Super Mario Maker 2

Genre: Platformer / Misc.

Players: 1-4 Co-Op / Competitive (Local / Online), Online Leaderboards, Online Content Sharing

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Review:

Super Mario Maker 2, like its Wii U predecessor, is a game that allows players to build and exchange their own custom-created Mario levels. Players who are the creative sort can design the truly epic level of their dreams, while less-creative players can still enjoy what amounts to an infinite number of user-created levels, as well as 100 levels designed by Nintendo themselves in a campaign mode. In other words, even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body, there’s still plenty enough content here to make this game more than worth your while.

On that note, it bears mention that the creativity that went into Nintendo’s own levels here is fantastic, and arguably even recent games like New Super Mario Bros. U arguably pale in comparison when it comes to how clever this game’s levels can be.

What’s more, the curation for user-created levels is much better this time around, meaning that you’re less likely to get stuffed into a series of amateurish levels, auto-complete levels, and absurdly difficult levels. You’ll still bump into those on occasion, sure, but just as often you’ll play more normal-style levels that actually seem to have had some thought put into them.

The creation tools this time around are expanded somewhat, with the addition of slopes being one of the more noteworthy things, but there’s also the additional game type, patterned on Super Mario 3D World, that gives extra variety (though sadly it doesn’t play nice with the other game types).

There are also more modes for players to enjoy. There’s Yanamura’s Dojo, with helpful hints on making quality levels, there’s local and online multiplayer (though even a half a year after launch, the online play is still a horrible, laggy mess that’s damn near unplayable). Plus with post-launch DLC there’s the new Ninji Speed Run mode (a way to compete with other players indirectly that doesn’t cause game-killing lag) as well as a new sword power-up that adds a Legend of Zelda-inspired move set.

There’s a lot that this game has going for it, but there are some downsides too. As I already mentioned, the multiplayer is hot garbage, even now. On top of that, the menus are unintuitive, and the Switch’s capacitive touchscreen is worse for the precision this sort of thing requires than the Wii U’s pressure-based touchscreen. Plus, I should note that this game is missing features that was in the Wii U game, such as the wide range of Amiibo support that game enjoyed.

Don’t get me wrong, in many ways Super Mario Maker 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor, but it often feels like two steps forward, one step back. There is an absolute wealth of content here, and those looking for endless Mario fun, or a good tool set for creation, are still likely to find this to be an absolute joy, even despite its flaws.

Oh, and for those who are curious to try one of my custom levels in Super Mario Maker 2, use the code S5G-BF8-JSF to access my first online submission to the game. I hope you enjoy!

tl;dr – Super Mario Maker 2, like its predecessor, is a Mario level creator that’s a creative gamer’s dream, and those who aren’t creative will have a huge wealth of content to enjoy. Even a half a year later the online play is still terrible, and it feels like for every two improvements this game makes it loses one feature from the first game, but overall this is still an excellent game every Mario fan should get.

Grade: A

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