Title: Video Game Review: Super Mario Maker for 3DS
Author: MJ Khan
Recovered Author: MJ Khan
Published Date: 2016-12-01
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2016/12/video-game-super-mario-maker-3ds
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20171112094521id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za:80/2016/12/video-game-super-mario-maker-3ds/
Recovery Confidence: high

- Developer Nintendo EAD
- Publisher Nintendo
- Distributor Core
- Where we got our copy Core
- Genre Platformer, Puzzle
- Game modes Single Player, Multiplayer
- Reviewed on Nintendo 3DS

- Available on Wii U

- MJ Khan

- 12 months ago

- 0 0

We live in an age proliferated with marketing buzzwords like ‘user-generated content’ and ‘co-creation’. While my first experience of this was playing NES (or Golden China if you lived in SA) classic, Excitebike, it wasn’t until later console generations enabled sharing creations with the world that made this social phenomenon mainstream. Super Mario Maker for 3DS attempts to carry this fine tradition (albeit in a limited manner) and gives you the tools to become the next Shigeru Miyamoto…except that for most of us, buying a paintbrush does not make one Van Gogh…and for those of us that can paint masterpieces, a lack of online sharing means most won’t get to experience them.

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a port of 2015’s critically acclaimed and wildly popular Super Mario Maker, a 2D side-scrolling platformer, and while a few significant sacrifices were made, it remains a worthy port of the game, due to the mobile nature of the 3DS. Being able to get a fix of Mario anywhere is a game changer and I found myself wearing cargo pants (like it was 1996) just so I could have the game on hand.

In terms of changes, 10 Mario Challenge has been replaced with Super Mario Challenge – a 100 new courses designed by Nintendo and spread across 18 worlds. This alone justifies the purchase and is a great way to acclimatise yourself with the various gameplay mechanics/ enemies found across the various 2D Marios (the aesthetic style shifts between Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U). Nintendo opted not to use the 3D functionality of the console – I think it’s a good call. Progression unlocks elements that can be used when creating your own stages (introducing you to them as part tutorial/ part inspiration)

A word of caution – some of the stages are infuriating and you will probably shake your 3DS involuntarily in a movement similar to Homer choking Bart in the Simpsons. The magic of Mario is that it never feels like the game is cheating, rather, it’s just a reflection of your ineptitude/ lack of skill. While I died many, many times, I was never deterred and only stopped playing when I had to do my job, I couldn’t charge the machine, or my wife was hogging the game. I wish Nintendo allowed you to have multiple save files so that we didn’t have to share progress.

A masterstroke of the Super Mario Challenge is the inclusion of in-game medals which tasks players to collect all coins, or finish a stage with certain conditions. This added tremendously to already healthy offering of levels and while I still can’t get 60 percent of the medals, I’m going to keep digging around for secrets and replaying levels till I crack it.

The 100 Mario Challenge (a mode where gamers can play through 100 randomly selected user-generated Wii U levels) extended the lifespan. It was fun to imbibe the social aspect of the game. While I’ve yet to come across a user-generated world that could stand alongside Nintendo’s own levels, I was impressed with the creativity on display. There is another mode called Recommended Courses but these were more misses than hits.

I am a little torn about the lack of online sharing, and while I empathise with countless reviewers who highlight that there’s no incentive to dump hours into creating elaborate stages (you can still share via street pass, although I’ve only really benefitted from using Street Pass a handful times in the 3 years i’ve had my 3DS) and understand why this led to very low review scores, I prefer the super mario bit more than the maker bit and only uploaded one rather uninspiring stage to test out the functionality on the Wii U version. It’s simply not a dealbreaker for me and while it’s not a definitive version, I spent too much time with the various play modes to notice. Having said that, I do hope Nintendo address this with a patch because I want everyone to play this.

Super Mario Maker for the 3DS blends meticulously crafted levels spread across four memorable eras, lashings of some of the most memorable soundtracks in gaming history and a reverence for source material and IP that will make any nostalgic gamer giddy, even though more could be done to appeal to the Minecraft generation. Super Mario Maker for the 3DS is easily one of 2016’s essential holiday purchases.

We live in an age proliferated with marketing buzzwords like 'user-generated content' and 'co-creation'. While my first experience of this was playing NES (or Golden China if you lived in SA) classic, Excitebike, it wasn't until later console generations enabled sharing creations with the world that made this social phenomenon mainstream. Super Mario Maker for 3DS attempts to carry this fine tradition (albeit in a limited manner) and gives you the tools to become the next Shigeru Miyamoto...except that for most of us, buying a paintbrush does not make one Van Gogh...and for those of us that can paint masterpieces, a lack of online sharing means most won't get to experience them. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a port of 2015's critically acclaimed and wildly popular Super Mario Maker, a 2D side-scrolling platformer, and while a few significant sacrifices were made, it remains a worthy port of the game, due to the mobile nature of the 3DS. Being able to get a fix of Mario anywhere is a game changer and I found myself wearing cargo pants (like it was 1996) just so I could have the game on hand. In terms of changes, 10 Mario Challenge has been replaced with Super Mario Challenge - a 100 new courses designed by Nintendo and spread across 18 worlds. This alone justifies the purchase and is a great way to acclimatise yourself with the various gameplay mechanics/ enemies found across the various 2D Marios (the aesthetic style shifts between Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U). Nintendo opted not to use the 3D functionality of the console - I think it's a good call. Progression unlocks elements that can be used when creating your own stages (introducing you to them as part tutorial/ part inspiration) A word of caution - some of the stages are infuriating and you will probably shake your 3DS involuntarily in a movement similar to Homer choking Bart in the Simpsons. The magic of Mario is that it never feels like the game is cheating, rather, it's just a reflection of your ineptitude/ lack of skill. While I died many, many times, I was never deterred and only stopped playing when I had to do my job, I couldn’t charge the machine, or my wife was hogging the game. I wish Nintendo allowed you to have multiple save files so that we didn't have to share progress. A masterstroke of the Super Mario Challenge is the inclusion of in-game medals which tasks players to collect all coins, or finish a stage with certain conditions. This added tremendously to already healthy offering of levels and while I still can't get 60 percent of the medals, I’m going to keep digging around for secrets and replaying levels till I crack it. The 100 Mario Challenge (a mode where gamers can play through 100 randomly selected user-generated Wii U levels) extended the lifespan. It was fun to imbibe the social…

Video Game Review: Super Mario Maker for 3DS

Video Game Review: Super Mario Maker for 3DS

2016-12-01

MJ Khan

It's a me, a ton of Marios

Total - 8

80
8

Essential for the generation that grew up loving Mario, but not the definitive version. Hopefully a patch will fix the lack of online sharing and searching

User Rating: Be the first one !

8

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MJ Khan

Gaming / Entertainment Author at Geek Node

A veteran gamer and award-winning strategist, MJ enjoys eating chocolate eclairs and watching WWE. He completed his Masters coursework on videogame theory and enjoys writing about representation in games.

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