Video: Super Mario Maker Contains Secret Fly Swatting Mini Game

Nintendo does love their semi-obscure references.

Can't wait to get this game.

Man, ready for this game to get here1

I wonder what the numbers would be like for Wii U if Splatoon and Mario Maker came out in 2013.

That was my favorite part of Mario paint.

Well thank you very much for the spoiler. Could have at least posted a "Warning: Spoiler" right before the title. Yes, sorry but I'm serious.

The video's now private. Have you broken an embargo, NL? Tsk tsk!

I have Mario paint still......

a big f*ck you for spoiling this.

Why is the video private?

I personally don't think it's "arguably the ultimate 2D Mario experience" (certainly not as a proper, fully-featured, Mario platform game); It's just a really cool 2D Super Mario level editor, with some slightly random and slightly gimmicky stuff thrown in for good measure.

Here's just some of things you can't do in Super Mario Maker that you can do in proper Mario platform games:

Have sloped surfaces (so no sliding down them just for fun, and no slightly more organic level designs either): https://youtu.be/R_KycP25oP8?t=178
Have proper vertical levels: https://youtu.be/R_KycP25oP8?t=6891
Have levels that wrap the screen (so when you go off one side you appear on the other): https://youtu.be/R_KycP25oP8?t=6891
Have levels that start at the right and make you go left: https://youtu.be/5QbpqC7Ku3o?t=1809
Have a proper map screen: http://www.next-gamer.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Super-Mario-World-Karte.jpg
Have proper story based intros, intermissions, and end sequences: https://youtu.be/5QbpqC7Ku3o
Have proper boss battles (more than just Bowser at the end of the level): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnrC7LqI4XQ
Have items and power-ups carry over from one level to the next (which can lead to some pretty cool secrets, possibly only accessible by using an item you gained in another level).

Let's not forget or underestimate all the things that make the very best Mario platform games so special. Without all those things, they'd just be a bunch of disjointed levels (fun levels, but just levels and little else), and imo, that's like Mario without any of the heart and soul.

Super Mario Maker is awesome, for what it is, but in terms of being a pure, truly satisfying platform game, it's still not able to give you the kinds of truly magical levels that you could find in the likes of SMB3, SMW, and Yoshi's Island, and apart from the 10/100 Mario challenges, it's still a bunch of separate levels, with no real flow or sense of progression towards some ultimate end goal, which imo is actually an important element in these games. It's like having some pieces of a wonderful jigsaw, and each piece is a work of art in its own right, but unless you can actually put all the pieces together the full picture is always going to be incomplete.

I'm still gonna have fun building some levels though, as well as playing a bunch of the user created levels too.

@AyeHaley @Daemonite I wish it was possible to Upvote a comment

Well its a secret to everybody now

@Gerbwmu Not much better I wouldn't think. The Wii U wasn't that super leap forward in hardware the public were looking for. Plus the marketing of the console was just bad.

Does anyone know if you can use splatoon amiibos in Mario Maker?

@Kirk If you want that kinda stuff go play the fan made SMBX. It has a pretty good level editor with almost all of those features and its pretty easy to use.

So many hours wasted trying to kill that stupid boss in Mario Paint. Probably so many hours wasted killing that boss here....

@Kirk
Wow, I really have to thank you for your post. I learned a lot I didn't know. Wow, that kinda sucks you can't make sloped surfaces or have intros/outros or bosses. And to an extent vertical levels. I wanted to actually craft a game, but I guess it'll just be straight levels.

Don't get me wrong- it's still crazy awesome as you said, but these features would have REALLY turned it up to 11.

I was given Mario Paint when I was a kid, it was pretty cool, and that game was silly but fun and challenging.

Is it true that you can't make slopes and vertical levels? That's very disappointing.

@Kirk Well obviously, because Nintendo would be really dumb to replace all Mario games with Mario Maker. That was never the intention and no one ever stated that it should be.
So I don't really get what made you list all those differences.

I could just as well list all the things that every single 2D Mario can't do in comparison with Mario Maker (which in fact introduces things that weren't possible in any 2D Mario game), but I'll just name these two to prove my point (which is: neither MM nor all the Mario games can replace each other) creating your own levels and combining objects like they were never used before e.g. enemies in boxes. Also, this leads to levels that were never possible in the 2D Mario games.

