I know we’ve been saying this to absolute exhaustion, but I’m gonna say it again because it’s a good enough article to do so — The Wii U came as close as possible to ending Nintendo’s time as a first-party game company. Due to things like bad business decisions from Nintendo and a small amount of third-party support, the 2012 console didn’t exactly stand a chance against the PlayStation and Xbox consoles that came before and after it. Even the hilarious level-building game in Super Mario Maker couldn’t keep the Wii U alive for that much longer. But thankfully, the Nintendo Switch is doing a fantastic job correcting the Wii U’s mistakes and bringing along lots of ports and sequels. And after nearly four years, Super Mario Maker 2 has finally arrived, bringing with it a laundry list of new modes and tools.
Hassle in the Castle
Let’s get into the meat and potatoes, starting with the new story mode. Mario and a group of Toads and Toadettes have finished rebuilding Peach’s castle, which looks like it’s made of bricks (Correct me if I’m wrong). However, it quickly falls to pieces thanks to a dog stepping on the rocket that resets levels being worked on. How Mario can be talented in so many things but can’t get control of a dog, I have no idea. With no other alternative, it’s up to you and Mario to complete level after level (Jobs, in this case), save up your coins, and put the castle’s pieces back together.
If you build it, the plumber will come
The first Super Mario Maker was single-player only, but this sequel has a great dose of multiplayer action to enjoy, both individually and cooperatively. Four-player platforming is supported on one console, a LAN, or online. The only drawback is that you can’t set up lobbies for you and your friends, but Nintendo will add that in a future update. Even the beefed-up Course Maker mode has multiplayer, albeit for only two players. Despite that limitation, it’s tons of fun to team up with a friend and create some hilarious levels in an attempt to trigger both laughs and curse words from those who attempt to complete said courses.
When I say the Course Maker is beefed up, I’m not kidding. There are many new enemies, items, and props added to the toolbox, along with a new level theme based on Super Mario 3D World. I’m very pleased with these goodies from Nintendo, and I hope they add even more tools and themes in the future.
*insert DashieGames song here*
If you haven’t figured it out already, this is yet another title that proves Nintendo’s ambition to correct the mistakes they made with the Wii U. It certainly won’t be as revered as Odyssey, but Super Mario Maker 2 easily succeeds in providing a second-helping of fun level-editing combined with the Mario franchise’s platforming prowess.
Silver Soul Gaming 