Super Mario Maker 2 Review: Creation and Story Mode Impressions, Esports Appeal

Super Mario Maker 2 is best described as a traditional Mario game with an extensive, if not industry-standard-setting creation suite tacked on for good measure.  

When players think of the "Mario Maker" moniker though, the suite tends to come before anything else, and those without a creative side might shy away. 

Nintendo has made a point to brush aside any such concern with SMM2, though. This is one of the most robust gaming packages offered to players in a long time. The suite is extensive, deep and turns the creative side of the community loose online alongside a full-fledged story mode. 

While not technically a mainline Mario game, SMM2 won't have problems enjoying the same longevity. 

Graphics and Gameplay

Impressive visuals are standard fare with Mario these days, and SMM2 isn't an exception with the horsepower of the Nintendo Switch backing its constant swaps to different stage types from Mario history, such as Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. 

Each one looks vibrant and pleasing to the eye: Whether the on-screen models are 3D, 2D, whether it's underground, underwater, high in the skies, upside down, regardless of what item a character happens to be using—it all looks great. It functions perfectly, too, regardless of whether the Switch is in docked mode. 

It should be noted the 3D World doesn't mesh with the others for obvious reasons. Mario has some new moves in 3D, and what's found there can't be used in the others. But certain rules and boundaries are a must, so simply having the option of switching back and forth is nice for variety's sake. 

But painting in broad strokes, everything controls like a charm. With a game like SMM2, it isn't so much about how it plays as it enables players to create. The controls are snappy and make sense, both in level creation and otherwise. Menus can feel a bit cluttered at times, but a little time investment makes them feel like home rather quickly. 

Multiplayer is a bit of a mixed bag. While SMM2 does allow players to cooperatively build a level, it was as clunky as it sounds. Throwing two builders with control into the fray created more carnage and backtracking than good times. This might have been a little simpler online, yet the option isn't in the game. 

Once local multiplayer actually gets going, though, it can be a blast: Four Marios on screen as opposed to one in a scrolling course filled with traps and otherwise is as chaotic as it sounds.

It wouldn't be a Switch review without talking some functionality, which is actually where the game hiccups slightly. SMM2 is an incredibly mobile experience. It doesn't have any issues transitioning the series from touch-screen input to the controls of the Joy-Cons for play on a bigger screen. But it feels like it is only meant to be played as a handheld game with the touch controls, as throwing it up on a TV doesn't offer the same experience, though preferences will emerge for each individual.

Story Mode, Creation Mode and More

Given the variety and depth of the game, it isn't easy to figure out where to start, so an unexpected must-see mode is as good of a place as any.  

Story Mode is one of the game's biggest surprises. The short of it is typical Mario fare—Peach's castle has been destroyed, and players have to rebuild it. But the premise belies some depth. Players actually engage in rebuilding the castle piece by piece, jumping between "jobs" that reward coins on top of those collected within a level and a vendor who lets players spend coins on rebuilding the castle.

It's an addictive, fun loop befitting a standalone Mario game. With different types of jobs, Super Mario Maker's diversity shines through. Some jobs just want Mario to get through to the end. Others have finishing stipulations like collecting so many coins or never touching the ground again after the first jump. They are varied and pay out coins based on the difficulty. 

The experience is all over the place in the best way. Each level is different and bounces between the varying presentation tools, from different stage types to win conditions and beyond. These are premade levels that truly stress the power and depth of the creation suite. 

The creation suite is both simplistic and deep. The gist of it is simple: pick a theme, make a course, throw some obstacles in the way, maybe tinker with some of the visuals. But the depth really kicks in for those who take the time to explore.

It's simple to throw down a Koopa and call it a day. But holding a button on the enemy allows for dramatic alterations, from color changes to their skill sets. Straight and narrow is fine, but slopes or some serious verticality, as well as contraptions that sling characters all over the level are all wrinkles players can deploy in tandem. 

The mentioned win conditions are a big talking point too. Tinkering with the timer or level's crawl speed is one thing—setting a clear condition of never taking a hit at all is a whole different animal. 

All of this leads to Course World, the game's online component that serves as a hub for creations from community members around the world. The ability to specify search terms and find the exact type of level you want to play is superb, as is the simple ease of use.

It feels a bit like a social media feed. User-created courses are split into columns of "hot" and "popular," among other things. Clicking one brings up a menu, where the world-record completion time is displayed, as is completion percentage. One button click plays it. Another downloads it. Another goes to the creator's page if the player wants to grab more from them. Comment strings below courses are in, too, as are "likes." 

Even right after launch, there are some downright jaw-dropping courses right at the top of the curated rankings. Some already feel like they could be right among the "S" tier of the very best Story Mode had to offer. 

Besides the general functionality of it all, kudos goes to the game's creators for the "endless" mode, which plumps players down in a random level with three lives. It can be hit or miss at times, but it does a good job of firing off a quick play session that is never the same. 

If all of this sounds intimidating, rest easy. SMM2 doesn't hold a player's hand or force any tutorials their way, but that doesn't mean newer players won't be able to pick it up. In fact, Yamamura's Dojo is one of the most expansive tutorials in gaming today. The interactive training offers pages and pages of lessons. Some of it is mundane, but the amount of time and quality invested to help along newcomers is admirable. 

Esports Appeal

The topic of esports is always a tricky one when it comes to Nintendo, thanks to the company's rocky long-standing output with online play. "Mario" and "esports" doesn't seem to roll off the tongue naturally, either. 

Yet there might be a ray of hope here. 

So far, SMM2 seems to be heading in the right direction as far as online functionality and performance go. Nintendo also held a Super Mario Maker 2 Invitational at E3, which featured four players tasked with competing on their way through predetermined courses. 

The video of the final is here, and it has one-million-plus views for a reason: 

In an era in which esports and speedrunning are making huge surges by the month, few have a bigger chance at success than Mario. This isn't even Super Smash Bros., in which different characters and sheer chaos on the screen can confuse, if not turn away viewers. This is 2D, side-scrolling Mario, easy to understand and even easier to get invested in when the best of the best are going at it in a speedrun. 

It helps that SMM2 has the online and local functionality atop the creation suite, and tournament formats should be feasible. 

This all adds up to immense appeal and potential for SMM2 in esports and speedrunning. Even in the latter, speedruns through the expansive story mode or endless mode in the creation suite offer some serious upside. 

Conclusion

SMM2 is going to end up as one of the more interesting games this year to monitor. 

Despite a substantial single-player offering, the real meat of the product comes in turning these creation tools loose in the wild. The new additions, verticality, stipulations and chances for experts and newcomers to thrive is something most games strive to capture. 

Offering a peek not only into the tools used to craft Mario games and the philosophy behind some of it, SMM2 is interesting simply for its insights and depth. That it gives players an endless stream of fresh Mario experiences means it somehow manages to meet lofty expectations any Mario game encounters.