One of the most frequently asked questions about the new Super Mario Run game is whether it can be played offline.
The answer is it can’t. Super Mario Run can only be played when the user has an active internet connection, Nintendo has revealed.
The game, the first official Mario title to be made available on mobile, arrives on the iPhone on December 15, but Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto – who revealed the connection caveat in a interview with Mashable – said it was a necessary step to prevent piracy.
“For us, we view our software as being a very important asset,” he said.
“And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we’re able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure.
“We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure.”
He confirmed the references to being secure meant protecting the game from piracy.
The news means that gamers hoping to play the game on their commute to work or while travelling in general might not find it so straightforward – you’ll need a data connection or WiFi, so playing on most flights could be out.