For Mario’s 30th Anniversary, Nintendo decided to release one of its best creations ever. And what a wonderful present it is to all Mario fans.
DIY Levels
Super Mario Maker is all about creating your very own Mario level, from recreating the iconic World 1-1, or remixing it to create a living nightmare for veterans and newcomers alike. Super-fast and easy to jump into, the game allows not only the creation of levels, but also elements such special effects, sound effects, size of items and more. The game is so easy to pick up that even kids can learn to design basic levels with vibrant colours; think of it as a giant colouring book on a huge TV for kids and adults alike. The only downside is that you have to spend some time to unlock all available items to play around in the levels.
Extras Goodies
The package of the game itself is stunning. It comes with a colourful idea book and a digital interactive guide that also features developer interviews, as well as tips and tricks in creating your own Mario level. Pretty neat bonuses for Mario fans.
Levels Galore
Created levels can then be uploaded into the game’s online mode called Course World, and here is where the magic begins. There are hundreds of entertaining courses, sortable either by popularity, difficulty and more. The list is easy to filter through and gives every course maker a chance to shine, this mode is great for people who just love to experience the ingenuity displayed by makers around the world.
Not Perfect
Though amazing, the Course World does have a flaw. Finding levels made by friends is not an easy task as you are required to search for their created levels by using the 16-digit Level ID. You would think that in the year of 2015, Nintendo would be smart enough to allow us to search using the maker’s Nintendo ID, or the level’s name instead.
A Creator’s Dream
Super Mario Maker was the dream I had when I was sketching my own game levels on a small notebook at school using puzzles, keys and drawings. It was how I envisioned Super Mario Maker would be like, so it feels good to have that dream come true. I just wish sharing with friends is as easy as giving my notebook to my friends. Instead, they are going to need an unlock code for that.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD Group No. 4
Platform: Nintendo Wii U
Release Date: September 10, 2015
Genre: Level editor, platform
Mode: Single-Player
Verdict
Score: 9/10
