Nintendo announced a staggeringSuper Mario Maker 2statistic via Twitter on Friday. Since the game’s global release on the Nintendo Switch in June 2019, players have uploaded over 20 million levels (or “courses,” as they are known inMariogames) to the game’s Course World online community.
Like its Wii U predecessor,SuperMario Maker 2provides players with the tools needed to handcraft their own side-scrolling Mario levels in a range of graphical styles. The sequel added a huge number of enhancements and quality-of-life improvements that encourage creativity. Noteworthy additions include online multiplayer and a singleplayer story mode filled with dozens of Nintendo-designed levels.
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Super Mario Maker 2became a major sales success after its June 2019 release, ultimately claiming the #12 spot onthe 2019 list of most-downloaded Switch games. Nintendo sustained the game’s momentum by adding additional content over the next year, most notably the Master Sword power-up that turns Mario into Link. By January 2020, Nintendo reported that the game had sold over 5 million units worldwide.
The Mario fanbase is extremely creative whenfinding clever ways to reinventMariogameplay, butSuper Mario Maker 2takes it to a new level. 20 million uploads is a huge number, and suggests thatSuper Mario Maker 2captivated players outside the hardcore fanbase. Assuming that somewhere between 5 and 7 million Switch owners own the game, 20 million uploads would require an average of between 3 and 4 uploads per player. This doesn’t even include creations by players who lack Nintendo Switch Online memberships, who cannot upload their courses for others to try.
Mario Maker 2received rave reviews at launch. The originalSuper Mario MakerWii U game included a drawn-out tutorial that gradually unlocked components for players over the course of several real-life days.Super Mario Maker 2instead provides access to most course materials right away. Whether players want to try pre-made levels or make their own,Super Mario Maker 2lets players jump into the game.
Of course, some player-createdSuper Mario Maker 2courses are poorly-designed, or intentionally made to frustrate fellow players. Additionally, although Nintendo still releases special themed speed-run levels for the game (such as the upcoming 35th-anniversary course), the company stopped adding new course elements midway through 2020
. Now, the player base must find ways to creatively use what is already present, and this may eventually cause players to lose interest. Given that fellow Switch gameNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxealso offers side-scrolling action, fewer and fewer fans may contribute toSuper Mario Maker 2’s community over time.
