Analyst: Super Mario Run could hit 1.5 billion total downloads on iOS and Android

Mario is going mobile, and the game may dominate the world.

Smartphone and tablet gamers could download Super Mario Run from the iOS and Android app markets 1.5 billion times throughout its lifetime, according to Kantan Games analyst Serkan Toto. It will launch first on iPhone and iPad in December before rolling out to Android at a later date. Mario represents a huge shift from Nintendo as the company is using its most recognizable character to signal that it is serious about mobile. Investors are nuts about mobile Mario, and Nintendo’s stock price surged 29 percent following creator Shigeru Miyamoto taking the stage at Apple’s iPhone event on Wednesday. Toto’s prediction for Super Mario Run represents why Wall Street is making a run on Nintendo shares.