Super Mario Maker 2 is the ultimate culmination of every 2D Mario game that’s come before. It includes the best of the best of Mario’s adventures and combines them all together into one gloriously joyous celebration of Nintendo’s famous plumber. Super Mario Maker 2 includes the obligatory Maker mode, more on that later, but it also features a Story Mode with more than 100 pre-made levels to sink your teeth into.
There’s just so much Mario in Super Mario Maker 2 that, if you’re a fan, you’re unlikely to ever get bored. In fact, during the pre-release review phase, I played for hours and hours on end and still never fully plumbed the depths of what’s on offer.
This is Nintendo at its most Nintendoest, doing what it does best and giving gamers experiences they could never get anywhere else.
Super Mario Maker 2 Review
If you’re an experienced Maker from the original on Wii U, you’ll probably be tempted to jump right in creating your own levels. However, I’d urge you to play the Story Mode. Not only does it show you what Nintendo can do with the tools at your disposal, it gets you in the Mario mood and, eventually, unlocks some extra cool tools.
The story is incredibly simple. Peach’s castle has been destroyed and you need to rebuild it. To do so, you need to pay the Toads to rebuild sections. They accept payment in coins which you collect from doing ‘jobs’ (i.e. levels). There are well over 100 levels in Story Mode to unlock and complete and true to form, some of them are insanely difficult.
Levels span five different Mario games; Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros U and Super Mario 3D World. Each theme brings different powerups, enemies, gizmos and more. Cat Mario from 3D World is every bit as cute as he’s ever been and flying with the Feather and Leaf powerups is always a good time.
Tell me a Story
Levels in Story Mode include simple platforming, bosses, dungeons and more. You’ll be introduced to levels that have a clear requirement too. Often, you’ll have to complete a level without ever jumping. It’s incredibly difficult to turn off that instinct to jump, so expect to have to replay those a few times.
I can’t wait to see what the best Makers can do with these new tools.
Completing Story Mode will take some time, but again, it’s worth doing to get a feel for how good Mario levels work and to unlock all the bonus tools.
Once you’re done with the Story, you’ll likely have some cleaning up to do if you’re a completionist. However, by then you’ll probably want to get down to making. Maker Mode is just as it was on the Wii U.
The screen is divided into a grid and you place items, objects, powerups etc onto the screen where you want them. Switching between themes is incredibly simple and satisfying. It shows you your creations with all the different skins and just how levels would have looked across different time periods.
Meowrio
Unfortunately, when switching to and from 3D World, your level will be reset. So, if you want to make a 3D World level, choose it from the very beginning.
Making levels on Switch is great. Using the touchscreen is intuitive, simple and straightforward and speeds up the process considerably. However, using the controller to make levels on the TV works well enough too. If you’re like me and have bigger hands, you may find that the screen is obscured while you’re making, on occasion. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it can get a bit annoying at times.
If you’re ever struggling to make a level work how you want it to, you can always head to Yamamura’s Dojo and go through his lessons. These lessons are great as they teach you how to play the game and make levels in addition to explaining how Mario games work, basic gameplay concepts and more. It really helps to get an idea of how to make levels work and play well and will certainly make the levels you create better in the long run.
Share and Share Alike
Once you’ve made your level, you need to finish it once and then upload it to the servers for everyone else to play. Just like on the Wii U, however, in Super Mario Maker 2, you can play with up to four players. You can play co-operative or competitive and there are certainly going to be some amazing levels created to cater to this.
Finally, even if you’re not good at making levels or aren’t really interested, you can rest assured that you’re going to have an infinite amount of content to play through. The dedicated Super Mario Maker community are going to flood the servers with incredible levels as soon as the game is released. It really is the ultimate 2D Mario game.
I don’t know what more I can say about Super Mario Maker 2. Nintendo has crafted an incredible game that not only delivers some of the best ready-made Mario platforming in years, it also gives players the tools to create their own masterpieces. Or in my case, monstrosities.
Digging through each and every tool and learning to make amazing levels will take time and dedications. But when it’s this much fun, it’s worth doing.
Super Mario Maker 2 is a must-play and a must-buy for anyone and everyone who owns a Switch. No question.
Super Mario Maker 2 was reviewed on Switch using a digital code provided by Nintendo.
PowerUp! Reviews
Game Title: Super Mario Maker 2
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Story Mode is great and includes plenty of awesome levels - 9.7/109.7/10
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Making Levels is easier and faster on Switch - 9.9/109.9/10
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Tonnes of new tools and new ways to make - 10/1010/10
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Infinite Content - 10/1010/10
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Gorgeous visuals and sound - 9.6/109.6/10
