20 Super Mario Run tips to get your game on point

Even if your gaming skills haven’t been finely honed since the first Super Mario Bros., you can overcome level after level of Super Mario Run with these tips.

1. Master the tap

To truly master the game you need to hone your jumping skills. But remember: a jump isn’t just a jump. A quick tap on the screen causes a short jump, for example. If you hold your finger down on the screen, though, your jump will be much higher.

2. Mega jump

If you can’t quite jump high enough to reach that coin, hit jump again while you’re midair. It will boost Mario just a little higher, giving you just the edge you need. For the most height, wait until Mario is just about to descend and then hit jump again.

The right jump can make a huge difference in how well you play the game.

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3. Boost even more

Another way to blast high into the sky is to hit jump just as you land on an enemy. You’ll get a big launch in the air.

When you step on a pause box it stops Mario. It will also turn into a golden arrow to remind you to keep going.

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4. Pause it

No matter how addictive Super Mario Run is, sometimes your finger gets tired. Luckily, throughout the game, there are red blocks you can use to pause the action. When you get to a red block, don’t jump over it!

Position Mario so that he runs over the red block. He will stop on top of it and chill until you’re ready to go again. The clock pauses too, giving you the time to look around and form a strategy.

5. Bubble up

Aww, man. Did you miss something in a level and want to go back? Hit the bubble button at the top of the screen to be transported a few seconds backward. Tap on the bubble to pop it right where you want Mario to land. Think of it as your personal redo button.

You have a limited amount of bubbles though, so use them wisely. To get more bubbles, make sure to hit the question mark bricks.

6. Unlock some friends

Getting bored of the mustachioed plumber? You can unlock other friends from the Mario world. Each one has their own abilities. For example, Peach can float and Luigi can jump extra high.

You can unlock Toad by linking your My Nintendo account to the game. Playing Toad Rally and building your Mushroom Kingdom can unlock other characters. Gain coins in the rallies and use them to buy homes for the gang in the Mushroom Kingdom to unlock each character.

To use other characters, tap on the character icon when choosing a level.

7. Hammer time!

If you’ve gotten hammer rewards throughout the game, you can use them to destroy Thwomps (the scary looking stone cubes) in your kingdom. Open the Build menu, tap on the hammer icon and tap on the Thwomp to knock it out of existence.

Mario bouncing up walls like a champ.

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8. Parkour

Come to a wall and don’t know what to do? Jump! A well-timed jump will send you up the wall. If you’re between two walls, Mario will bounce between the walls, getting progressively higher. This also works if you want to go into a pit to find hidden coins. Just fall in and bounce yourself from wall to wall to get out.

9. Get down with your bad self

If you want to jump down from a wall, swipe left during a jump and Mario will descend. This also works if Mario is jumping and you decide the jump was a bad idea. Swiping left can also make you stall in midair for a split second, which can be a useful strategy move.

10. Back-jump for Boo coins

Jumping backward on a Boo can unlock extra coins. To jump backward, jump onto a wall and hit jump again when you connect with the wall.

11. Become a star

One of the keys to Toad Rally is coin collecting. To get the most out of your run, be sure to snag stars. They will make the coins you pass fly to you, giving you a huge boost in coinage.

12. Impress Toads every day

Play Toad Rally every day. If you do, you’ll get a reward. You can find your rewards in the My Nintendo screen.

A few little red toads running around a kingdom.

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13. Keep Toads happy

Be sure your kingdom includes Toad houses. Toads will produce coins for you each day, making your supply more bountiful.

14. Get a bonus house

Get a bonus level house by playing World Tour mode. Place it in your kingdom and tap on it once a day to play a bonus level that gets you coins and Toad Rally tickets.

15. Check your colors

If you need a Toad of a certain color, only challenge other players in Toad Rally who have toads that are the same color as the ones you need. You can see which toads are on the line by looking by their username.

But, to be able to challenge people with other colored toads, you need to beat the first world for purple and green toads and the second world for blue and yellow toads.

16. Attract various colored toads to your rally

You can also attract a certain color of toad during a rally by palling around with that same color Yoshi. There are green, red, yellow, blue and purple Yoshis you can get by buying and placing their house in your kingdom. If you take Yoshi on a rally run with you, the same color toads will come to cheer you on.

17. Don’t be afraid to die

During rallies, I’ve found that your best strategy is to die. If you’ve blown past coins, just throw yourself into a hole or get eaten by a flower. Float backward in your bubble until you get to where you missed your coins and pop the bubble. Your opponent will beat you if you do this, right? Nope. Even though the mode is called rally, it’s really all about who gets the most coins and toads, not who makes it farther before the time runs out.

Question blocks can deliver your kingdom goodies.

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18. Get a question block

As soon as it’s unlocked in your kingdom store, purchase a question block and place it in your kingdom. Tapping on it will give you extra coins and other items. There are several different boxes, so collect them all.

Events can give you items and extra coins.

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19. Check your notifications

When you log in, check your notifications by tapping on the big toad in the upper left corner. Look for events that can win you new kingdom items, rally tickets and coins.

20. Stomp those bad guys

Stomping two or more goombas or cannonballs in a row will get you stylish move points in the rallies to bring in more cheering toads.

Editors’ Note: This article was originally published December 27, 2016, but has been updated since then with additional information.

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