It's always been the old-school gamer's dream to have Mario, Link, or any of the many famed Nintendo characters just a tap away.

Though that particular dream may still be a bit far off into the future, the Japanese gaming icon is indeed finally bringing a Nintendo-branded app to the mobile gaming world.

Called Miitomo, Nintendo's first mobile game isn't like anything we've seen come out of the company before. It's not an action game like Metroid, nor is it a puzzle or an RPG like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.

No, it's like none of the classics we've all come to know and love. Rather, Miitomo seems to be fashioned to appeal to today's more social savvy kids. Players create avatars of themselves - called a "Mii" - in the game, interact with other players and their Miis, and even dress their Miis in different styles of clothes.

It's totally not what most of us were expecting, considering the kinds of games Nintendo has on its belt. But if the company wants to play it safe by taking baby steps into the world of mobile gaming, this is surely the safest bet.

Miitomo is a free game to download and play, but parents ought to keep a close eye on their children to prevent expenses accumulating from in-app purchases.

All hope is not lost nonetheless. In the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, Nintendo's president Tatsumi Kimishima did say that by the end of 2016, Nintendo will release smartphone apps starring famous characters from the gaming company's many franchises.

Naturally, he never said when exactly these releases would be, but we wouldn't hold our breath. Miitomo was supposed to be released at the end of 2015, but was delayed for March of this year for marketing reasons. We expect the same will happen to whatever (real) mobile game Nintendo says it will launch this year.

Beggars can't be choosers, as they say. As long as Nintendo finally makes its famed characters available to play on our smartphones, we'll be grateful Nintendo fanboys.

Photo: MIKI Yoshihito | Flickr