pay for the full game.
Smartphones are the gaming industry's fastest growing source of revenue and Nintendo has been criticised for being slow on the uptake.
It released an app called Miitomo earlier this year and plans to unveil more gaming titles by March 2017.
Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said an Android version would also be launched at a later date.
The evolution of Super Mario
Super Mario Bros was created as a sequel to Donkey Kong. It is the most successful video game series of all time.
Mario is an Italian-American plumber and has a younger brother called Luigi.
He was originally a carpenter.
In the game he has to navigate a series of levels, avoid enemies and collect coins along the way.
At the Apple launch event, Mr Miyamoto said to loud cheers from the audience, "Mario is running toward his next goal: iPhone."
Apple is also jumping on the popularity of online gaming.
Gaming phenomenon Pokemon Go will appear on the Apple Watch for the first time. The device will vibrate when users are near Pokemon or Pokestops.
Published Date:2016-09-08