Super Mario Maker 2 is going to be a beefy sequel. Today, Nintendo announced a bunch of new features for the game as part of its Direct video series.
Originally revealed in February, Super Mario Maker 2 is the follow-up to the popular do-it-yourself Mario game that debuted on Wii U and 3DS. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch on June 28.
One of the big new features is a single-player story mode, where you must help rebuild Princess Peach’s castle. You do that by earning money from jobs that other characters give you — if you complete the custom Mario courses in these jobs, you’ll earn coins as a reward. Nintendo designed more than 100 new levels just for the story mode.
The money allows you to build more sections of Peach’s castle, unlocking new characters in the world as well as new jobs. The original game didn’t have a story mode, so this seems like a great way to introduce players to the dozens of tools that they can use to make levels — both existing components and new ones as well.
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Enhancing your maker options
New to Super Mario Maker 2 are moving snake blocks (blocks that travel like a snake, but in straight lines), seesaws, swinging claws, on/off switches (useful for creating traps), and much more. You can also create levels that automatically scroll from left to right, adjusting both its speed and trajectory. It’s possible to create hidden rooms within these scrolling levels as well.
But that just covers the 2D-based levels: The process is a little different if you want to make Super Mario 3D World-inspired content. For starters, you can put Cat Mario in your levels, who comes with additional abilities like climbing walls and pouncing on enemies. You’ll also have access to the Piranha Creeper (which moves along a predetermined path), crates (that players can use to make new paths), and clear pipes.
One surprising feature on the 3D side of things is the Koopa Troopa Car, a go-kart like vehicle that essentially turns your creation into a one-man racing course.
Above: Riding in style.
Online multiplayer
The first Super Mario Maker was a hit because it gave people a way to share and download each other’s levels. The sequel is no different. But this time, everything will be done through a new online hub called Course World — and you’ll need a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online service to use it.
You can now tag your custom Super Mario levels with different categories (like autoscroll or puzzle-solving) to help people search for specific kinds of courses. On your online Maker profile, you can display your Mii avatar and unlock new clothing for it after completing specific objectives.
And if you don’t feel like playing by yourself, you can hop into one of the new Network Play options, which will match you with three other players. You can compete with others in Multiplayer Versus mode, where all four of you race through a random level to see who can beat it first. Your win/loss ratio will affect your Versus Rating number.
Conversely, Multiplayer Co-op mode is about working together to finish a level — everyone wins if at least one person on your team makes it to the end.
Above: Cat Mario introduces new possibilities (and possibly headaches) for wannabe level creators.
To celebrate Super Mario Maker 2’s release in June, Nintendo announced a special bundle that features both the game and a 12-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for $70 (a $10 savings from buying them separately). If you already have a subscription, the bundle will just add another year on top of it.
Finally, Nintendo also used today’s Direct video to announce a new voucher program where you can get two $60 Switch games for just $100. You can use it to pre-order Super Mario Maker 2 and get a discounted Nintendo game in the process.
