We absolutely adore Super Mario Maker here at Nintendo Life, but as polished and wonderful as the level creating experience can be there is always room for a little improvement. Nintendo isn't resting on its laurels and a software update has been announced which will add a few requested changes from players, along with some other goodies too.
The most exciting of these updates is the addition of mid-level checkpoints, which many Super Mario Maker fans we know have been eagerly hoping for. Users now have the option to add flags to their levels, allowing players to start at the selected point if they lose a life – rather than having to start over at the beginning of the level. Players can choose to edit and re-upload their own levels, or create new levels from scratch using this feature. Shaking an arrow sign item from the course parts palette will allow you to place a checkpoint flag.
Another neat change will allow players to insert power-ups that are dependent on Mario's status. By attaching a Super Mushroom to a Fire Flower and placing it inside a block, Mario will receive the Super Mushroom when he is small and the Fire Flower when he is large.
The software update also introduces Event Courses in the game's Course World online hub; this is where external business partners of Nintendo get involved. One of the first Event Courses will be "Ship Love," the winning level from the "hackathon" event that was held at Facebook's headquarters earlier this year. That hackathon was quite high profile in the run-up to the game's launch, so it's no surprise that it's getting first dibs in this feature.
The level that was featured in the final round of the Omegathon event at this year's Penny Arcade Expo event will also be available for players to try out shortly after the update goes live. New Event Courses will be added to the listing on an ongoing basis, some of which will apparently feature new Mystery Mushroom transformations. Additionally, a new Official Makers section in Course World will be added after downloading the update, featuring specially selected courses including some from Nintendo staffers.
The software update will be made available on 4th November in North America and 5th November in Europe, and you can see a neat video summarising all of this below. As always, let us know what you think in the comments below. What features would you like to see Nintendo implement in future updates to Super Mario Maker?
Comments 127
I'm still holding out hope for the Frog, Tanooki, and Hammer Bros. Costumes. Also the ability to store a powerup when collecting a new one, SMW-style.
YES. Some of my levels are long and tough. I've wanted checkpoints to encourage people to play them more.
With all these amazing updates even less people will play my levels.
Sweet.
Glad to see some sort of update for the game. Hope there's plenty more planned. Checkpoint flags are definitely a nice addition.
This is fantastic news! And I'm so glad they're not putting these features behind a paywall. I don't mind waiting for more features like this so long as they remain free.
Checkpoints should help decrease the amount of people who give up after one death which is nice.
Awesome news!!!
Huzzah! New additions to Mario Maker. Thank you, Nintendo; but this is just the beginning! Let us shake coins for Star/Dragon Coins, let us add separate pools of water and lava, let there be slopes!
Checkpoints and mushroom-fire flowers? Awesome!
Very good updates. Glad to see they are coming. Especially the checkpoints, as WAY too many people have this undying need to use the entire possible length with every level. Sometimes folks, less is more.
And as this wasn't good enough for a Nintendo Direct, I stand by my stance that NDs are done.
So many more potential level creation with checkpoints! I'm excited!
Are the checkpoints going to be just for the NSMBU style?
FINALLY.
Here's hoping slopes get added soon though, we really need those :.
People love making long levels, but I hate repeating my progress. Checkpoints are HUGE. Like everyone else, though I'm still hoping slopes will be next, and soon.
Huzzah! More stuff! Hopefully we'll get some more enemies and powerups in the future, as well, along with new stage themes (If the data miners are anything to go by, we'll at least be getting the Angry Sun.).
Jumping Jehosophat! that's excellent news if only because it means there's a possibility for other stuff to be added at a later date.
Nice, will have to go back and revisit some of my levels that would benefit from a mid-level checkpoint.
w00t
And the addition of the situation based upgrades is awesome.
Free content updates are the best! Thanks Nintendo!
Well now that checkpoints are out the way, maybe slopes will shoot up the top most wanted things in the game?
@XCWarrior "And as this wasn't good enough for a Nintendo Direct, I stand by my stance that NDs are done."
That was my second thought. First thought was - YEAH checkpoints, now I might actually finish all the hard levels my kid makes". And @JaxonH should he be nice enough to add some in. Hint - after you jump out of the boot and up into a pipe and come out in that new area w/ the POW block, great spot.
