Super Mario Run will be released on iOS Thursday 15 December and it has been generating a lot of interest. After all, it's Mario's first outing on a mobile phone or tablet.

However, it might not be as mobile as you'd hoped.

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has revealed that, due to security (piracy) worries, the forthcoming platformer will be playable only when you have an internet connection. It will not be possible to play even the single-player mode when offline.

That completely rules out being able to play it when travelling on the Tube or on a plane, for example.

You will be able to play it when you have a stable mobile internet connection, over 4G or even 3G, but as soon as your data signal drops, you'll be out of luck. And if you are travelling abroad and don't have an all-inclusive data roaming plan, forget it.

"For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us. And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we're able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure, and that they're able to play it in a stable environment," Miyamoto told Mashable.

"We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the [Super Mario Run] modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure. This is something that we want to continue to work on as we continue to develop the game."

Nintendo is paranoid about piracy considering it will be running on another manufacturer's hardware. It considered separating the single-player gameplay from online multiplayer modes to offer some offline aspects, but decided against it.

So before you pay £7.99 to unlock the full game ahead of going on holiday, remember that it's unlikely you'll actually be able to play it when you get there. Or even on the route.