Different to the usual offerings from Mario, Super Mario Run has Mario automatically run horizontally stopping the player from backtracking. The player is able to reach platforms behind them if they time a wall-jump, which can be performed by jumping as Mario grabs onto a wall, vaulting them backwards. This is likely due to the nature of mobile games; to stop clutter on the screen or to have a poor control system, the auto-run system works well and the level designs go hand-in-hand with it. One of the biggest flaws this system has is that it takes away from the spirit of it being a Mario title having one of the most definitive factors removed from your ability.

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Another new ability that Mario has is the ability to vault over simple enemies such as Goombas just by walking into them, which also takes away from the spirit of Mario, instead of having the feeling of dying to the first Goomba in World 1-1 you see him vault over it as if he could have always done that. It doesn't even translate too well into mobile; the decision may have been made to simplify the content for newcomers in a mass market but with only one action of control now, tapping, it is already simplified enough.

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A more tolerable change in Super Mario Run is the addition of bubbles, players are given charges of bubble that saves Mario when he would normally lose a life in addition to the usual Mushroom power-ups. This change works well within the mobile environment as it keeps the flow of gameplay moving at a quick pace and stops the annoyance of having to re-enter a level if you die or find yourself stuck in a particularly challenging section.

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The best addition in Super Mario Run is the inclusion of coloured coin levels. Each level has 5 coins placed or hidden within them. Each level has 3 coloured coin levels; Pink (Easy), Purple (Medium) and Black (Hard). This highlights the excellent level design and causes the player to think carefully about any sections they have left unchecked or previous location that seemed like they made have hidden a secret. Additionally, some coins are in plain sight but may be difficult to reach requiring a bit of skill to grab them. This elongates content, something which is vital within a mobile environment.

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Super Mario run also introduces new types of blocks, the most notable being the Pause Block which stops the timer and Mario until the player performs an action or the Arrow Block that causes Mario to vault rapidly in the direction of the arrow point. These work very well in the transition to mobile as they let the player plan new routes and paths which is esential for the coloured coin levels.

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There are 3 main game modes in Super Mario Run;

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Tour: This works in a similar fashion to the usual offerings from Mario where there are Worlds with multiple levels (in this case 3 and a castle). A bit shorter than usual especially with shorter level sizes but it works well for mobile with the inclusion of the coloured coin levels. Golden Goombas often appear in levels that are highlighted with them where the player must find the random golden goomba to earn a stamp; this part of the game doesn't seem very necessary. The main downside being that the all Worlds except World 1 must be purchased for a fairly large price considering the platform. This price would put a large portion of a playerbase off purchasing the entire game.

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Toad Rally: The player must compete against other players (their 'ghosts') and defeat their score on specific levels gaining rewards. Players must spend Toad Tickets to compete in these rallies which are earned or purchased for real money. The system works well for what it aims to achieve, however, it can get a bit boring doing the same levels over and over.

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Build Mode: The player has a hub which they can customise, purchasing more slots of land and building toad houses to benefit them in the game using currency which is earned or purchased. This system works very well for mobile.