Mobile Andrio

Platform: Android

Read all of my past Android app reviews at Appolicious and Yahoo! Tech -- click here.

RATING:
4 out of 5

PRICE:
FREE

TASTY:
This free Super Mario Brothers clone will have you collecting coins and ground-pounding enemies across several levels of game play.

BUMMER:
Controls can be difficult; remapping to your physical keyboard improves playability greatly.

COOL:
A free Super Mario game for my phone? Sign me up!

REVIEW:
If you’re a hardcore techie, skip Mobile Andrio and read by review of Nesoid instead. That app allows you to install and run original Super Mario NES titles on your phone, which is critical for gaming purists. That said, if you want to grab a free clone of Super Mario Brothers and start playing without all the techie mess of loading ROMs, Mobile Andrio is for you.

The game fills your DROID’s screen with familiar platforms, coins, and baddies, along with touch screen controls for running, jumping, and more. Your thumbs will take up a portion of both sides of the screen; taking a few moments to remap the controls to your DROID’s physical keyboard makes all the difference in the world.

If you’ve ever played a Mario title (who hasn’t?) you know exactly what you’re in for here. Collect the coins, render a little “death from above by plumber” and make it through each level to progress.

My son spent hours playing this game on a recent road trip, despite some small frame rate issues and occasional control issues. Just goes to show, classic run and jump gaming never, ever gets old.