Game Name: Super Mario Maker 2
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: June 28, 2019
Platforms: NIntendo Switch
Introduction
This is one of the games that was really looking forward on the system. Some people love Zelda and others love Pokemon. I on the other hand, I am a big Super Mario fan.
This game was a dream come true for me. I did not own a Wii U, so I did not have the chance to play the previous installment. This game gave me the opportunity to build my own levels and create my own worlds. This is amazing.
Let us see if this game has lived up to my expectations.
Gameplay
There are 2 parts to the game. There is the story mode and the creative mode. The story mode gets you to play in a very simple story, where you are rebuilding Princess Peach's Castle. There is no theme to the gameplay really. You play individual levels in order to gain some gold coins so that you can rebuild the castle. Playing the story mode allows you to unlock certain characters or assets that you can use in the creative mode. For example by completing Purple Toad's last job, you can obtain the Superball Mario Suit.
Then there is the main attraction, the ability to create Super Mario levels from various games. You can create levels from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U, and a newly introduced Super Mario 3D World. What i find weird they do not allow you to create levels from the North American Super Mario 2. I guess since it was based on another game, it was omitted. It could have been omitted due to licensing issues as well.
As usual with the Switch, there is the handheld mode and docked mode. I think to build courses, the handheld mode is easier to handle than with the dock. The reason being that the screen is a touch screen and it is easy to place your blocks or enemies. In the docked mode, you need to use the thumb-sticks and it is more cumbersome.
New to this installment, is the ability to create levels from Super Mario 3D. From the Nintendo site,
It also introduces local and online multiplayer modes including co-op course creation, where up to 2 players can locally create stages together at the same time; as well as allowing up to 4 online players to complete user-made courses, cooperatively or competitively.
There is one caveat, you need the subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, in order to access other user created courses.
Super Mario Maker 2 - Sample Gameplay
Bottomline
Like I said in the intro, I was really looking forward to this game and for me it has not disappointed. I was really looking to create various levels from different games.
As I mentioned before I prefer the handheld mode as it is easier to create. There seems to be less getting used to. However, to play either method is fine. In fact, even on a TV this game looks awesome.
I will admit, that I do not really care for the story mode. How they got people to play it is by having some locked items and unlocking them once the player completes certain objectives. However, the return for these items is not that great. In most cases you get get shirts and hats for your Mii character. There was only a few unlocks that I really cared about. Once those are unlocked, I am not sure that I will play the story mode every again.
I am not sure if this is new to this sequel but in order to have your course available to the public, you need to be able to clear your own course. This will eliminate many trolls out there. However, there are still a few that can be found. I had someone come into my Twitch chat and gave me a course code. The level was impossible to complete. After an hour of playing I gave up. Until then, no one had been able to complete the course. This tells me that it was a trolling course. It takes the fun out of the game.
One thing that I am disappointed are the course codes. Nintendo seems to be stuck in the 1980's when using password codes to access certain levels was a thing. There is a search field where you can search courses by type, name and so on. However, the search is not great and you only really get to see the most popular all the time. You can get a new course list, but I think the search can be greatly improved.
Another gripe that I have are the pinned items in the creative mode. You can pin certain items that you use often like Gumba's and Mushrooms. However, you only have a limited amount that you can put there. I think the design could have been implemented a little better, like a pinned dropdown and you can pin as many things as you want.
One of the most annoying sounds of the game, is when you choose the eraser. Basically in the creative mode, this is the undo function. It has this constant "boing" sound that can get annoying fast. This is especially true when streaming as your viewers will eventually find this unbearable. I am not sure if there is a way to turn that off other than muting the in game sounds.
Other than these few gripes, this game has great replay value that I will play for a very long time. The sky is the limit and you can create hte Super Mario course of your dreams. I have had people try out my courses and having users provide valuable feedback and suggestions is also cool. So far the community for this game has been amazing.
If you own a Nintendo Switch, this is a game that you need in your library, no matter the cost. It is well worth it and you will get many hours of enjoyment out of it. Even you are not a creator, there are hours and hours of fun with creations from other users.
What do you think?
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