OSAKA -- Though "Super Mario Run" has lifted Nintendo's profits less than many had hoped, Mario remains the protagonist of the company's mobile strategy, with a jump to a new smartphone platform highlighting the game producer's main goal of expanding its fan base.
The first smartphone game in Nintendo's beloved "Mario" franchise debuted on Google's Android mobile operating system Thursday. As with the Apple version released in December, part of the game is available for free, and the rest can be unlocked for 1,200 yen ($10.81), or $9.99 in the U.S.
