Daley Johnson (Engagement Director) - Username: DaleyKong

What was the thought process behind the creation of your level?

I wanted the main concept of my level to be based around the claws. While playing through the main campaign I became somewhat taken with them and I liked how they could be a bit tricky, dropping stuff at the wrong moment if you weren’t positioned correctly. They reminded me of claw machines you find in arcades, you know the ones that drop that clawsome gorilla plushie right before your eyes, after holding it for a mere moment? Yeah those. They wind me up, but I can’t help but throw more money at them until I get what I want or run out of change.

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I wanted to create a fun yet fair take on that, coins and all.

How have your design experiences helped or hindered you in this process?

I have very little design experience. I’m a marketer, social media fiend and a bit of a writer when permitted. I built a few daft games in Game Maker and Unity a few years ago, but they were rubbish. If I had to pick one, I would have to say hindered, as a lack of experience didn’t help me. There were a few things I had to change before publishing, due to being scolded by actual designers! Joke's on them, I eagerly await the moment I can correct their grammar.

Is there a stage from a 2D Mario game that’s a particular favourite of yours? What makes it so memorable?

Does Yoshi’s Island count? I mean, you can’t reply as I am sending this via email (Ah, but we can! - Ed) so I’m just going to go with it. Definitely Burt the Bashful’s Fort. I think Burt is a bit of a cultural icon. We can all relate to feeling a little embarrassed about taking our pants off, right?

Is there any feature you’d love to see added to Super Mario Maker 2?

Donkey Kong.

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