But after JAx and my kid killing me I thought - well there ya go, this would make a nice addition to an ND along w/ club Nintndo news and a Wii U price drop. I still feel the price drop is coming by early Nov. And those 2 Mario Tennis trailrs from last week. And some XCX stuff in English. There has bee n aton of XCX stuff, but a lot of it was in Japanese.
So I agree, it's looking less and less likely w/ each bit of news and passing day. Though I'll hold out hope until next week, after the Oct 28 briefing, w/ a Wii U price drop starting on Sunday Nov 8. After that it's too late. For an ND or a price drop.
But YEAH checkpoints!
I am super excited for this.
I am SO glad that those are updates and not DLC. Hopefully, they'll keep at it.
It looks like the event courses even reward costumes, better make sure to clear these ones!
Thank you for putting in checkpoints. Now I can make my levels harder.
Check-points and power ups baby!
Good update, I've been waiting for them to fix power ups. So I guess I'm just waiting for desert and snow themes, music choice, one way tubes, various power ups, lava , waterfalls, and pools, slopes, world map, yoshi in SMB & 3, and Luigi.
@WireWare I was just about to make some snide remark about charging $1 per check point flag. But yes, it does look like an update, and I can't recall Nintneod ever charging for those. But I suppose the "update" could add the ability to buy checkpoint flags for $1 each. I feel like 1 of he Super Smash Bros "updates" allowed us to buy more stages and costumes.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/07/super_smash_bros_version_110_update_is_now_live
I don't think that will happen here though. But there's always next time.
Those restrictions on power ups were very annoying. This is a good update!
Some of my biggest requests would be to add water to regular levels, either contained or at the bottom of the screen, adding moving/crushing blocks (Like in most of the Tower levels), and some more enemies, like Fuzzies, spinning ghosts, and the Koopa Kids!
HOOOOOOORRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
Also I forgot to mention. Athletic Theme. Make it happen, Nintendo.
Water in not-underwater levels and slopes is what we need the most. That and SMB2 US.
Glad to finally have check points. Here's hoping people make good use of them. There have been a lot of levels I stumbled across and had fun playing, but they were so long that when I died, I just didn't want to make the effort of playing through them again from the start but definitely would have continued had there been a checkpoint.
Can't say I care too much about the other stuff. The level up power ups is something a lot of people have asked for. However, there are still so many things missing.I can't really get excited to have a harder version of an already hard easter egg mini game that has nothing to do with the main gameplay before getting slopes, desert/sky/ice/forest backgrounds, all of the awesome Super Mario World and Mario 3 enemies that are missing, tile water and lava, more level aesthetics like new semi-solid platform designs, colored warp pipes, some new bosses, level filtering/tagging, athletic theme music...
May not be everything I wanted, but I've been dying for some Smash or Mario Maker DLC news. I was beginning to lose hope, but now I have some hype again. Nintendo is listening to fan demand..let's hope they keep listening and we get the rest of the stuff I mentioned above.
Okay, checkpoints were my number one request, so this is great news. Still got some important ones, though, such as star coins, a third stage layer, ploppable water, more power-ups, an overworld maker, and a music composer. Some of those are more likely than others, sadly.
I hope that event courses aren't time-limited; not for my sake, but, for maybe, the one person who is on holiday for, let's say, two weeks - and one of these event courses only lasts for a week; that person is then screwed out of a Mystery Mushroom.
@Azikira I hope when (not if ) they add water it is not stuck at the bottom of the screen. Some of the most creative levels in SM3DW or the Galaxy games had suspended water. The ability to jump in a block of water and swim up and jump out at the top would provide for some interesting level design.
This is AWESOME! I might actually start playing Mario Maker again.
Also, not really related but just a thought: Nintendo dropping this kind of info makes me feel Directs are dead despite what Nintendo has said. At least for now. We probably won't be getting one until next year.
@rjejr When I saw the headline I got instantly excited at the news and the disappointed right after as I realized this was yet another announcement outside of an ND. The chances of an ND keep disappearing with each new announcement.
But I still have high hopes. I remember when they had an ND in the middle of December a couple years ago. I think it was the one that announced Hyrule Warriors.
Nice! My Hotel Mario level should definitely have a check point, so I'll add one in when the update comes out!
