When I think back on my birth as a gamer, I have clear pictures of Atari games (yes, even “E.T.”), flashing arcade lights, early PC and handheld games where the “man” you were controlling was basically a block with more blocks attached. These were formative experiences, surely. But if you asked me when I first saw where video gaming could go (especially in the home space), when the present seemed wonderful beyond expectation and the future possibilities began to truly stretch beyond my comprehension, I’d be hard-pressed to say anything other than “Nintendo”. And that begins with “Super Mario Bros.”
It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed since the arrival of our humble princess-saving plumber. Equally hard to believe how well each entry in the series still holds up all of these years later. They are unquestionable gaming masterpieces and Mario’s status as a pop-culture icon is well-deserved. And now, along comes “Super Mario Maker”, an invitation to Mario’s legion of fans to mimic the greatness of Miyamoto and Co….or at least use their toolset to create something fairly cool.
Kotaku’s review of the game said that it “feels like a game that should not exist”, and I think that’s dead on. When I was a kid, Mario was something stunning. Especially coming after Atari, it was next-level Harry Potter wizardry. The graphics, the level design, the music…who doesn’t still know every note of the theme for World 1-1, if not every step of the level? It had character, it had secrets. It had frigging warp zones!! Who had warp zones back then?? And now, with “Super Mario Maker”, I can attempt to recreate that magic with a drag and drop toolset? I can determine where that pipe leads or where the enemies drop in? I can determine what’s in the question blocks or hiding just above the screen? I can determine whether a level is soul-crushingly difficult or a jumping, speed-running breeze? How is this possible?
“Super Mario Maker” as a product exists on two levels – the ability to create and the ability to play. Even the menu screen’s two start buttons clearly delineate between the two options. Whether the game is for you, frankly, depends on what your interest is in both areas as well as what you are willing to tolerate from both.
On the creation side, the game starts off with a fairly limited toolset. New sets can be earned by creating for 5 minutes or more every day with the tools you have. This triggers a delivery for the next day like the “Castle Set” or the “Super Mario 3” set. On the one hand, I understand not overwhelming players with tools at the start and forcing them to work on basic design elements before progressing to the next level. On the other hand, it’s a bit frustrating and constraining to see ideas and items in other people’s levels and not be able to implement them in your own or even have a concrete idea of when you will be able to do so. There’s no question that my first few levels are not very good – partly because I was still stretching my legs creatively but also partly because I didn’t have much to work with.
Having said that, the ease with which you can create and edit levels, the joy of dropping in a Goomba or a rotating fire stick or even Mario’s nemesis Bowser, the triumph of completing and playing your own level…even if it’s not a particularly good one!…is something special and empowering in a way nothing else quite matches. The toolset is far easier to use than something like “Little Big Planet” thanks mostly to the need to only think in two dimensions and the positioning of familiar elements gives makers an immediate frame of reference for their best laid plans. There are also some unexpected and pleasant surprises buried within the familiar – fireworks, crazy sound effects, even the ability to give Mario a new character skin like Donkey Kong or Sonic (my favorite so far was watching my son finish a level as Inkling Boy from “Splatoon” only to hear the “Stage Cleared” music from “Splatoon” play instead of the usual Mario theme. Nice touch.) This is all especially wonderful if you don’t particularly care about anything other than your own satisfaction with your creations. If you do, however, there are a few snags.
“Super Mario Maker” seems to work completely around a star system to rate levels, and the most popular levels are the most visible and the most played. This, of course, leads to a positive feedback loop where the rich usually get richer at the expense of other levels’ visibility. It also seems that certain level types are favored over the more traditional. Currently, there are plenty of “push right to win” automatic levels or fun gimmicky levels that challenge you not to jump or to stay small the entire time and that’s great. I enjoy them too. But with so many levels out there, there doesn’t seem to be much incentive for a player to stick with a more challenging level (leading to low clear rates) or play a level that seems more traditional, no matter how polished it may be (leading to low visibility). As an amateur creator, I don’t see a clear avenue at this point to make something that can be easily found, played, and rated or – most importantly – receive feedback for improvement outside of some fan-made communities online (tip of the cap to everyone in the IGN NVC Mario Maker Level Share Facebook group!). Again, how badly do you want to be known as the next Miyamoto?
The playing side of the equation is another mixed bag. Can you appreciate playing a level, warts and all, and smile at the cleverness, the ambition, the enthusiasm of a fellow Mario fan, or does it have to be a Miyamoto masterpiece? Can you forgive someone for making their level too hard, or too busy, or too long, or will you rage quit every time you die and immediately jump to the next one? It’s true that most of the stages that exist now aren’t particularly polished but I think there’s a certain beauty to that. I’m excited when someone makes a “Captain Toad” themed level or one where a mushroom follows me through the stage on its own parallel path (both real actual levels) and I’m not focusing on whether a jump should be slightly longer or an enemy placement is a bit annoying. Just like everyone else, I’m definitely searching for hidden gems. I’m just expecting to find a lot of flawed ones in the process. The question is one of tolerance: If you walk into an art class, are you upset that it’s not the Louvre or are you inspired by the raw creativity on display, the passion for the form, the fearless stretching for new heights? As time goes on, the issues will either smooth themselves out leading to more variety and better design or become a lasting drag on the game. For now, it’s an understandable quirk of the process.
The bottom line is this: “Super Mario Maker” is something the nine-year old me would never have dreamed possible and it feels like a wonderful celebration of everything that Mario and Nintendo have meant to legions of gamers over the last 30 years. So what if the levels aren’t perfect? If the opportunity to create your own Mario game and explore the countless creations of others is not exciting to you, the game is probably not for you. If you demand polished, tightly focused gaming experiences, the game is probably not for you. If you’re not willing to be part of a gaming community – and all the benefits and problems that come with it – the game is probably not for you. But for all the rest of you?
It’s Mario. That you can make. On your own. And then play. And share with others.
Your Mario.
And, just like Mario was 30 years ago, it’s is an unexpected and wonderful gift.
What are you waiting for, fellow Maker?
Old-School Kid Stuff 