Nintendo’s new Hello, Mario! mobile app lets kids play with Mario’s face

Nintendo has announced a new free mobile app coming to iOS, Android and the Switch. It’s called Hello, Mario! and was revealed alongside a new collection of Mario-themed products designed for kids and toddlers launching in Japan later this month.

All of Nintendo’s mobile apps have been free to download so far, but while some have offered in-app purchases and others, like Nintendo Music, require an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription, Hello, Mario! is comparatively basic. Reminiscent of Super Mario 64’s title screen that showed off the N64’s capabilities with an interactive 3D version of Mario’s head, Hello, Mario! lets kids poke, tug, and fling Mario’s face around the screen while the character reacts in various ways.

The app probably won’t have as much appeal for adults, but there are a few items in Nintendo’s new My Mario collection that parents may find hard to resist. It includes plush toys, toddler-safe dinnerware, teething toys, clothing, and even an interactive board book also featuring Mario’s face.

The highlight is a pair of wooden building block sets. There’s a ¥2,980 (~$20) 3-piece set featuring Mario, a mushroom, and a question block. A larger ¥19,980 (~$135) 30-piece set adds Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi, plus a warp pipe and other building elements. The character blocks also have Amiibo functionality, and can be used with the Switch in lieu of each character’s standard Amiibo figure.

The My Mario collection will be available in Nintendo’s Japanese stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto starting on August 26th, while the Hello, Mario! app will be available for download on the same day. Nintendo hasn’t confirmed if an English version of the app will be released, but some of the My Mario products will be more broadly available next year, according to Video Games Chronicle.