Good on new content updates.
Though having this update free, will reenforce the view that this game is for "casuals" and kids.
If they would have charged for it, it would have helped this game get "hardcore" credit.
Excellent news, I hope at some point they add the ability to make item blocks and coins respawn. I mainly want this for ghost/puzzle type levels where I have a P-switch to turn some coins into a staircase or platforms.
Without the ability to respawn items if the player loses the P-switch or collects some of the coins the level is basically broken. I know you can make items spawn infinitely from a pipe but they're often slow to expel the item (meaning the player can miss it) and it's not as neat as just presenting the player with the items they need to solve the puzzle.
Fingers crossed!
Very happy with number 1 and 2. The rest are nice additions too. I haven't played Super Mario Maker much mostly because of poor level design (too hard, not knowing where to go, leaps of fate, etc.) and missing features but this might get me back to it for a little while. Poor levels might still be poor but checkpoints might make them bit more tolerable (if people choose to use them).
Great news!
YES!
......
WHY DON'T I HAVE MARIO MAKER YET?!
@PeterAndCompany Item storing could really break certain levels though.
And i dont think its all that usefull on a level by level basis.
Checkpoints?! Sweet! I'll be revamping some of my levels then...the conditional powerups is great as well.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is all I need. And an update in 2016 for Roy and Ryu costumes.
Yes! I'm so happy about the checkpoints! This should also make level completion rates go up, too.
Looks great! This gives me even more to look forward to when I pick the game up!
I'm making an amazing level with a checkpoint system, but this will make it even better. Thanks Nintendo! Now, if we could edit our levels without loosing the stars, that'd be awesome. Oh! And slopes.
I thought the shaking the Muncher part of the video was going to turn the Muncher into a Nipper.
update looks great! check points are a great add. (super mario bros 2 theme would be cool..maeby idk lol) and for the next set of updates it would be nice to have a friend menu where you can play your friends courses but really pleasing updates so far.
I guess this kills any chance of a Direct soon
Great choices! Except the harder gnat attack minigame lol. I can't even beat the original! Hope SMM keeps getting upgrades.
HUZZAH!
Sadly, though, @Grumblevolcano is right.
But still, HUZZAH!
I'm so glad that checkpoints are coming, but my best level, Super Mario Frustration Remix, has over 50 stars. I want to delete it, but I also want to leave it there. Hmm...
Also, wasn't Gnat Attack hard enough already?! I better unlock another costume for the trouble I'm no doubt gonna go through!
On a side note, I hope slopes are added next, as well as the ability to shake a Fire Flower into an Ice Flower/Penguin Suit in the NSMB U theme, or a Super Leaf into a Tanooki Suit in the SMB3 theme.
Awesome news!
Keep the Mario Maker updates coming Nintendo!
(and keep them free of course )
@rjejr
[High Five]
Checkpoints my man... checkpoints. Oh, and status-dependent items. Ya...
Great update! I think a lot of levels will be better off now with the checkpoints. I know mine will.
Panga better use the checkpoints...
@allav866
Like after every jump?
Tough levels become less annoying when you have at least one checkpoint.
@Luffymcduck yes unless they add the checkpoints in area's that'll kill you like on spikes.
@CrazyOtto yeah, me too.
Finally.
Awesome news on the checkpoint, now I can upload and re-edit my Kirby remix stages, along with a few others that are a bit more traditional with confidence. Also Gnat Attack is a nice bonus, especially if you played Mario Paint.
Now I wonder if they would ever release an update for the Pokemon costumes for their own SFX (stage clear, fall, etc.) and animation for jump, climb and such. all the other amiibo costumes have their own, especially the 3rd party ones.
Star coins and dragon coins, are really needed.
SMB3 could have the advance coins from SMB3 e reader levels, and SMB1 could just have a retro NSMB style star coin.
Adding that, they will add a huge replay value to the level.
i really hoped for standalone bullet bills and homing bullet bills
Hoo boy, I'm sweating bullets reading these things!
Absense of status dependent power-ups was the most upsetting thing to me at launch, as it's a core rule of Mario, and I'm so happy it's being added.
Checkpoints really are a big deal as well, as people have a tendency to make fiendishly hard levels.
