8.5 /10 15

Super Mario Maker 2 stands as one of the most accessible game-creation platforms ever released, democratizing level design for millions of players while maintaining the creative depth that professionals crave. Released exclusively for Nintendo Switch in June 2019, it quickly established itself as a critical darling, earning an 89/10 Metacritic score from 49 critics. The game succeeds because it walks the tightrope between approachability and complexity, offering intuitive drag-and-drop editing for casual creators alongside advanced tools for level designers. This comprehensive review explores how Mario Maker 2 combines traditional platforming excellence with user-generated content, transforming both gameplay and community engagement in ways that few games have managed.

How to Play Super Mario Maker 2

The core gameplay loop revolves around two primary modes: Story Mode for playing pre-made courses, and Course Maker for designing your own. Story Mode provides structure with over 100 hand-crafted stages that teach level-design principles organically, while Course Maker removes all constraints, offering unlimited creative possibilities through multiple Mario game styles spanning from the original NES Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World.

1. Controls – Joy-Con controls are intuitive, with drag-and-drop mechanics for placing blocks and objects. The learning curve is minimal for Story Mode but steepens for advanced Course Maker techniques involving multiple styles and complex mechanics.
2. Progression – Story Mode advances sequentially through 12 chapters, with difficulty ramping gradually. Course Maker progression is open-ended; players can upload completed courses to Course World for global distribution and play others’ creations via the endless challenge system.
3. Combat/Mechanics – Platforming fundamentals remain unchanged, but the variety of power-ups, enemy types, and environmental hazards available in Course Maker creates exponential design possibilities. The Super Mario 3D World style introduces cat mechanics and new physics not present in other Mario titles.
4. Tips – Begin with Story Mode to learn level design patterns and mechanics. Understand how each Mario style affects gameplay physics before creating. Use the built-in preview system frequently to test difficulty curves and discover unintended solutions.

Who Should Play Super Mario Maker 2

This game appeals to a remarkably broad demographic. Nostalgic series veterans find hundreds of new official levels plus millions of user creations. Aspiring game designers gain hands-on experience with pacing, difficulty progression, and player communication through level design. Casual players enjoy accessible platforming across multiple difficulty tiers. The robust sharing systems transform solitary creation into community participation.

• Creative Designers – If you’ve ever dreamed of designing your own Mario levels without programming knowledge, this is the definitive tool. The breadth of creation possibilities rivals indie development tools while remaining accessible.
• Platformer Enthusiasts – Players who live for tight controls and level design expertise will find endless high-quality community courses alongside Nintendo’s polished official content, creating virtually unlimited replay value.
• Social Gamers – The asynchronous multiplayer through Course World and Ninji Speedruns connects creators and players globally, building a collaborative rather than competitive community dynamic.
• Skip if – You strongly prefer structured narratives with clear endpoints, or if you’re overwhelmed by tools with steep learning curves. Single-player focused gamers may find the online connectivity pressuring rather than optional.

Super Mario Maker 2 Platform Performance

Performance remains rock-solid across Nintendo Switch hardware configurations. Technical analysis by Digital Foundry confirmed consistent 60 FPS delivery on both docked and handheld modes, with strategic resolution scaling that prioritizes frame rate stability. The older 2D styles (NES, SNES, New Super Mario Bros U) maintain native 1920×1080 resolution, while the newer Super Mario 3D World style drops to 1600×900 in docked mode to accommodate enhanced visual effects.

Super Mario Maker 2 System Requirements

Since Super Mario Maker 2 is exclusive to Nintendo Switch hardware, traditional PC system requirements do not apply. However, players using emulation (not recommended for online play) on PC would require modern CPU and GPU to achieve playable frame rates. The game requires minimal storage on Switch, with efficient asset streaming enabling large course worlds despite hardware limitations.

Similar Games to Super Mario Maker 2

While no game perfectly replicates the Super Mario Maker formula, several titles offer comparable creative or platforming experiences. Game Builder Garage provides deeper programming tools for aspiring developers, though with a steeper learning curve. Spelunky 2 and Celeste offer community levels and creative challenge through play rather than creation. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit uniquely enables physical-world track creation before translating it to digital play.

• Game Builder Garage – Offers more sophisticated programming tools for creating diverse game types beyond platformers, perfect for players wanting to expand beyond Mario’s limitations but requiring more technical knowledge.
• Spelunky 2 – Features random-generation algorithms and a level editor (via mods), emphasizing chaotic platforming over precise design, attracting players who value discovery over control.
• Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit – Enables real-world track creation through AR scanning before digitally racing, offering unique cross-reality creativity unavailable in Maker 2.
• Celeste – While not a creation tool, it showcases masterful 2D platformer design by Matt Makes Games; players seeking inspiration can study its level progression and control mechanics.

Super Mario Maker 2 vs Competitors

Direct competition for Mario Maker 2 is surprisingly limited given its unique market position. Nintendo cleverly positioned the game as both a creative tool and a platformer, occupying space that neither traditional level editors nor commercial platformers fully cover. Spelunky 2 offers random generation and community levels but prioritizes roguelike difficulty over accessible creation. Game Builder Garage demands technical knowledge incompatible with casual players. The comparison matrix below demonstrates why Mario Maker 2 remains uncontested in its category.

Super Mario Maker 2 Story and World

Story Mode presents an ingenious narrative framing device where Princess Peach’s castle has been destroyed and players must rebuild it by completing increasingly challenging courses and eventually restoring it to full glory. Rather than a traditional linear narrative, the story serves as a guided introduction to level-design principles, teaching how creators construct difficulty curves, communicate hazards through visual cues, and employ power-ups strategically. The setting spans iconic Mario locations—grasslands, deserts, ghost houses, underwater caverns, and airships—each with distinct visual themes and mechanical identities. The story culminates with players designing their own finale, symbolically transitioning from consumer to creator. The tonal approach remains lighthearted throughout, maintaining series tradition while never overshadowing the gameplay. Nintendo demonstrates exceptional level-design pedagogy, with each successive course introducing new mechanics naturally. The narrative framework elegantly teaches design principles that players subconsciously internalize and later apply when creating their own courses.

Super Mario Maker 2 Multiplayer and Online

Mario Maker 2 transforms multiplayer from competition to collaboration and asynchronous interaction. Online features extend far beyond traditional multiplayer, emphasizing community-driven content distribution through Course World integration with everyday play systems. The accessibility of global content sharing creates organic discovery mechanisms superior to traditional level browsing.

• Course World – Access millions of user-created courses with rating systems, difficulty filtering, and recommendation algorithms. Play uploaded levels solo or with up to three other players online in cooperative or competitive modes.
• Ninji Speedruns – Compete asynchronously against ghosts of players worldwide in timed challenges. Nintendo’s level designers create exclusive courses for this mode, introducing fresh content regularly and fostering competitive speedrunning communities.
• Cooperative Creation – Two players on the same Switch can build courses together using split Joy-Con controllers, enabling collaborative design sessions and shared creative responsibility.
• Online Multiplayer – Up to four players compete simultaneously in user-created courses, with ranking systems rewarding top performers and encouraging return play on popular community content.

Super Mario Maker 2 DLC and Expansions

Nintendo’s approach to post-launch content prioritizes free updates over paid expansion passes, respecting the free-to-play economics of user-generated content distribution. This philosophy ensures the entire player base accesses new tools simultaneously, preventing content fragmentation that plagues many multiplayer games. Multiple substantial updates have shipped since launch, each adding new creation tools, playable characters, and game modes without fractioning the community.

• Link from The Legend of Zelda – Version 2.0.0 update introduced the Hero of Hyrule as a playable character with unique mechanics including sword attacks, bombs, and arrow-shooting mechanics creating entirely new design possibilities within Mario’s platforming framework.
• Expanded Enemy/Part Library – Subsequent updates added new obstacles including Spike enemies, Pokey cacti with adjustable heights, Frozen Coins with ice mechanics, and Dash Blocks for 3D World style levels, continuously expanding creative potential.
• Ninji Speedruns Mode – Major free update introducing ghost racing against other players’ runs, collectible stamps for cosmetic rewards, and weekly Nintendo-designed challenges maintaining engagement for speedrunning enthusiasts.
• Nintendo Switch Online Integration – All online features require NSO subscription ($20 annually for standard, $50 for expansion), though local creation and offline play remain completely free.

Super Mario Maker 2 Community and Support

The Mario Maker community has evolved into one of Nintendo’s most engaged fanbases, with organic communities forming across platforms despite Nintendo’s initial conservative approach to fan spaces. Community members have built sophisticated databases, tier lists, and educational resources that Nintendo itself could not provide unilaterally. Official support remains active through consistent updates and responsive patch deployment addressing exploits and balance issues. Community management via official forums remains minimal, instead relying on algorithmic curation through rating systems and player recommendation mechanisms. The absence of toxic competitive ranking systems has enabled remarkably positive community culture compared to traditional online multiplayer games.

• Course World Algorithms – Nintendo’s recommendation system surfaces quality user content algorithmically, rewarding courses that players complete without deaths, replay frequently, and rate highly, incentivizing thoughtful design over exploitative difficulty.
• Reddit Communities – Subreddit r/MarioMaker maintains active discussion with 300,000+ members, sharing creations, strategies, and collaborating on community-wide design challenges that extend engagement beyond official systems.
• Discord Servers – Specialized Discord communities organize speedrunning competitions, cooperative creation sessions, and themed level contests, facilitating connections between players with niche interests within the broader community.
• Content Creator Support – Nintendo actively features community creators and speedrunners in official promotional content, legitimizing streaming and content creation as valid ways to engage with the game and building sustainable creator ecosystems.