This game, together with its predecessor, evokes two very different feelings. In fact, almost the opposite. On the one hand, Nintendo managed to bring in really great games that offer a huge heap of entertaining content from which you can't just tear. On the other hand, it is necessary to realize the rather sad fact that they are probably the reason why Nintendo will no longer bring the continuation of Mario's 2D series. What for? In one game, the sequels have as much creativity as not only in their developers, but also in the gaming community around the world. All you have to do is bring new themes and gameplay elements, and players will do the rest.

The first Super Mario Maker was a really great title that brought a lot of fun, but if you happen to be little, he puts in your hands massive tools that make the game lose any boundaries. The amount of fun once became unlimited and every single player could entertain everyone else with his creations. Now there's Super Mario Maker 2 who wants to be bigger and better in everything. And actually not only wants, this game also is better and bigger. And different. The developers have taken reservations at the heart of the first part and tried to correct it. They brought a game in which virtually everyone can find something, whether you like to play, create, solve tasks and puzzles, or anything else.

Do you just want to enjoy the classic 2D Mario experience of the old (or even new) school, where you jump over obstacles, enemies on your heads, and ultimately defeat the dragon and save the princess? It is here. Though with many faces, but still in a well known and especially really catchy form. As part of Super Mario Maker 2, Nintendo has also prepared a new story mode that also makes sense in the game concept. The castle in Hribikov, iconic for this series, broke up in vain for a “minor accident”. Princess Peach and other well-known characters have nowhere to live. Only a known plumber can save the situation. So she puts on her overalls and goes into action.

Although the game has the word "maker" in the title, but in story mode, its story mode is not so much about building and creating, but primarily about playing. Toads need to build a ruined castle, for which they need gold, and coincidentally, Mario is the expert in their acquisition. There are about a hundred levels in front of you, prepared by Nintendo designers, who have to jump and fight to get coins and start repairing the castle from the floor to the flag on the tallest tower. Here and there, in addition, there is a special task where you have to rescue the kidnapped Toads and successfully bring them to their destination.

The levels have traditionally been processed to a very good standard and prove that this is still the area in which Nintendo is home. They are designed great, they can give you a clear solution, but also a real challenge. Their difficulty does not increase linearly, but even more challenging levels are mixed between easier. So you have a roller coaster in front of you. After a few challenging levels, they will come easier to “breathe”. Do you have any problems with that you can't go through? Then skip it. Story mode does not force you to go through each one, you will have enough coins even if you skip some. However, your playing heart will motivate you to overcome such levels and especially to overcome oneself.

And just as the difficulty alternates here, so do the game styles. 2D Mariovky have a really rich history and this whole game proudly refers to them. Overall, you will find five styles: Super Marios Bros., Super Mario Bros. Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. The Super Mario 3D World. Each style brings with it not only its own graphics reflecting the corresponding games it comes from, but also gameplay. If you know these classics, you know that they came with their own elements and mechanisms, and you can find it all here.

In addition to story mode, the “play” section also includes two other modes. Course World is actually the total hub of all content in the game outside the creative section. In Courses you will find created levels that are sorted into several categories (popular, news, top rated), but you can also search for levels here. Search by style, theme, difficulty, region, tags, and more. There is, of course, a search by ID level or its author. There are also tables, online gaming (cooperative and competitive, but only with random matchmaking), wirelessly networked up to four switches, but you can also find Endless Challenge mode. In it you go one level after another, collect points and move on.

Coursebot is not so much a mode as a level management interface. Whether the ones you created yourself or the ones you touched by other players. Here they are simply sorted so you can play them when you want them. If you happen to be interested in the creation of a player, you can download it here and you can play it offline. But there is one more way to play. Simply play a "menu". This is always the initial screen from some random level. You can click through to other items or start playing until you reach your destination. Practically you play instantly and do not solve anything. And it's a great idea to play straight in the menu.

But let's see what Super Mario Maker 2 is all about, and that's the creative part. If you haven't played the previous Super Mario Maker, or you don't dare to jump directly into making your own creations, don't worry. Yamamura's Dojo is a separate part of the game that offers a rich selection of diverse tutorials, so if you go through them all, you will learn the basic and advanced aspects of everything ahead of you. It's not just where to put the cube. This is just the basis - somewhere you place something and doing it there - it can be a land plateau, it can be an enemy, but also a power-up, or one of the other dozens of elements and if you learn their variations, hands you will get really huge possibilities. Even in the form of sound or visual effects you can use.

It's also about how to design a level that will have a head and a heel, be entertaining and players like to spend their time there. It does not have to be light, it does not have to be heavy, it must be good first. And these tutorials will give you some tips in this area of ​​level design to learn how to motivate players to go where you need to get them. You will also learn how to intelligently place hidden objects, how to use some systems to move levels (pipes, doors ...) and other things. I wrote it for the first game and I have to repeat it now - Super Mario Maker is a game design college where Nintendo itself has enormous qualities, but at the same time leaving enough room for you to excel. Do you want to develop your own games? First, check out if you can design fun levels.

The first game showed us, and since the two have not yet officially released, it is only a matter of time before the new game shows. With these options, you can create experiences that do not necessarily have to be 2D jumps. You can create a rhythmic game here, the unit even created a functional simple calculator. This proves that often your imagination is your limit.

However, if you get bored and you have already had several successful levels, you may start playing with what the game really does. There is really a lot, but you will eventually come across certain borders. There are no big mistakes to drag ratings down, but perhaps these are areas where authors should learn in the future. For example, it is possible to plan the movement of some elements, such as platforms, but you can no longer "script" the behavior of the enemy, which is a pity if you find yourself in a situation where you need to behave a little differently player character. Conversely, statistics help you create, such as the success of players in your level. Or the ability to accurately track motion so you can set the jumps as best as possible.

There are a few smaller things like this, and they are not really big restrictions. In the vast majority of cases, you will not even need something like this, and you will suffice with the playful of possibilities that the game has to offer. It is also understandable that you are not able to use multiple styles within one level - for example, to have a part in 8-bit style and a part in modern 3D World style. It is also understandable that in the 8-bit style you will not find some of the elements that the series got with later parts. For example, the power-up that turns Maria into a cat can only be found in the 3D World. I still find it a minor drawback that levels cannot be searched by name, but only by ID. Your friend with the Switch may not remember the level ID he created, but the name dictates you more easily if he wants you to try it.

It is interesting that you can create in a pair cooperatively on one console. Players don't have exactly the same creation privileges at the time, but it works very well and is just one example of how the game's authors have focused on offering as many multiplayer experiences as possible. You can create together, you can play together, you can also play against each other. But mainly you have fun together. The only pity is that such joint creation is limited to Joy-Cony. It would be better if players could create on whole controllers (what Pro Controllers).

There are few things to read Super Mario Maker 2. Usually it is just the little things that do not pull the game down, but keep it from the highest rating. Even without that, the possibilities of the game are huge. Practically, you have the power to create the 2D platformer you have always wanted. But you do not just do it for yourself, but also for millions of other players out there. They also make up for you. Nintendo has brought a quality platform that offers entertainment content for hours, but then it's up to you. The more you give the game, the more you get from it. And this is an equation that is especially beneficial for the more creative of you. Meanwhile, the only thing that hurts most is random online matchmaking. When authors add an online game with friends to the game, feel free to add at least half a point to the rating.