The one feature I would REALLY like in regards to level sharing, is a difficulty rating system. Let's say that once you've completed 100 levels, aside from being able to add a star, you're allowed to judge a level's general difficulty.
I really think that no sorting by difficulty makes the game a lot less accessible and enjoyable to less skilled players.
i wonder if the DLC rumors are true then? getting this type of news NOT in a Direct feels weird i must say even though the update sounds great
@rjejr TRU has 2 for $22 amiibo sale incase ur interested i managed to get the blue and pink yarn yoshi even though they were not part of the sale! Ka-Ching!
@DarthNocturnal
I'm excited about that too. Will make the levels a little more exciting, having to stay super Mario so that you can get the flower or leaf or feather you need.
Great additions.
Now the overworld map and some sweet new skins.
Very happy with these and hoping for more. Go Ninty
That's two solid valuable ones that help shape the ways you can make a level. Excellent.
And maybe, while everyone clamors for slopes, one of these Nintendo news sites with the ability to conduct developer interviews will get ahold of someone that worked on SMM and ask them if it's even possible. I've been waiting to see if there's just a basic issue with slopes requiring a more complex editing environment. As it is, the editing map is a block-based grid. Tracks can run through the centers of the blocks and connect in any direction, but slopes would be a messier equation if they were as flexible as in the regular Mario titles.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but slopes weren't used in SMB, right? Sure, they went nuts with them in SMB3. They're everywhere, and at all different angles. I doubt they didn't include them just because it would make the SMB levels unlike the game it's in the style of (SMW didn't have Airships, but it does here).Easy enough on whatever workstations the games were made on, but as a game running on a home console, it may need more of a "high resolution" editing environment. I choose to see this as something they probably can't just add in, and I'll let them surprise me if it turns out they can.
More enemy types would be appreciated - especially of the bros. type like boomerang, fire, ice, and sumo. I wish we could Change the orientation of the level by making them vertical. I feel like they did that quite a few times in SMB 3. If it's easier they should just limit the rise to one and maybe limit the run up to 3 (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) just so we can have slopes.
The checkpoint! At last! There's so many levels I gave up on due to not having that! Hope you'll be able to place a couple.
The power up thing is cool too.
Still no way to view your friend's levels though? Having to load Miiverse, find their post, copy down the code then re-enter it in the game is awful!
I expect slopes, water and new enemies will be a DLC pack later. I hope we get new art style DLC packs too and not just more Mario games (though a Game Boy style one would be ace!). Imagine a Rayman Legends skin or one that made everything made of Lego!
Check points! YEESSSSS!
I need to get back into this, since my next level is supposed to be long...I'm gonna wait till the 4th, then. But yeah, still hoping for snake blocks and coin trails. I want those so badly. lol
I see checkpoints being used in nefarious ways as well. Create a fork in the road. Make one of them a death suicide trap. Place a checkpoint in there so peeps can't escape...
Here's another twisted use of Checkpoint: Hit a P-switch to convert a coin Bridge into bricks. Place checkpoint on the coin bridge. Should Mario "die" later on, there is no escaping the stage!
Seriously though, I welcome checkpoints. There are a number of well designed long, hard levels that I just couldn't finish. One of them I nearly made it to the end and actually saw the flagpole, but my jump was short and down the pit I went. I couldn't bear to trudge through the stage all over again, but got so close... Checkpoints would definitely help with those, just sayin'
give me my charging chucks
I'd like Star Coins. Here's my workaround though: I make stages with goals in the name. "Defeat 8 airship captains", "Find 4 1-ups", "Top: Yoshi sneak attack", etc. That way those who want the extra challenge know what to go after. It can be tricky to fit it into the limited title character allotment, though.
I'm having fun with it, so Star Coins might be kind of boring in comparison, but would be a good addition. I imagine the hold up there would be that it would be best to have it recorded somehow. Maybe as an average collected? Or how many people collected all 5?
@StarDust4Ever
The level should force you to win from a checkpoint, but I guess stage skipping — ninja'd!
@SanderEvers
Are you speculating or is that confirmed somewhere?
BTW, so glad to see updates like this.
I think people should keep their expectations and hopes in check though. So much is possible with Mario Maker as it is.
This is a big deal. Let's hope they keep the updates coming, the game still has plenty of room to improve!
