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You are not Shigeru Miyamoto. If for some reason you always wanted proof that was true, Super Mario Maker is the game you need.
In many ways there’s not much I can say about Nintendo’s grand level-editor that you can’t already figure out for yourself. You can get a good idea if it appeals by its mere existence: if you’re keen to design your own Mario levels – or play what is sure to be thousands of user-created ones – then go and buy Super Mario Maker.
There’s little doubt that what’s here will be of pure joy to Nintendo diehards. Although very much in the Little Big Planet ilk, the amount of fan service offered up is a testament to how well the company understands its audience. Better still, this pandering isn’t completely obvious when you first start playing.
Being able to create your own level that looks as if it could feature in the original Super Mario Bros. is somewhat thrilling, but it is what waits beneath the surface that will truly please your face. To try and introduce some sense of progression to proceedings, Mario Maker unlocks more content as you go. It ranges from a few new building blocks to toy around with to completely different environments, and with each release your Mario kingdom grows a little bit bigger.
There’s an argument to be had that having all the tools unlocked at the start is of benefit, but there is a certain excitement in waiting to see exactly what you may get. Once you’re knee deep into the experience you’ll truly start to understand the masterpieces that can be created, all of which – should you so wish – can tie into a beloved Nintendo franchise.
This is Mario Maker’s highlight, and will be from the time you buy it till the time it no longer encourages you to pick it up. Even at this point there’s some absolute gems doing the rounds, the current highlight being a Mario-inspired Zelda level that apes Link’s adventure around the Deku Tree. It’s wonderfully creative.
The creation tool itself also deserves praise. Incredibly simple to use with necessary depth for those with the know-how, anyone from a child to the elderly could understand its inner workings. That’s a far cry from the aforementioned Little Big Planet which often felt like you needed a degree in quantum physics before achieving even the smallest of victories. If Nintendo’s goal was to ensure Super Mario Maker was accessible, it succeeded.
Single-player elements have also found their way in through miniature worlds you can tackle. Be it Nintendo-created levels or user-created ones, you’re thrown onto a bite-sized map and asked to save the princess. Of course you are… It’s a standard affair with the major caveat being these aren’t like any Mario stages you’ve played before. In fact, some are so insane you’ll wonder how they were ever put together. Trying to finish them is just as taxing.
That’s the joy here, though. Super Mario Maker can be like every game in the franchise (if that’s what you want), or nothing like it at all. Nintendo has given you a toolset that’s flexible enough to construct more or less anything you could want, within the parameters of what Mario is capable of, of course.
The question you have to ask yourself is are you creative enough to get the most out of it? Even if the answer is no there’s plenty here to keep you entertained, but whether or not that’s going to be for a long period of time will vary wildly depending on the individual.
I spent a lot of time making courses and playing what others had built, but still felt like there should be something more. A lot of that is on me. What exactly did I expect? But if you’ve dipped your toe into similar experiences before and not been completely sold on the premise, that may be the case here, too.
Super Mario Maker is an excellent creation tool and, thanks to the foundations it’s been built on, a tremendous platformer. Its true potential is in the hands of the community, though, and anyone expecting anything else will probably be a little disappointed. Still, an infinite amount of Mario levels until the end of time? There are worse things.
