REVIEW: SUPER MARIO MAKER

Think back to a time when playing video games meant moving correctly from the left side of the screen to the right without getting struck by an obstacle or slipping into a gap in the ground. All of those well timed jumps and mad dashes through countless gauntlet-like caverns and fortresses–I find it almost difficult to put the sensations into words. For 300 seconds at a time, we all could have sworn that there was no world out there save for what lay just beyond the edge of the screen. That was the powerful genius of Shigeru Miyamoto’s 1985 sidescrolling gem Super Mario Bros for the NES. And now three decades later, Nintendo is giving us–the loyal fans that have been championing this plucky plumber almost our entire lives–the chance to step into Miyamoto-san’s shoes and wield that genius ourselves!

Landing exactly in time for the 30th anniversary of video gaming’s single most iconic character, Super Mario Maker rolled out over the weekend with all the bravado and celebratory gusto everyone raised on classic Nintendo games expected. Presented as a toolbox lovingly packed to the brim with all the exact sprites and sounds that were the very lifeblood of gaming’s infancy, the WiiU title turns players into developers at the mere tap of a gamepad stylus.

Let’s make some Mario!!

The key to Mario’s early success was always that his games struck a perfect balance between simple yet involving gameplay while leaving themselves room for endless amounts of potential growth and innovation. In keeping with that tradition, Super Mario Maker divides smoothly down middle between making levels and playing them in a way that offers something compelling for all varieties of players. Those who just can’t get enough of the good ol’ days when gaming meant kicking shells and flinging fireballs can dive into the Course Map and soak up an almost endless supply of user created content.

The real stand-out elements lie over in the Course Maker though, where players are offered a screen sized grid that they can use to construct their masterpieces through an impressively user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It is likely that the WiiU game pad has never been fully realized as an effective controller up until this point. Using the stylus to essentially “draw” ground and block tiles as well as snapping enemies, power-ups and scenery into position couldn’t be easier. Players will feel as though Nintendo has effectively turned game design into a game itself as the sprites comically react to being dragged around the screen and being plopped down near hazards. Even Mario will break into a sweat if the eraser tool gets too close to him, a subtle gag that never fails to make me smile.

“But… I’m the hero!”

As silky smooth as the construction tools are to pick up and start using, Super Mario Maker wants to make sure that players aren’t scared off right away by the abundance of items they have to work with. Players will have small packs of simplistic elements like goombas and magic mushrooms available at first with more and more advanced tools like warping pipes and moving platforms introduced as they spend time getting more comfortable with creating levels. It’s a generous notion, however those eager to hit the ground running might be put off a bit at first by such a restriction.

Besides all of the useful building blocks Nintendo has given us to play with, there are additional flourishes that reinforce that signature whimsical Nintendo look and feel about the game’s interface. Icons and sound effects on loan from all corners and eras of the Mario franchise (including a delightfully abundant amount dug up from the game’s spiritual predecessor Mario Paint) make the game look and sound like the video game equivalent to a playroom filled with colourful LEGO pieces and action figures. As to be expected from the creators of Mario and friends, it never feels like “work” when you are piecing together your courses in this game.

“I’m glad YOU’RE having fun!”

Obviously not everyone is going to create perfect “Level 1-1” caliber courses even after they’ve unlocked everything the game offers. There’s a practicality and an art to designing levels that are appealing enough to endure through the online course server’s voting system long enough to attain popularity, and let’s face it: the tools are great but they are only as good as the people using them. Luckily to help out the game comes packaged with a number of sample courses built specifically to demonstrate creative and concise ways all the Mario gaming pieces can be put to use.

It’s these levels, along with players spending hours building their own, that serve to highlight the game’s most impressive and admirable achievement: teaching good game design. Super Mario Maker is an absolute must-play for anyone interested in making video games. In fact aspiring students of all related gaming disciplines like programming, character design, mechanic experimentation and even general problem solving won’t find a better opportunity than this to study under a master like Miyamoto, all while having a fun nostalgic good time doing it.

You can’t beat the classics!

The fact that this game has level design and more specifically play-testing encoded into its DNA is another positive and powerful draw. Players are never more than one button away from snapping between tweaking a problematic part of their stage and seeing how their adjustments pan out in action. In addition, sharing levels with simple ID numbers is practically effortless. Sure, it is kind of unusual that there’s no way to easily search out people on your existing WiiU friends list but in an age where Twitter is never far away from virtually any device within reach, sharing course information and getting feedback is already pretty natural to most young gamers and probably won’t be restricted by Nintendo’s still-to-this-day lackluster online components very much.

Super Mario Maker is a great big toy-box full of quality merchandise that everyone remembers, and none of it has faded or tarnished over time at all. Handing a legacy like the classic Super Mario formula over to the masses is certainly going to lead to all kinds of exciting creativity, and Nintendo has done a fantastic job of inviting everyone to join in on both sides of that experience.

Super Mario Maker is available now for the WiiU! (Also do you want to see me tackle some levels made by a friend over the weekend? Check out a short little Let’s Play video I made!)