@Shadowkiller97 Glad you still have high hopes, mine get lower all the time.
They should just come out and say - we're a niche little company that makes niche little games, we don't market, advertise, do very well on social media or care what our fans want, we just do what we want, so there.
@Tsurii I know Treehouse covered it extensively in Japanese, but I havent' really seen anything about it in the US. Target does have those $5 pre-order Gift cards, but that's about it. I think my problem - and it is my own problem, not Ntinedo's - is I have a history of buying Final Fantasy JRPG, and when those come out they are everywhere. FFXV doesn't have a date yet and it got a demo months ago.I know it sin the eShop on Wii U, and it will get more coverage as it gts closer, but a game specific Nitnod Direct like other games got last year would be nice. W101 announced a demo right after. Bayonetta 2 had a demo. I do expect more starting mid-Nov.
@WanderingPB TRU kills me w/ their crazy $1 mark-up on everything. Most other stoes will go 2 for $20. Well, if, you know, they ever had any amiibo in stock besides Dr. Mario. Thanks for the update though. It's that time of year, shop shop shop.
My dream feature: shake an Ice Block and it becomes a Clear Ice Block that acts the same way but can have items inside of it and be melted with fireballs
One thing I'm hoping for this update: that the invisible block glitch remains… I made a trick level…
@aaronsullivan it's confirmed in the video.
@aaronsullivan @SanderEvers Well the level might require you to clear the level AND activate the checkpoint in the process. My idea of placing the checkpoint on a coin bridge you run across after activating a P-Switch would make the level impossible to clear after dying once, even though you "activate" the checkpoint during the playthrough.
Somehow I doubt Nintendo will force creators to clear their own stage twice (or more if there's multiple checkpoints). Whatever system Nintendo employs, whether or not you need to actually activate the checkpoint(s) while playing, there is the potential for Kassio style checkpoint abuse (ie activate the checkpoint and you're screwed if you don't finish).
This is so awesome, but regardless, these features should've been in the game from the start.
@TheDragonDAFan They probably had a lot more ideas they wanted to put in the game than they had time to do so to make its release date.
@ChessboardMan hah, there's a video. Was reading article too fast.
Ninja'd by Nintendo then.
@StarDust4Ever The way it's worded is that you have to complete it from the checkpoint. I think Nintendo thought of this one.
SCALING POWERUPS YESSSSSSSS!
Neat! It is going to improve so many levels.
Checkpoints and flower/mushroom combinations are great for the style of levels I like to create, but all these changes are pretty sweet.
@aaronsullivan You are right. I watched the video. @0:37 "You much clear the level from the checkpoint onward to upload it..." Smart one Nintendo!
What about those extra SMB costumes :V
I don't know why they didn't have the status-dependant power ups from the start. Everyone knows if you get a mushroom block as Super Mario you upgrade it to a Fire Flower! Good to see they're listening and tweaking the features. I still expect more course parts in the future and maybe more amiibo outfits when more figures are released.
@rjejr yeah i agree their mark ups are ridiculous. the sale 2 for $22 only applies for the amiibo $11.99 - 13.99. They had BowJr,Shulk, Grenin,Olimar,Lilmac,CaptFalcon, Zelda,FoxYoshi and Peach at my TRU. the Yarn Yoshis are $17.99 each which is bananas! but i was lucky and they didnt notice and i got the blue and pink yoshi for $22!! but im keepin an eye out for ALBW sale for your boys a few months ago they had it for $20 at Bestbuy...im sure it'll be back on sale for the holidays
This is great news but all I could think was, "Why wasn't it in a Nintendo Direct?"
I am more excited about the second update than the first. So many of my levels only have super mushroom powerups as an instant fire flower, etc is too much of a reward for one block.
I guess the checkpoints can help the players with weak Mario skills. There are a surprising amount.
@Shadowkiller97 That's what I meant when I said contained, but some of the best Super Mario World levels had different spots of water in them.
I also wish for secret exit keys, but I know that's very unlikely.
It is great that Nintendo is willing to make an already awesome game like this even better. Add in the frog, tanooki, and hammer bros suits and all will be right in the world!
This is very nice, now bring slopes and charging chucks!
