Nintendo Still Won't Let You Play 'Mario' On Your iPhone

Nintendo released a statement saying it will not be releasing content like minigame demos on smartphone devices. Here, Dorcas H. from La Place, LA, is one of the first passengers to thank Mario for giving away free Wii U systems on a Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Dallas Love Field in Dallas, TX on Nov. 26, 2013. | Matt Strasen/Invision/AP 

In the wake of the Wii U's disappointing sales numbers, Nintendo is negating rumors that it will create games for smartphones.
After Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported the game company hopes to draw consumers back to its console games by putting content like game trailers and minigame demos of Nintendo titles in an Android and iOS app, Nintendo released a statement to Engadget insisting that it's not true:

Nikkei's article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo's willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products. However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo's intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices.

The statement suggests that Nintendo is firm about keeping its games off smartphones, but that hasn't stopped some, like those at the Verge, for example, from remembering a previous occasion in which Nintendo adamantly refused the existence of a product (a larger version of their handheld DS) and then released the exact same product -- a 3DS XL -- on a later date.
We guess only time will tell what's to come.