Super Mario Maker Update Adds New Features
Update: We contacted Nintendo regarding the date discrepancy on the press release versus the date in the videos. The videos list a December 22 update, but Nintendo confirmed that the update will in fact be available on December 21.
On December 21 a free update will be made available to owners of Super Mario Maker. It will contain brand new never-before-seen items to make a wider range of courses. It also adds the Bookmark Web Portal to make it even easier to locate the perfect levels to play.
The Fire Koopa Clown Car shoots fireballs and has a powerful charged shot that can destroy bricks. Nintendo suggests this new item will be great for creating shoot’em-up levels.
P Warp Doors allow players to create doors that are only visible while a P Switch is active. This has been showcased before via the mainline Mario games, especially in Ghost House levels. Now you’ll be able to create your own ghastly mazes.
The Bumper is a new bouncy item that can be placed freely in courses. It resembles a yellow inner tube with a pair of eyes. Mario can bounce to new heights by littering your levels with this new contraption.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Super Mario Maker Bookmark. This new portal site can be accessed from any device connected to the Internet. A set of filters is available to sort the levels by region, difficulty, theme, and style. A set of tags can be perused to find the exact type of level you’re looking for. Players can then bookmark a level to play later and it will show up in the game. These same features should be available in game via the Course World if you’d rather procure your levels that way.
All of these new features sound great, and add to an already impressive package that is extremely fun to play. Think of all of those people receiving Super Mario Maker as a Christmas present and from the get-go they get all of the additional content updates plus over 3 million courses to play. It’s a Mario fan’s dream come true.
The courses in Super Mario Maker are about to get even more interesting – and a lot easier to find. A free Dec. 21 update will deliver a new set of never-before-seen items for players to use as they create courses in the Wii U game. On the same day, Nintendo launches a Web portal called Super Mario Maker Bookmark that lets players search for courses to play by using their computer, tablet or smartphone.
“Players have already created and shared a huge number of courses, and now it will be easier and more fun than ever for players to create and find levels they will love to play,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Combining classic Mario game play with the creative fun of making and sharing levels, Super Mario Maker is a perfect experience for the holidays.”
New features coming to the game include:
- Fire Koopa Clown Car: This volcanic vessel is capable of shooting fireballs as well as a powerful charged shot that can even destroy Blocks. It’s perfect for creating shoot-’em-up-style courses.
- P Warp Doors: Unlike regular Warp Doors, these are only visible while a P Switch is active – perfect for creating truly devious Ghost House courses.
- Bumper: This bouncy donut-shaped object sends Mario bounding away when touched.
- World Records: Now pages will display the World Record for each course uploaded, displaying the fastest clear time.
- Super Mario Maker Bookmark: Levels that players have bookmarked to play later using the Web portal will be accessible from the Course World tab.
Players can access the Super Mario Maker Bookmark portal site from their computer, tablet or smartphone, using their Nintendo Network ID to log in. The portal will let players browse recommended courses or search for courses with filters like difficulty, game theme or course style. Players can also search using a selection of tags, making it easier to find courses that fall into a specific category such as automatic, puzzle or music. Appealing levels can then be bookmarked for instant access the next time players fire up the game. These comprehensive options are also accessible on Wii U via the Course World in Super Mario Maker, allowing players to find a course and hit the Play Now button to jump straight into the action. A link to the new portal site will be available on the game’s website when it launches.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
