Super Mario Maker 2

Nintendo EAD

Nintendo Switchpremium

Health Score

GOOD

Official Website Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

Super Mario Maker 2 is a fantastic creative toolkit and platformer, letting players design and share endless Mario levels or play countless others. Its focus on user-generated content offers immense replayability and problem-solving opportunities, though some online levels can be frustratingly difficult. A great choice for families seeking creativity with minimal social risks.

Super Review

Parent verdict

Super Mario Maker 2 earns its 'Good' rating by delivering an unparalleled creative experience within the beloved Mario universe. It's best suited for families who value fostering design skills and enjoy tackling creative challenges, offering a robust platform for players to express themselves or simply enjoy an endless stream of varied platforming. The primary trade-off is navigating potentially difficult or unpolished user-made content, but the overall package provides engaging, long-lasting fun with low inherent risks.

What players actually do

Players combine classic Mario elements like blocks, enemies, and power-ups to construct unique 2D platforming levels, exercising design thinking and problem-solving skills.
Players upload and share their created levels online, and download and play levels made by others, engaging with a vast community of creators and challenging their platforming abilities.
Players complete short, objective-based challenges in Story Mode, learning various level design techniques and engaging in structured gameplay outside of the creative tools.

Where it shines

The game provides an incredible outlet for creativity, giving players powerful, easy-to-use tools to build, test, and refine their own Mario levels using elements from multiple game styles.
An endless supply of user-generated content means players will always have new levels to explore, ranging from straightforward platforming to intricate puzzles, ensuring high replayability.

Parent watch-outs

Some user-created levels can be intentionally difficult, frustrating, or even 'trollish,' requiring patience to find enjoyable content and potentially leading to player frustration.
Online features, including browsing and uploading levels, require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which involves a separate purchase and parental setup for account management.

Family rules worth setting

Set a time limit for playing user-created levels, especially if players are frequently encountering frustrating content, and encourage them to switch to creation mode or Story Mode.
Establish guidelines for level creation, encouraging thoughtful design and positive interactions through level titles and comments rather than overly difficult or negative content.

Talk about this

Discuss the difference between well-designed and poorly designed levels, prompting players to consider what makes a game fun, fair, and engaging for others.
Talk about online etiquette: how to give constructive feedback on levels, how to handle encountering frustrating or unpolished content, and the value of sharing creativity responsibly.

Play style

Super Mario Maker 2 offers a flexible play rhythm, allowing for short bursts of playing user levels or longer sessions dedicated to complex level design. Difficulty is player-driven, ranging from casual to extremely challenging based on chosen levels. It supports solo play for creation and Story Mode, with online level sharing providing a broad, asynchronous social experience. Younger players, especially those new to level design, may benefit from parental guidance in understanding the tools and navigating the online browser to find suitable content.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

3/5

Creativity

5/5

Pro-Social

1/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

0/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

0/5

Social Risk

1/5

Content Intensity

1/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

3/5

Super Mario Maker 2 encourages fundamental design thinking and problem-solving as players conceptualize, build, and test their own levels. The iterative process of creation and refinement provides clear educational benefits, earning a score of 3.

Creativity

5/5

The game’s core is built entirely around creative expression, giving players extensive tools to craft virtually any 2D Mario level imaginable. Its emphasis on personal creation and sharing makes it a standout title for fostering creativity, warranting a perfect score of 5.

Addictive Monetization

0/5

As a premium game, Super Mario Maker 2 has no in-game purchases, loot boxes, or other monetization strategies designed to encourage spending. The business model is straightforward, resulting in a low risk score of 0.

Social Risk

1/5

Online interactions are limited to level titles, comments, and playing user-generated content, with no direct chat. The moderation of shared content minimizes significant social risks, resulting in a low score of 1.