Classic gaming character Super Mario could be coming to smartphones in the near future after Nintendo struck a deal with a major Japanese app developer.
The gaming giant has always refused to move towards developing a game suitable for multiple devices in the past, keeping faith in its handheld 3DS consoles.
But Nintendo announced today they have paired up with DeNA, a Tokyo-based company which develops a whole range of games and online services, to help launch their products on the mobile game platform.
As well as releasing a number of games featuring classic Nintendo characters, DeNa will also help set up an online community to allow players to connect with other players from around the world.
While it's not yet clear which games will be released, Nintendo appeared to rule out converting games currently available on 3DS and Wii U.
Announcing the deal, Nintendo said: "To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimised for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system.
Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games since being founded in and more than 680 million hardware units globally, but the company's fortunes have taken a nosedive after falling behind market leaders Sony and Microsoft.
