How we think Gree’s Batman & the Flash: Hero Run hit 2 million downloads in 20 days

UPDATE 20-06-2014: Due to a mistranslation we have updated the title and the article. Batman & The Flash: Hero Run only reached two million downloads, not 200 million.

It’s hard to imagine a running game pushing the creativity envelope nowadays, but Gree has done just that with its freemium mobile offering, Batman & The Flash: Hero Run.

Batman & The Flash: Hero Run hit two million downloads today, just 20 days after its English release. Considering most runners are repetitive, brain-dead experiences that fall by the wayside just hours after launching, this is quite the achievement.

But then again, Batman & The Flash: Hero Run is also no ordinary running game. It has all the bells and whistles of your standard runner, but takes things up a notch with several things. Here’s what else the game offers players:

• Allows them to choose different characters that can be found or bought
• Allows these characters to be upgraded and evolved
• Has different courses within the same locale
• Has easy achievements in the form of simple missions
• Has boss fights! Where you must view the stage from an angle and take down a big baddie

Although Batman & The Flash: Hero Run makes use of the immensely popular DC Comics’ IP, credit must still be given to its game design, visuals, and polish. The game has got enough reward waiting at the end, and compelling enough gameplay, that players will want to grind it out for those rewards. All the short-term achievements and a really, really well done game help, too!

(See: 5 things that make a life sim game sink or swim)

Batman & The Flash: Hero Run’s lack of social options (or spam) and ads also shows that you can earn your app store success without having to resort to tactics employed by popular freemium games like Candy Crush Saga. The game is expected to launch on the Amazon App Store shortly.

(via Gree)