Super Mario Run might initially come off as a dead-simple, side-scrolling platformer that can be played without putting one's thinking cap on. Granted, creator Shigeru Miyamoto did say it was meant to be played single-handed, but a certain mode in the game called Toad Rally brings a dynamic layer of challenge to the game.
In Toad Rally, players try their best to navigate Mario along a given level while performing stylish moves to attract the fanfare of toads. There are a number of ways to do this, like tapping the screen when Mario vaults over an enemy, for instance, but the Italian overalls-donning plumber has a lot more style and flair in store than meets the eye.
Here's a detailed guide explaining all six stylish moves Mario can perform to elicit cheers from toads and earn extra coins along the way.
What's A Stylish Move Anyway?
It seems at first that tapping to make Mario jump and hold a bit longer for extended jumps are the only controls for Super Mario Run. Logically, this is apt to relive the classic Mario experience, ensuring players are treated to Mario's simple and fine-tuned control mechanisms, but there is actually a lot more moves Mario can execute.
These moves see Mario perform mini stunts, which are stylish in and of itself but useful for Toad Rally too. Best of all, stylish moves don't require complex combinations of tapping and holding — it simply requires precise timing and knowing what to look for.
Toad Rally Round
To win Toad Rally rounds — where Mario competes with an opponent's paper version, attempting to surpass coins collected by the opponent and the time it took to complete the level — there are mainly two things to do: collect a lot of coins and impress a lot of toads, and the latter is easily achieved with stylish jumps.
Wall Jumps
Tap the screen when Mario is sandwiched between two walls — he'll perform consecutive wall jumps that lets him vertically climb parkour-style. Fans of classic Mario games know this move well.
Vaulting Jump
To perform a vaulting jump, players must tap the screen the second Mario vaults or hops over an enemy, which the game automatically does. A vaulting jump propels Mario higher than a regular jump.
Rolling Jump
When Mario descends from a higher platform down to a suspended one, he rolls upon landing. To perform the rolling jump, players must tap the screen the exact moment Mario lands and rolls so that he hightails onto the next platform.
Climbing Jump
When Mario misses the edge of a platform, it seems at first that he's bound to fall. Instead, he catches the edge, waits for a blip, and raises himself onto the platform. Tap at the moment he begins to pull himself up to perform a climbing jump.
Stomp Jumps
Toads don't care when Mario stomps on an enemy. They're just not impressed. But hit Goombas or other equidistant enemies on a given platform consecutively and they'll cheer. To do this, precisely time Mario's jump to hit an enemy square atop their head so Mario jumps over the next enemy without a hitch, stomping lined-up enemies consecutively.
Jumping Through Flaming Rings
Flaming rings only appear when the player reaches world 5-4 in World Tour mode. The move, which is exclusive to Toad Rally's castle board, impresses a lot of toads, though it's dead-simple to perform: just go through the flaming ring.
How To Compete In Toad Rally
Rally tickets will net players a Toad Rally play-through. These tickets are earned in different ways: collecting all colored coins on the first try, beating all the levels and a castle at first attempt, or placing a question block in the kingdom. Nintendo often stashes rally tickets as a bonus on the My Nintendo Rewards section, so players should check it frequently. A rally costs one ticket to play.
How To Win Toad Rally
Toad Rally is not a race in the way that it values coins and cheers from toads over who finishes first. Time and speed aren't the main currency here, but precision, timing, and, yes, style. Or at least Mario's style, that is.
Get More Coins
There's a blue coin rush meter at the top of the screen in Toad Rally, filling up piecemeal by virtue of stylish moves Mario pulls off. It triggers a coin rush once filled, throwing an abundance of coins for Mario to collect. He runs faster during coin rush, and the brief mode nets more coins from question boxes. Additionally, in coin rush mode, Mario can attract coins close to him without passing through them, which saves a lot of time.
Coin rush only lasts ten seconds, though that can be protracted as Mario collect coins, defeats enemies, and performs certain moves.
The combination of coins Mario collected and stylish moves he performed during Toad Rally will determine the winner. The player wins if the opponent is surpassed on both fronts.
Super Mario Run was released in Dec. 15 on the App Store. It has now been downloaded close to 3 million times barely three days after its launch. It's available for iDevices running iOS 8.0 or later for now, but an Android version is coming someday.