I preferred checkpoints to slopes anyway. That was the first glaring absence in the game to me. Will checkpoints be required? Because if not, then I doubt anyone will even put them. People like to see others suffer.
So does anybody have any idea what happens if you leave stacked items outside of blocks? Can you do so? Thanks in advance.
Checkpoints will change the game. For the better largely
Kewl, but we still desperately need hills/slopes.
Also, we still need nippers, chuckers, the tanookie suit, the frog suit, the hammer bros suit, water in non under-water levels, and the angry sun.
Oh day and night versions of levels and more koopa kids would be nice. Or at least the non end of stage fortress bosses from SMB 3.
Maybe an option to add more hits to take out an enemy so you could make a hammer bros boss for example.
An option to play levels as Luigi, toad, Peach. Even f they have to keep the same abilities or you have to beat your level with each character you want available.
SHYGUYS!
Okay, I planned on doing a list of my update/dlc ideas on the Mario Maker forum but well, I just put it here instead. So, I've split my ideas into free updates and paid dlc packs. First the updates:
And now for the packs:
Desert Pack:
Snow Pack:
Beach Pack:
Jungle Pack:
Mountain Pack:
Volcano Pack:
Cavern Pack (extermely dark cave, fiery items/enemies are required to make a path visible)
Boss Pack (not that all Koopalings act like they did in their SMB3 boss fights, shake them to make them act like in their NSMBU boss fights):
Super Mario Bros. 2. Pack:
Super Mario Land Pack:
So that's it for my DLC wishes. I know they are a lot and most of them probably won't come true. But a man can dream, can't he? Plus, I'm fairly certain I forgot quite a lot of other stuff I want as DLC. It's just so much!
-
Neat! All of my levels will be getting checkpoints so that maybe someone will attempt to complete at least one of them! Except for the level that takes less than 10 seconds to complete. That one might not need a checkpoint.
Also, as I was typing that message @GoldenGamer88 posted that gargantuan thing above me and confused the crap out of both myself and my computer.
@kurtasbestos Welp, sorry, man! Should have split it up into multiple comments I guess ...
See, I forgot Peepas and Biddybuds! I knew I forgot something xD
So excited for this update! I can't wait for the checkpoints.
I'm quite a big fan of making big levels so this will make it much better for the player.
The power ups look great for making traditional formula mario levels too :3
Well that's sweet.
Add some slopes and the games basically spot on.
"Players can choose to edit and re-upload their own levels, or create new levels from scratch using this feature."
Does this mean that we can edit our existing levels online? Or do we have to delete and re-upload them? Also, a burning question - if you delete a level, does it still count towards your level count, or can you upload something in its place? Thanks.
@stinky_t Deleting a level removes it from the online service, but you keep any stars earned and it gives you back its slot so you can upload another level to replace it. This is probably what they mean when they say you can "edit" your courses — just delete the old one and upload the new one with changes.
I wish they said how checkpoints will work with level uploading requirements.
For example, if you can make use of checkpoints to complete the level for uploading purposes, then players can make even more ridiculously hard levels than are already flooding the service. I would prefer that checkpoints are disabled when doing the upload run, so you have to be able to beat it in a single run. This would ensure the average level difficulty doesn't spike when checkpoints are released.
On the flip side, what's to stop the trolls of the world from using checkpoints against the player? For example, you could place a checkpoint in a location where the only option is death. If a player makes the mistake of hitting it, this would at a minimum cost them an extra life in the 100 Mario challenge mode (assuming the option to start the level over from the beginning is still there, which I assume it will be).
So, my ideal solution would be: You have to hit every checkpoint when you're completing the level to upload it, and if you die you start over at the beginning. Come on, Nintendo... read my thoughts...
@WaxxyOne Ohhhhh... thank you.
@WaxxyOne they already said that you would have to clear it from the beginning once, and again from each checkpoint. There is only a maximum of two checkpoints per level, so... three perfect runs????
@SetupDisk have you heard of the Mystery Mushrooms?
@MeatyDino It would appear so, but I'm not sure how it would work.. Which form would it assume? Would it change if mario powered up/down without touching it while its still on screen? We can only wait until November 4.
@stinky_t
I meant a character model for all 4 game types.
"Super Mario Maker Gets Mid-Level Checkpoints"
Good news!
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