Still I think @AlexOlney was totally right to call it "the ultimate 2D Mario experience", because this game puts the things that make Mario games so special into your own hands. And that's what makes it "ultimate" in the original meaning of the word (look it up if you don't know it): being the last and most advanced form of something (I don't see any reason why Nintendo should release a new 2D Mario game ever again).

With so many Mario Paint references, I still can't get over the lack of a true music composer. But oh well; this is gonna suck up so much of my free time either way.

@Kirk
If you recall, the first Super Mario Bros. had none of what you are talking about. So to say that it's missing out on those features is incorrect. This MarioMaker is a game to create levels based upon the first Super Mario Bros. so it IS a full mario maker. You can however play with updated graphics, but if you put in the new things like you said it would be incompatible with the older graphic styles as new animations/sprites would be required. It would be like trying to create a Legend of Zelda maker by using Skyward Sword as a baseline. If they were to create one they would most likely use the original Legend of Zelda 2D style and make it 3D from there.

So, overall this DOES have everything of what made the first mario game special plus a little more. It might not have all the features after that game that made the other games special, but it has features that make MarioMaker itself stand out.

I'd like to see those extra features in later updates if possible, but what they've created is something in itself magical.

@SanderEvers Really? In my opinion they already have made enough 2D Mario games since 2006. And now that Mario Maker is coming, I really don't know what they could add to keep it fresh. Adding new power ups etc. just doesn't do it.
Anyway, I want Nintendo to concentrate on (real, not pseudo like Mario World 3D) 3D Mario games again, because while the 2D games can be a tough challenge, it's the 3D Mario's that really were able to add someting new and most importantly, offered much more to explore. Exploring vast 3D levels is just so much more fun than running from one side to the other while avoiding obstacles.

@ricklongo Even at this stage, don't rule it out (unless, of course it's already been confirmed by Nintendo there isn't a music maker!)

I actually got to play Mario Maker today...

https://youtu.be/OLN7ibIY3tw?

@SanderEvers @shani
Actually, this game, in a way, opens up Nintendo to break away from the path it has been on with 2D Mario games and get a bit radical. I'm guessing it has inspired some excitement from the developers. The "New" branding should now stop, in my opinion. Time for something different and to suggest there is nothing left to do seems very short-sighted to me.

Just think of how different Super Mario Bros. 2 for the US was and how well it was received. Or Super Mario Land or how Super Mario World lovers really haven't gotten an overworld as fun since then.

Sucks that it's apparently a random occurrence. Still a cool little reference, though.

@Cestius Tried it, but the one thing Nintendo does do and has done, better than all those fan made editors, is the pure ease of use and intuitiveness in all its games, and certainly in Super Mario Maker. If the homebrew guys could learn that aspect from Nintendo, then they really could have something truly special—and visa-versa with Nintendo learning a thing or two from the homebrew scene.

This is a great little easter egg. It's always fantastic to see them put minor secretive things in games that not every player will discover.

@JaxonH Well, at least this is a good reason for why we can be assured Nintendo will still be able to give us all new Super Mario games in the future, which still manage to surpass basically anything the community will be able to do with Super Mario Maker. Although, having said that, the guys making some of these levels in SMM are sometimes just on another level in terms of creativity. So, they might come up with some levels that match, and in some ways even surpass, Nintendo's own first party developed levels. Nintendo will however, always have the edge when it comes to making proper, full Super Mario platformers, due to it having a far larger canvas to work with in the first place.

Part of me thinks Nintendo did that very deliberatly lol

@shani "So I don't really get what made you list all those differences."

Just the fact that I've now read a few people make statements like "This could be the definitive Super Mario experience", and other stuff along those lines, and I just want to make sure people aren't falling into the potential trap of underestimating just how much more goes on in the full Mario platform games than what we are getting our hands on in Super Mario Maker. Take away all the gimmicky stuff, and SMM isn't going to let you build a Mario game that's quite up there with what Nintendo can do. It is, however, going to allow for some awesome self-contained levels, that fall somewhere in between what you could do in Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World, for the most part.

