Game review: ‘Super Mario Maker’ a super fun creation tool all ages will enjoy
A screenshot from Super Mario Makers. (Handout/TNS)
Parents need to know that Super Mario Maker lets gamers create and share their own Super Mario games. (Common Sense Media/TNS)
Parents need to know that Super Mario Maker lets gamers create and share their own Super Mario games. Like the games they’re based on, this new title is a 2-D arcade game with platforming element. There isn’t any controversial content parents need to worry about; violence is limited to jumping on cartoonish enemies or throwing fireballs at creatures like man-eating plants. Players can use Amiibos for specific created effects, which can be purchased at retail or in online stores.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
As the name suggests, Super Mario Maker lets you design, create and share your very own Super Mario adventures with easy-to-use digital tools. There are 60-odd playable Nintendo levels, too, in case you don’t want to make your own games right out of the box. As with past and iconic two-dimensional Super Mario games, you’ll mostly run from the left side of the screen to the right, leap across platforms, break open power-ups, climb into pipes and jump on enemies to destroy them. Gamers can choose from past Super Mario games to start with as a template, and after they’ve designed their world, they can play it through, hand the controller to a friend or upload the level to an online community. You can, of course, download other creations, too.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Not only is this game fun and accessible, it lets you play a near-limitless number of Mario levels created by Nintendo and players from around the world. You, too, can try your hand at making Super Mario adventures to play and upload. The stylus and touch-screen in the Wii U GamePad controller works very well for adding backgrounds, enemies, environmental items, and other objects. You can mix and match some (but not all) elements between games, such as power-up from a newer Super Mario game added to the original 8-bit “Super Mario Bros.” Or you can tackle the 100 Mario Challenge mode that makes you play randomly selected levels made by other people. There are also secrets and other Easter eggs worth discovering. It’s not a perfect 10, but Super Mario Maker is an engaging and exciting package nonetheless.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 4 out of 5
Positive messages: 2 out of 5
Positive role models: 3 out of 5
Ease of play: 5 out of 5
Violence: 1 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Privacy and safety: 5 out of 5
Consumerism: 3 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
WHAT KIDS CAN LEARN
- Language and Reading
- Math
- Science
- Hobbies
- Thinking and Reasoning
- Creativity
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
GAME DETAILS
Platforms: Nintendo Wii U
Price: $59.99
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: Sept. 11
Genre: Action/Adventure
