All Articles: Super Mario Maker 2

Nintendo is pushing out the next major update (Version 2.0.0) for Super Mario Maker 2 later this week, and it’ll add a huge number of new features to the game… including the ability to play as Link. The new Master Sword powerup will give players the chance to to play as an 8-bit Link, and he’s also bringing all of his wonderful toys to the Mushroom Kingdom:

Transforming into Link using the Master Sword opens up a whole new world of design possibilities for creators. Using his arrows, Link can shoot far off switches that Mario would normally not be able to hit. His new down thrust move with the sword will defeat usually protected enemies like spike-covered Spinies. And with bombs, some walls that would normally be impassable by Mario and friends can easily be blown up.

Other new Course Parts and enemies will make their way into Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time thanks to the Version 2.0.0 update, including Frozen Coins and Pokey the Cactus:

New Course Parts and Enemies Coming to Super Mario Maker 2 in Version 2.0.0

• Dash Block: Available in the Super Mario 3D World style, the Dash Block course part gives Mario a major speed burst when stepped on.
• Frozen Coin: These coins are surrounded by a block of ice and can only be released if melted by fireballs or other fire elements, including a certain angry sun.
• P Block: When a P Switch is hit in the course, invisible P Blocks temporarily turn into hard platforms, or vice-versa.
• Spike: This classic enemy coughs up massive spike balls and launches them at Mario. If used in the snow environment, Spike will toss snowballs instead!
• Pokey: The iconic stacked cactus from multiple Super Mario games joins Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time. Players can even edit the height of each Pokey.

Finally, Nintendo will add a speedrunning mode to Super Mario Maker 2 as part of Ninji Speedruns, which will also give players the chance to unlock special Mii Costumes in a series of Nintendo-created courses that’ll be available for a limited time:

In the new Ninji Speedruns mode, players can take on a timed challenge in courses created by Nintendo exclusively for this mode. Other players’ Ninji Ghosts will run alongside players as they compete against rivals from around the world. The Ninji Ghosts that appear are selected from player data at a similar performance level, so players can gradually improve their performance by running the course alongside other players’ Ninji Ghosts. Players can also collect stamps by clearing courses and redeem them in-game to get special Mii costumes.

Whew! For more information about everything included with Super Mario Maker’s Version 2.0.0 update, you should definitely check out the new trailer for the game that’s been embedded above.

Ever since its launch back in June, fans of Super Mario Maker 2 have been clamoring for a way to play online with their friends. Well, now here we are three months later, and it looks like it finally happened.

As part of the Super Mario Maker 2’s new 1.1.0 Update, Nintendo has added a “Play With Friends” option to the Network Play screen for both Multiplayer Versus and Multiplayer Co-Op. This new feature also extends to Nearby Play users who want to tackle one of the game’s many courses together locally.

Nintendo has detailed more features coming to Super Mario Maker 2 in the 1.1.0 Update on the game’s official website, including support for voice chat through the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app, an Official Makers list for courses made by Nintendo, and Joy-Con support for all game modes.

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.

Nintendo told us that Super Mario Maker 2 would be launching this June when they first announced the game a few months ago. Today, the consolemaker got even more specific and confirmed that Mario’s next course creator will be available for the Switch on June 28:

This full-fledged sequel to the original groundbreaking Super Mario Maker game for the Wii U system lets your imagination run wild as you make and play your own Super Mario courses using new tools, items and features.

With an incredibly intuitive toolset ready to be explored and experimented with, including the new ability to create slopes for the first time, nearly anything is possible in Super Mario Maker 2.

We still don’t know if courses from the original Super Mario Maker will be compatible with the sequel, but be sure to rewatch the otherwise-very-informative Announcement Trailer from February if you’ve got the time.

Because the Wii U was a bit of a flop, Nintendo has been filling out the Switch’s library with a steady stream of re-releases that fans may have missed the first time around. This strategy has given new life to underappreciated masterworks such as Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors, and many others.

But sometimes, the consolemaker goes the sequel route and takes the bones of a great game (Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. For Wii U instantly spring to mind) and creates a full-fledged sequel.

While many Switch owners were expecting to receive a Super Mario Maker re-release at some point this year, Nintendo swerved and announced Super Mario Maker 2 earlier today during their latest Nintendo Direct presentation. The sequel will add a number of new building tools (including slopes), and the Announcement Trailer promises that course creators will be able to unleash even more complicated levels on the world:

In this new game, a sequel to the original Wii U game, players can create the Super Mario courses of their dreams, with access to even more tools, items, and features, including the new ability to create slopes for the first time.

Super Mario Maker 2 will be released for the Switch this June.