During the ascent of the Wii, Nintendo experimented with an idea. In 2009, they launched the Wii console game New Super Mario Bros., a modern spin on their classic franchise featuring the ability for four people to break blocks and scoop up mushrooms together. As they worked on the game, they tinkered with a simpler concept for Super Mario, using the Wii remote and a single button, only controlling how Mario jumps without worrying about his movement. That experiment will come to life as Nintendo's first ever smartphone game. Next week, the video game publisher will launch Super Mario Run for the iPhone. Shigeru Miyamoto, the famed game designer who helped bring Mario and other Nintendo icons to life, says the original idea was sparked by concerns Super Mario games were becoming too complex for a segment of the audience. He cites the original Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System, noting a big reason for its popularity was how easy it was to play.