There is perhaps no other Nintendo video game property that is quite as world renowned and universally beloved as the Super Mario Bros. franchise that had its start way back in 1985, as a home console release for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Created by acclaimed Japanese designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto, the lovable plumbers Mario and Luigi have become staples of the modern platformer, and have subsequently spawned countless individual titles in the years since their initial inception in the mid-1980s.

Despite the wide-ranging popularity of the video game property, Miyamoto and Nintendo have been reticent to take the Mario franchise to the world of mobile gaming. All of that is about to change, however, with the mid-December 2016 release of the brand new auto-runner Super Mario Run, which will transport the much-beloved series to new heights and greater accessibility for players on the go and around the world.

In the footage featured above and below, potential players of Super Mario Run can take a look at a brand new, live-action trailer for the mobile game, in addition to sneaking a peek at even more gameplay footage from the forthcoming title. Both videos give hints towards the fun-loving atmosphere and vibe that the new game is slated to offer potential players, and should prove to be more than enough incentive for iPhone users to pick up the app when it becomes available on the iOS store later next week - with an Android version expected to arrive shortly thereafter in 2017.

Like the last batch of gameplay footage, the above video details the various rules and gameplay modes featured in Super Mario Run for potential players looking to play the game first on an iPhone. Meanwhile, the live-action trailer gets at Miyamoto's previously-stated intention to bring the classic Nintendo property to a platform that encourages a wider range of physical spaces in which its content can be accessed and enjoyed.

It remains to be seen whether or not longtime fans of the Nintendo platformer will ultimately pick up Super Mario Run when it finally becomes available on the iOS store - not to mention the subsequent release for Android - though Miyamoto and company are undoubtedly hoping for another big success for the long-running franchise. With the much coveted Mini NES Classic Edition console proving to be harder and harder to come by for the 2016 holiday season, Super Mario Run may very well end up being the more readily available consolation prize for many Super Mario Bros. fans this month.

Super Mario Run will be available through the iOS store starting December 15th, 2016.

Source: Nintendo