# Nova Smash vs Hello, Mario!

The clearest difference is rating: Hello, Mario! at 4.6 against Nova Smash's 4.0. Hello, Mario! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (323 vs 4). Nova Smash's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Smash sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hello, Mario! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hello, Mario! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hello, Mario! has 323 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nova Smash ships an update every 3 days, Hello, Mario! every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Smash | Hello, Mario! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-smash/id1458739724/reviews) | **[4.6 (323 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-mario/id6746391951/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **323** |
| Positive reviews | — | 89.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | — | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 93 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shazad Mohammed](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501167817) | [Nintendo Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1062496488) |

## What reviewers say

### Nova Smash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-smash/id1458739724)

Tap to jump and smash blocks in this addictive ball bouncing game. Collect stars to unlock new balls and power-ups. Challenge friends and family to beat your high score across increasingly difficult levels.

**Highlights:** Tap to jump and smash blocks, Collect stars for power-ups, Unlockable balls, Increasingly challenging levels, High score challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Hello, Mario!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-mario/id6746391951)

Engage with Mario's face by pulling, stretching, and poking him to create various expressions. Add iconic items and characters from the Mushroom Kingdom to the scene. Enjoy interactive play with a built-in feature that encourages screen time breaks.

**Highlights:** Manipulate Mario's face, Add game items and characters, Play peekaboo with Mario, Built-in screen time breaks, Offline play

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Smash free?

Nova Smash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hello, Mario! free?

Hello, Mario! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nova Smash or Hello, Mario!?

Hello, Mario! is rated higher. Nova Smash averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Hello, Mario! averages 4.6 from 323 ratings.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Smash or Hello, Mario!?

Nova Smash ships an update every 3 days, and Hello, Mario! every 4 months. Most recently, Nova Smash was updated on October 6, 2026 and Hello, Mario! on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*