Game Review: Super Mario Maker

A game like SUPER MARIO MAKER  is a bit of an anomaly, from a review standpoint. To even begin to do so requires one to ask themselves a couple of questions. First, is SUPER MARIO MAKER even a game? For all intents and purposes, it seems to be more a platform for level creation that allows you to play the levels that others have made. That lends credibility to the idea that the actual game lies in playing through the created levels, or in the "100 Mario Challenge", a special mode that gives the player 100 lives and a series of player-made levels to run through, all in three different difficulties. All of that being said, for the sake of argument, let's go ahead and call the whole of the thing one game with different modules, or sections.

The next question is pretty straightforward: how does one even go about reviewing SUPER MARIO MAKER? Would you have to review the THOUSANDS of player-made levels in existence along with the actual tools the game provides for the creation of your own? Would you review the UI (user interface) of the level creator with regards to how intuitive it is when using it? For my own sake, I see reviewing EVERY level in existence to be a bit of a silly goal. People continuously add levels, and the sheer volume renders the whole act tantamount to insanity. On the other hand there's something to looking at the UI, as a poorly done UI leads to fairly frustrated players.

So, with all that being said, and examined, you may be wondering how I would go about actually reviewing SUPER MARIO MAKER and not just hypothesizing about the possibility of probably thinking about doing it? It would go a little something like this:

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Nintendo's SUPER MARIO MAKER, for the Wii U, may be one of the most novel games I've played in a very long time. Certainly, other computer-based game development programs designed for mass markets have been in existence for a while, but it's the sheer simplicity of its design that sets SUPER MARIO MAKER apart. At its core, SMM is a platform for the creation of custom levels using elements from four different games from the SUPER MARIO BROS. franchise: SUPER MARIO BROS, SUPER MARIO BROS. 3, SUPER MARIO WORLD, and NEW SUPER MARIO BROTHERS U. As I mentioned in an earlier article, there is a great deal of variety in what one can create, and that creates amazing opportunities for so many to get a peak at the complicated art of game development.

The actual UI for the game is pretty simple. To start, you are given a scant amount of options such as different ground designs, breakable blocks, boxes, and simple enemies and power-ups. These are expanded in two ways, one automatic and one manual. The automatic way just involves different elements being made available each day, lasting around 7 days. The manual way just unlocks more options the more you use the level creator.

Along with physical items to interact with, there are also a variety of sound effects to apply to those items. This has the effect of adding additional layers of quirk to every level. The natural tension that comes from going up against a koopa is tightened with certain effects layered on top. An already silly level becomes sillier with samba rhythms woven in.

After playing SUPER MARIO MAKER for a LONG TIME, I'm of the continued opinion that this is one of the more important games to come out in years. Who can say what the number of people inspired to enter the world of game design will be because of this game? Even more, at the time of writing this, much of the chaff of the player-made levels has been washed away in favor of some real quality work. All in all, not only is SUPER MARIO MAKER now a very useful educational tool for those looking to dip their toes into game design, but also a strong catalogue of interesting takes on a variety of design themes used in the various MARIO BROS games.



Here is a peak at some amazing levels that have been created: