Thanks to the game’s Announcement Trailer, fans already knew all about the addition of slopes and the Angry Sun to Super Mario Maker 2. But today’s new Nintendo Direct has pulled the red curtain back on even more new features coming to the course building game. The entire is definitely a watch (or a rewatch if you’ve already seen it), but let’s look at some of the highlights…
Nintendo included more than 60 pre-built courses in the original Super Mario Maker, and it looks like they’re increasing that number in the sequel. Super Mario Maker 2 will include a brand new Story Mode that contains more than 100 courses crafted by designers at Nintendo:
In the single-player Story Mode, which can be played entirely offline, Mario sets out to help rebuild Princess Peach’s castle. To fund this reconstruction project, he needs to collect Coins, which he can earn by accepting jobs from the bulletin board and completing the associated courses. Story Mode is a great way for makers to get inspired, with more than 100 original Nintendo-crafted courses to play.
Nintendo is encouraging prospective course creators to use Story Mode as a place to find new ideas for their own creations, and to help with that, they’ve added a number of new Course Parts to the game. Slopes and the Angry Sun are just the beginning as players will get to set ON/OFF Switches, change the Water Level, and more:
What’s New in Super Mario Maker 2
- Slopes – Create angled surfaces by just picking a direction and setting the length. Gentler slopes are an additional option.
- Angry Sun – Remember the Angry Sun that attacked Mario in the Super Mario Bros. 3 game? It’s back and ready to put the pressure on players in this new game.
- ON/OFF Switch – Hit an ON/OFF Switch, and all the red and blue blocks in the course will swap! Setting them up wisely will help players create tricky puzzles and obstacles.
- Water Level – The water level in Super Mario Maker 2 can be adjusted in the Forest theme, so only half the course can be underwater if that’s what the player wants. Water can even be set to rise and fall at different speeds over time.
- Banzai Bill – The red variations of these classic Super Mario enemies have a homing function, and chase poor Mario wherever he goes.
- New Course Themes – In addition to all the course themes from the original game, players will be able to create and play courses using the Desert, Snow, Forest and Sky themes. These themes feature new music by veteran Super Mario series composer Koji Kondo. The new Moon course part can be used to unlock night versions of themes. Depending on the theme used, wild things will happen at night, including floating Goombas, dimmed lighting in the Ghost House and sandstorms in the Desert. Some items might even transform in the nighttime…
- To Be Continued – There are more secrets in Super Mario Maker 2. Players will have a blast experimenting with all the tools and features they can use to create.
With two Joy-Con controllers, two players will be able to edit a course at the same time, and several new multiplayer modes (including Co-Op and Versus) will give players new options in how to tackle those courses.
Course Styles based on Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U will all return in Super Mario Maker 2, but Nintendo also plans to offer players even more Styles this time around, including one based on Super Mario 3D World. The Super Mario 3D World Style will feature several unique parts that evoke some of the best moments from Mario’s 2013 adventure:
Features Unique to Super Mario 3D World Style
- Cat Mario – Cat Mario can climb walls, scratch, slide and pounce on enemies. Players can even use Cat Mario to climb up the Goal Pole!
- Clear Pipe – Clear Pipes can be placed in any shape the player wants, but they have to be careful, as enemies can also slide through them.
- Koopa Troopa Car – Hop in this sweet ride and zoom through the course. Players just have to make sure not to crash!
- Track Block – The Track Block will follow any path the player draws. The blue one starts moving when the player steps on it.
- Piranha Creeper – The Piranha Creeper follows the path that the player draws, extending its dangerous spiky stem around the course.
- Who’s Who in Super Mario 3D World? – A cast of other familiar faces will also make appearances in Super Mario Maker 2, so players are in for a treat!
At least one more Extra Style will be included in Super Mario Maker 2, which is scheduled to launch on June 28.