I just don't want to see the start of a social media trend, or whatever it might be, where certain readers of video games sites maybe begin undervalue just how good the actual proper Mario games are. Like how some people are already saying that Nintendo pretty much never has to make another 2D Mario game, now that we have SMM, which imo shows just how people are already starting to undervalue just what Nintendo has achieved, and can still achieve, with the proper Super Mario games. That would be doing those games a great injustice.

Games ("experiences") like SMB3, SMW, and Yoshi's Island, in their entirety, are basically far beyond anything you will likely experience in playing a bunch of fan made levels in Super Mario Maker.

So, let's not forget just how truly stunning those games are, and flippantly label SMM like it's the greatest Super Mario game ever made or whatever. It is one of the greatest Super Mario LEVEL EDITORS ever made.

@SanderEvers Yeah, I hope to see plenty more brand new 2D Mario games from Nintendo in the future. Although, after Super Mario Maker, I kinda would expect to have at least a basic level editor in every one of those new 2D Mario games going forward. In much the same way I expect to see characters outside of the Mario universe in every future Mario Kart game too. Once something has been done in a particular franchise, and done well, it always feels wrong if new games in the series basically take a step back. So, yeah, level editors in all new 2D Mario games from now on, Nintendo, please.

@MrGuinea I would say Super Mario Maker is actually going for a mix between Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros Wii U, obviously (based on the skins and the changes in certain elements that are unique to each skin, such as the controls and physics), but in general it sways more towards the original Super Mario Bros, especially in the level structure (where every level is basically left to right, with no slopes, and whatever other limitations), with a few bells and whistles.

Yeah, I agree, it's def magical, and I think a lot of people are going to have a lot of fun with the game. I know I am going to have a lot of fun with it, but I could never consider it as like a permanent replacement for any new 2D Mario games.

I knew it!

Kirk the wet blanket lol

@gamekill Same thoughts here.

As an idea and feedback for NL: There are already many tags used for news, like "rumour", "video" and so on, why not add another label called "spoiler" or something like that? You could use that in cases where you know something about a game that Nintendo (or another company) hasn't officially announced themselves, or if something is supposed to be for example a (secret) unlockable in a game. While reporting that kind of stuff (and labeling it properly), you should also remember not to reveal the content of the secret within the title of the article or the picture that goes with it. I am not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that there was a Sm4sh news article where I thought of the same thing, maybe something where you revealed a new character ahead of time. I like to read and get my news from Nintendo Life, but I don't want the surprise element of certain aspects of games get spoiled for me while doing so. Thank you. In any case, your site is still awesome!

@Kirk @JaxonH Taking LBP as a comparison, the first game was really a basic "level editor", it wasn't until the 2nd game where you could easily make cut scenes and tie levels together into whole games. And there were updates along the way as well, like Move support, and Vita support, and of course my favorite the infinite lives check point.

So considering this is Nintendo first real level editor - I've never been impressed with the stage editors in SSB - I think this is a really nice beginning. I still think it's only worth $40, but the book seems nice. Maybe on NX we can get a Mario Kart editor on part with MNR, that thing was awesome. I really like world mod ding like in Project Spark.

So I'm going to go against type and be happy with what is in there - sharing, multiple stages, multiple worlds, multiple graphical views. Though if I was going to harp it would be on single player. I think the making makes sense for 1 player, but we need st least 2 player patched in for playing. Maybe NSMM2.

@NintyMan They won't really do a fine job recreating music in my opinion, because they're not independent of gameplay itself. What I (and other musically-inclined folk) want is a way to create new tunes that work independently from whether the player is moving Mario accordingly or not.

Yeesh, all you complainers need to shut up! Play it or don't, who cares. And if you think something like this is a spoiler... you should probably stay off the internet.

@AlexOlney @AyeHaley @gamekill to put a spoiler alert on the article header would take little time and annoy no-one at all. It would prevent people from seeing unwanted information. The alternative is people avoid websites altogether if they are scared of things like this or data miners revealing ssb reveals early.....

@business-scrub There's plenty of article writers that are considerate and avoid spoiling nice surprises with little effort on their part. The game looks awesome and it would be a very nice surprise to find that easter egg while exploring it. The Internet itself is not a problem. It is a free open communication channel. If a writer or a website wants to keep a strong number of readers, he/it should avoid making these little seemingly harmless mistakes. Afterall there's always a 2nd-place runner trying real hard to be #1.

