November 16, 2016 – The world according to Dan.

Super Mario Run hits iPhone, iPad on December 15th

Nintendo announced a release date and price for Super Mario Run, the company’s first mobile app to feature its marquee mascot, on Tuesday morning.

Super Mario Run will launch on iOS devices Dec. 15 as a free download to “try elements of the game’s three modes.”

Unlocking the full game will cost $13.99 in Canada. The game will be available on Android devices at a later, as-yet unannounced date.

A new video gives a brief explanation of how the game works with an iPhone or iPad’s touch interface. Mario runs through levels automatically and tapping the screen makes him jump.

The main mode, called World Tour, consists of 24 levels. Toad Rally challenges you to race against other players, hoping to earn the cheers of the diminutive Toad characters commonly found in Mario games. Kingdom Builder allows players to decorate an area of the Mushroom Kingdom with buildings and other in-game items.

Nintendo is partnering with Japanese mobile app company DeNA in developing Super Mario Run under the direction of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

DeNA is also working on upcoming mobile apps based on the popular Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem series of Nintendo games, due out next year.

Apple surprised tech and gaming analysts when it announced Super Mario Run iOS devices at its iPhone 7 event in September.

Until relatively recently, Nintendo has kept its games on its own hardware. The Super Mario Run news comes following the surprise success of Pokemon GO, developed by Niantic, this past summer.

Gord Downie to play Halifax concert for Secret Path project

Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie will be performing in Halifax on Nov. 29 on the heels of his recently released Secret Path project.

The album is a set of songs and a graphic novel honouring Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibway boy who died from hunger and exposure after trying to find his way home from a residential school near Kenora, Ont., 50 years ago.

It was announced in May that Downie had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a relatively rare but aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.

The singer-songwriter then embarked on a cross-country tour with the Tragically Hip this past summer, which culminated in a show broadcast by CBC that had almost 12 million viewers.

The Halifax show, announced Tuesday by promoter Sonic Concerts, will be held at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday at noon through the Dalhousie Arts Centre and Sonic Concerts’ website. Tickets cost $61, including fees.

Secret Path originated from a collection of poems written by Downie, which evolved into songs. The album, recorded in 2013, was produced by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin, known for his work with indie rock group the Stills.