I've said it before, and I'll say it again - When I really love a game/book/tv series, I will come up with ideas to improve it, or expand on it in a sequel. This is true of Super Mario Maker and not just for me; there are countless social media postings on the subject. In the case of Mario Maker, Nintendo has teased about forthcoming Downloadable Content to be released at some undisclosed time. This really stirred the pot, and now we all have our suggestions or demands for what we would like to see added to Mario Maker.
I've managed to boil my requests down to three. It seems clear to me that the things I want most in any downloadable content are the following: a checkpoint, some system of alternate goal, be it 5 yoshi coins to collect or the key/keyhole from Super Mario World, and lastly, the ability to make an overworld map, populated with your custom levels.
Currently, the replay value of a given level seems to be localized in the 'tough to beat' genre and nothing else. This creates a schism among gamers. For my part, I will spend a few lives to beat a level, but a good amount of the time, I will just give up and skip the level (which Mario Maker generously lets you do). Mostly because I get tired of repeating the same motions over and again.
This
problem could be easily fixed with the inclusion of a checkpoint. The
'expert' level of difficulty would lose some of it's obnoxious
frustration and preserve the thrill of the challenge, if we weren't
forced to execute it from start to finish every time, but could pick up
at a half-way point.
I only want challenge if it
increases my fun. Otherwise it will severely hamper the replay value.
Why play a level over and again when I can just move on to one of the
thousands of other available levels to play? A billion facebook commenters agree.
Another way to add challenge that isn't a brick-to-the-face is by having alternate goals. Playing levels just to get to the end isn't so interesting, but if there is more than one way to complete it, it increases replay value. Super Mario World, for example, featured Yoshi coins to collect and also key-hole challenges. Some levels could be beaten two different ways, usually one was quite trickier than the other, and would make a different path on the overworld map.
Another way to add challenge that isn't a brick-to-the-face is by having alternate goals. Playing levels just to get to the end isn't so interesting, but if there is more than one way to complete it, it increases replay value. Super Mario World, for example, featured Yoshi coins to collect and also key-hole challenges. Some levels could be beaten two different ways, usually one was quite trickier than the other, and would make a different path on the overworld map.
Many users complain endlessly about items and monsters that were not included in Super Mario Maker. I
am much less interested in increasing the item set, which I think is
still pretty exhaustive. Chargin' Chuck is cool and all, and I'm sure
the Ice Flower from New Super Mario is as well. But I think that the
game elements I've mentioned would do more to improve the overall
experience than any new item or enemy could.
The great news is that Mario Maker has provided a medium for creative expression for thousands of people. Forgive us Nintendo if we forget our 'Thank you' in exchange for a demand for more.
-D
P.S. 4th thing not included above, but it can't be said enough: Mario Maker should be available on the 3DS in some form. I can't say this enough times.
The great news is that Mario Maker has provided a medium for creative expression for thousands of people. Forgive us Nintendo if we forget our 'Thank you' in exchange for a demand for more.
-D
P.S. 4th thing not included above, but it can't be said enough: Mario Maker should be available on the 3DS in some form. I can't say this enough times.
I was wondering about the uber-hard difficulty levels and how you play them. I realize that they are somewhat born out of the "Super Meat Boy" type of play, but with that game, you have an infinite amount of lives whereas in the traditional Mario Bros. game you have a limited number of lives. So when you play other people's levels, do you have a set number of lives?
ReplyDeleteI also agree that a Super Mario Maker on the 3DS would be very well received, even a limited version that only included the NES Mario games (although I know that the 3DS could handle the N64 Mario's as well. Hopefully they're just waiting until the end of the year to get a better idea for how well the game does on the WiiU before possibly porting it over. Or (hopefully not) Nintendo's hoping that interest in the game will incite people to buy the system by keeping it out of the 3DS library; but that's just me being a grumpy cynic.
There are two ways to play other creator's levels. One is to enter the 12 digit code that is assigned to any level. I usually get these from different internet groups where people post their levels. The other way is called the '100 mario challenge.'
ReplyDeleteThe 100 Mario Challenge comes in easy, medium and expert modes, and it is randomly curated with 12-16 levels that have somehow or another been evaluated as one of those three difficulty levels. I think it's based on how many attempts it takes the average player to beat, but I don't know how that works for brand new levels that haven't been played much.
My experience of the difficulty settings is that easy is super-easy. A lot of the 'auto-play' levels end up here. These are levels that are designed as 'rollercoasters' where you do nothing and watch mario bounce around on springs and ride elevators and such. They were cool for a bit, but are mostly boring. I always complete the 12 levels with no trouble at all.
The medium setting is pretty balanced. Some levels are tough, some are easy. Usually I get through all 16 levels with no trouble, but I have been cut down to 50 marios before.
Expert mode I have not yet beaten. I lose all 100 marios and usually beat like 3 or 4 stages. The worst part is that sometimes I spend 10 marios trying to get through the first half of a stage, and hten it turns out the second half is even harder. Some people claim they can beat expert mode, but I can't even get close.
You can skip a level at any time by swiping the screen. Unfortunately, on expert mode usually a level just as hard is waiting for you. There is definitely a lot of super meat boy influence, especially since new super mario bros introduced a wall jump. New SMB originally came out on the DS, btw, so I know 3ds can handle it.
Meat boy has much tighter controls on top of infinite lives. And a quicker restart.
I read an article that said that Mario Maker doubled Wii U sales in the first month it was out, so I definitely think Nintendo will ride this for a while. I really do hope they release a 3DS version eventually and I think they will. Because it is a living community, Mario Maker should be viable for years. I'm guessing by this time next year we have some sort of announcement about 3DS plans.