is a 2019
side-scrolling platform game
A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...
and level creation system developed and published by
Nintendo for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
. It is the sequel to ''
Super Mario Maker
is a 2015 side-scrolling platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U, released worldwide in September 2015. Players can create, play, and share courses online, free of charge, based on the styles ...
'' and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely retained from that of its predecessor, in which players create their own custom courses using assets from various games across the ''
Super Mario
(also known as and ) is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every m ...
'' franchise and share them online. ''Super Mario Maker 2'' introduces new features and course assets, including a single player story mode and new level assets based on ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Ma ...
''.
Like its predecessor, the game was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised its user interface, course editing tools, and music, although issues with the online multiplayer mode were criticized. , the game has shipped over 7.89 million copies, making it one of the
best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay
Like its predecessor, ''Super Mario Maker 2'' is a
side-scrolling platform game
A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...
in which players create their own courses using assets from across the ''
Super Mario
(also known as and ) is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every m ...
'' series and publish them onto the internet for others to play. Players can choose from a selection of prior ''Super Mario'' games to base their courses' visual style and gameplay on, including ''
Super Mario Bros.
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...
'', ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
'', ''
New Super Mario Bros. U'', and the newly introduced ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Ma ...
'' theme, which has been retooled to 2.5D to fit with the game's platforming style. Gameplay mechanics and enemy behaviors can vary between the styles, with some elements being limited to specific styles.
The sequel adds various assets and tools, including assets and a course theme based on ''Super Mario 3D World''. This theme is especially different from the four others, with many features and gameplay mechanics unique to it. Due to the difference from this style to the others, the course has to be reset in order to switch to this style. This sequel also brings along the new vertical course feature giving creators the ability to raise the vertical height limit. It also introduces local and online
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
modes including
co-op
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
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.
The game also features a World Maker mode, where players create their own
overworld
An overworld (sometimes referred to as a hub world) is, in a broad sense, commonly an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other vide ...
maps, creating the equivalent of their own Super Mario game, called a Super World. The world style is locked as ''Super Mario World,'' but the courses themselves can be any style. Up to six Super Worlds can be saved but only one can be uploaded. One world can have up to five levels, including a castle, and a single Super World can have up to eight separate worlds. A world can also feature
Toad
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...
houses, where the player plays minigames for extra lives, and Warp Pipes to get around the world quickly.
''Super Mario Maker 2'' also features a new single player campaign known as Story Mode. The story follows Mario, Toadette, and several other Toads helping to rebuild
Princess Peach
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' installment. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and ruler of the Mushro ...
's Castle, which had accidentally been reset by Undodog, a
non-playable character
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster ...
. Players must traverse through over 100 Nintendo-created courses in order to collect enough coins to rebuild the castle. Non-player characters also offer players extra tasks and jobs throughout the mode.
A
Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service for the Nintendo Switch video game console. Nintendo Switch Online features include online multiplayer, cloud saving, voice chat via a smartphone app, access to a library of Nintend ...
subscription is required in order to access any online functionality in the game, including accessing player-created levels.
Development and release
Developed inhouse at Nintendo's Kyoto Development Center, planning for ''Super Mario Maker 2'' began alongside development of the Nintendo Switch hardware itself. Most of the original development team reprised their roles for this sequel, including producer
Hiroyuki Kimura
is a Japanese video game director and producer who works for Nintendo. Kimura joined the company as a trainee in 1988, and designed the characters of ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. After that, he was originally assigned to Gunpei Yokoi and the Ninte ...
, director Yosuke Oshino, and planner/game designer
Shigefumi Hino
Shigefumi Hino (日野 重文 ''Hino Shigefumi'', born 1963) is a Japanese graphics designer, game director and planner from Nintendo. He is the creator of Yoshi from the ''Yoshi'' franchise. Hino later served as the director of the ''Pikmin'' ...