@gamekill Okay, that's fine if all their readers are like you and want to avoid any tiny piece of information about an upcoming game; people like me, on the other hand, are interested to find these things out before the game is released. The surprise of finding it in-game might be a nice little treat but, at least for me, knowing it's in there just makes me want this game even more and I hardly feel like anything was "spoiled" for me.

You're exactly right, the internet is not a problem, it's the people who think every little bit of information is a spoiler and should be censored or not written about at all. As a "free open communication channel," don't you think the writer/website should have every right to report on this? Maybe they could've put a spoiler warning but then where do you draw the line? That's a slippery slope and soon every little bit of new information would need a spoiler warning like: "Spoilers: Zelda U will feature archery mini-game."

Sorry, I'm on a bit of a rant here but I don't think NL or the writer did anything wrong here. If anyone really has that much of a problem with it, then please go find one of these other sites that should have "a strong number of readers" that don't spoil anything about upcoming games, and enjoy reading the release date and looking at the box art over and over again.

@Kirk Yoshi's island isn't mario its yoshi...

@Uberchu Well it's still SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: Yoshi's Island, and Mario is still in it, even if it's only as a baby.

(Ya know)

So, I say it counts.

@rjejr Yeah, what's there is still totally awesome, obviously, but you know what I'd love to see next . . . a proper, fully fledged, brand new 2D/2.5D Super Mario game, with this kind of level editor included too. Oh yeah!

I, kinda, actually expect to see a level editor included in all new 2D/2.5D Super Mario platformers from now on, to be honest.

I'm mostly sure Nintendo won't give me that, but that's what I want.

@business-scrub Well I agree it's a bit tricky, but there's some ways to help the decision. For example: if it is an announced feature of the game, or if it is stated in the game's instructions, or in the selling points, or even in-game tutorials, it would not really be considered a secret, or an easter egg, or a treat, or a surprise. If it is tricky to find out about, like if it is something the casual or average player would not notice, it might be considered an easter egg or a nice surprise reward the devs intended to gift dedicated players with. I'm not arguing and again, yes I agree it is tricky. Another way to tell: if more than enough people complain about it being a spoiler, it could be considered one. Because it does feel like one. Oh well. That's why I avoid movie trailers altogether, when I already know I am going to watch said movie.

@Kirk I don't really like 2D, or 2 1/2D for that matter, give me Galaxy 3 or Sunshine 2. I have to admit though the 2D genre probably better opens itself up for a level editor than a 2D one. The 2 Galaxy games are so epic, I'd much rather they focus on a 3rd similar game than producing a level editor. SM3DW wasn't bad, but it lacked something.

I do wish SMM had a "game" in it though. Not much, just an opening cut scene, then 4 levels each in 4 worlds to play thru, like Sonic Generations where the different Mario meet up w/ each other and have to travel thru warp pipes to the next world. I like stories in my games, even lame - Bowser captures Princess Peach now we have to rescue her ones. We just bought Mario and Sonic at the Sochi Olympics yesterday and even that has a sort of story line, battling against ourselves in linear progression. And Super Mario Sluggers had practically a full RPG. Rather than that stupid 24 hour wait, we could play thru each level/world then unlock the next one when we get to it. That's makes a whole lot more sense to me.

@rjejr Well, to be clear, I still expect a brand new, full 3D Mario platformer too.

Nintendo has put itself in a position where it basically now has to forever continue both the 2D/2.5D line and the full 3D line of Mario platformers, or it's going to p*ss someone off majorly.

@gamekill Fair enough, that all makes sense to me. I just don't feel like anything was spoiled for me, and maybe I'm just taking the word "spoilers" too literally but I personally think it's something that ruins or lessens the experience of the game/movie/whatever. This didn't do that for me and I have a hard time believing this is going to ruin the game for anyone, but I guess it could lessen the excitement of finding it in-game for some people. Some other people seem genuinely offended and that just seems a bit ridiculous to me.

@Kirk Don't forget Paper Mario. Or RPG Mario. Or kart. Or tennis. Or golf. Or Vs. Sonic every 2 years at the Olympics. Sluggers and Strikers seem to have died on the vine.

@rjejr Them too.

N: "You can make your own Mario levels!"
Me: "Meh..."
N: "Okay, you can play the fly swatting game from Mario Paint..."
Me: "I'll take ten!"