. Nintendo's producer
Takashi Tezuka stated that the theme for the sequel was to expand on what could be done compared to its predecessor and try new things, which took the form of new course elements and new side content in the form of a full-fledged single player campaign. Tezuka also stated that as players continue to upload levels, he and the development staff would use these creations as a reference for adding content after launch, viewing the dynamic as a give-and-take between developers and consumers. Longtime ''Super Mario'' series composer
Koji Kondo
is a Japanese music composer, pianist, and music director who works for the video game company Nintendo. He is best known for his numerous contributions to the ''Super Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series of video games, among others pr ...
served as the game's sound director and composed some music. Additional music was composed by Atsuko Asahi,
Toru Minegishi
is a Japanese video game composer known for his work on Nintendo games, most notably in ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Splatoon'' series. He was raised in a musical family and developed an interest in video games and their music from an early a ...
, and Sayako Doi.
''Super Mario Maker 2'' was revealed during a
Nintendo Direct
Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentation or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...
presentation on February 13, 2019. It was released worldwide for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
on June 28, 2019. Another Nintendo Direct was broadcast on May 15, 2019, which provided more information about new and returning features, gameplay modes, and pre-orders.
In Europe, a capacitive stylus was included as part of the limited edition bundle of the game for customers who pre-ordered.
Three major content updates were released for the game:
* The first update, released on October 2, 2019, added more multiplayer options, including playing with friends on local area networks or nearby networks.
* The second update, released on December 5, 2019, added an extra mode themed around
speedrunning
Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. Speedrunning often involves following planned routes, which may incorporate sequence breaking and can exploit gl ...
Nintendo-created courses, with "ghost" images of the best timed performances shown for the player to know how well they compare against. Additional parts were added, such as a
Master Sword
The is a fictional divine magic sword in Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. It is also known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", the "Sword that Seals the Darkness", and the "Sacred Sword". It was introduced in th ...
power-up that Mario can pick up to become
Link and gain a different set of moves, ice-encased coin blocks, platforms that greatly increase the player's speed, and invisible "P" blocks that are triggered by a "P" switch. Spikes and Pokeys were also added as new enemies.
* The third and final update, released on April 22, 2020, added the ability to compose worlds to hold multiple courses, akin to the presentation of ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
'' with up to eight different worlds and up to forty levels. A new power-up gives Mario the ability to pick up and throw objects as in ''
Super Mario Bros. 2''. Additional power-ups added in this update include the Frog Suit for the ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'' style, the Power Balloon for ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
'', the Super Acorn in the ''
New Super Mario Bros. U'' style, and the boomerang flower for the ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Ma ...
'' game style. Five other new power-ups were added to the ''Super Mario 3D World'' style as well, including the Propeller Box, the Bullet Bill Mask, the Goomba Mask, the Red POW Box, and the Cannon Box. The
Koopalings and Mechakoopas were added as new enemies, along with red-colored keys guarded by Phanto (an enemy from ''Super Mario Bros. 2'') and new ON/OFF Switch-triggered blocks and mushroom trampolines in the ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Ma ...
'' game style.
Reception
''Super Mario Maker 2'' received generally favorable reviews, according to
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.
The online multiplayer feature, however, was criticized for its performance issues. ''GameSpot'', who gave the game an 8/10, stated that online
lag frequently ruined the experience.
Sales
It was the best-selling game in Japan during its first two weeks of release, selling 279,357 physical copies. By the end of March 2021, the game had sold over 7.15 million copies worldwide, making it one of the
best-selling games on the Switch
This is a list of video games for the Nintendo Switch video game console that have sold or shipped at least one million copies. As Nintendo shares the sales of their video games every quarter while most other publishers do not share sales figu ...
.
The 2022 CESA Games White Papers revealed that ''Super Mario Maker 2'' had sold 7.89 million units, as of December 31, 2021.
Awards
Footnotes
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{Portal bar, Video games
Mario video games
2019 video games
Multiplayer video games
Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development games
Nintendo Switch games
Nintendo Switch-only games
Retro-style video games
Side-scrolling video games
Single-player video games
Video games about size change
Video game development software
Video game level editors
Video games developed in Japan
Video games produced by Takashi Tezuka
Video games with 2.5D graphics
Video games with user-generated gameplay content
Video game sequels
Video games scored by Toru Minegishi
Video games scored by Koji Kondo
Interactive Achievement Award winners
D.I.C.E. Award for Family Game of the Year winners