Review by Gianluca “DottorKillex” Arena
The longest-lived gamers, hardened by a thousand battles in a thousand different worlds, as much as the new generation, for whom 3DS may have represented the first console ever, know that the word porting can evoke two different feelings: the exaltation of seeing one of your favorite games arrive on the console you own and the fear that the conversion process, perhaps from a more powerful machine, will be carried out with laziness.
Nintendo is famous for the quality of its conversion works (there have been some slips, but on average we are at very high levels), yet, on the occasion of the announcement of Super Mario Maker for 3DS, there were still many doubts: how they will be Did the developers of the big N manage to adapt such a vast title to the very limited capabilities of the stereoscopic machine?
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One hundred Mario for me, may be enough
The juiciest novelty of this version, which makes it rise to the role of the best two-dimensional adventure dedicated to Mario in recent years, is certainly represented by the Super Mario Challenge, a full-bodied single player mode in which the player will be called upon to confront a hundred levels. , some of which are completely unreleased, while others are modified versions of timeless classics already played in the past.
It does not end here: if the inclusion of these stages would already have been enough to make this 3DS version the one to recommend to the most solitary players, the presence of two secondary objectives per level, which give access to as many medals, completely changes the way to deal with them. and the rhythms of the game, putting in a new light even passages that the veterans believed they could overcome with their eyes closed.
Try to get to the flag at the end of the level by carrying a platform on your head, or by holding the race button for the entire duration of the level, or even without having damaged any enemies: the secondary objectives are many, and each one adds spice to the progression , also because only one of the two will be known from the beginning of the stage, with the second only showing up during construction.
Although this is not the first time (nor the last, we bet) that this has happened with Nintendo, it is always surprising to see how a seemingly simple gimmick, one that makes players think "who knows why they haven't implemented it before", manages to turn a familiar gameplay like a sock, which has certainly evolved over the last thirty years but not to the point of distorting itself.
What comes out is a tremendously long-lived and enjoyable mode on several levels, given that, where novices will limit themselves to completing each level, the thirty-year-olds will not be able to exempt (and we are speaking from direct experience) from trying to win as many medals as possible.
The average length of the stages is significantly reduced compared to the last two-dimensional home episodes, and the emphasis is often placed on environmental puzzles and the most ingenious way to overcome often diabolical combinations of self-propelled platforms and cleverly placed enemies; there is no shortage of boss fights, scattered throughout the nineteen game worlds, but, paradoxically, we found them much less demanding than most of the objectives required to obtain all the medals.
Less editor, more game
If, therefore, the single player sector of production easily surpasses that offered by the housewife counterpart, the same cannot be said with regard to the whole "create and share" side, even if, as mentioned in the opening article, c 'was to be expected given the inherent limitations of 3DS.
Owners of the Nintendo portable console will have access to a very large selection (but not exhaustive, well underline it) of the levels created by the Wii U user in recent months, with lots of recommended selections, which replace the playlists and personalized searches, not possible at the moment: longevity, therefore, is assured, even if some of the most universally appreciated levels will not be available, because the 3DS would not withstand the effort necessary to make them run.
So far the download, but the most stringent limitations concern the upload of unpublished creations: although you have access to the vast majority of the tools available in the original version, which are finally unlocked immediately, it will not be possible to upload your creations to dedicated servers, but only send them to other players locally or via street pass.
This aspect cuts the legs a little to creativity and betrays, in a certain way, the idea behind the original title, but if even New Nintendo 3DS does not offer any advantages from this point of view, it is reasonable to think that the implementation was really difficult to implement, if not completely impossible.
The disappointment increases when you consider that the editor is still in excellent shape, with six different themes and the same four styles already seen on Wii U (Super Mario Bros 1 and 3, Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros) and the 'addition of game design lessons by the strange couple Yamamura - Mashiko, always generous with advice towards newbies.
Their lessons, divided into basic and advanced, will offer the rudiments of game design, unleashing the level designer hidden in each of you.
An interesting feature is represented by the possibility of creating a four-handed stage with a friend, sending him a first draft and dribbling it until you are satisfied with the creation: with an equally passionate person, and in possession of a copy of the game, even Super Mario Maker for 3DS maintains the social element that characterized the success of the home console version, but how many can count on a playmate who will buy the title?
The Kyoto house has shown common sense in adapting the software to the hardware characteristics of the new guest console, offering the public a genuinely adapted product rather than a hasty port, but the final result, which certainly does not lack appeal for those who prefer to play. on its own, it might disappoint those who expected a portable continuation of one of the most successful "social editors" in recent gaming history.
Renunciations and compromises
Even on the technical side, the 3DS version of Super Mario Maker must compromise to ensure an acceptable fluidity in order to be able to untangle along the levels it proposes: we have already mentioned the absence of playlists and customized searches, to which the stereoscopic effect is added. , unsupported, the inability to implement secondary objectives within the created levels and two small black bands visible on the upper screen, probably necessary for resolution issues.
Not that the final result is disastrous, of course: although far from the splendor guaranteed by high definition, Super Mario Maker for 3DS also defends itself very well in this portable sortie, proposing the historical artistic direction, a soundtrack full of remixes of legendary pieces. and absolute precision of controls.
All fundamental elements when it comes to a platform game, and in fact this last effort is more fun and demanding than it was New Super Mario Bros. 2.
In closing, a few words about overall longevity: between the levels created by the Wii U user (which exceed six million units at the time of writing this article), the one hundred and more levels of the Super Mario Challenge and those that can be created from itself, Super Mario Maker for 3DS boasts simply unbeatable value for money.
Final comment
Paradoxically for a game born as a huge interactive editor, capable of growing little budding Miyamotos, Super Mario Maker for 3DS works much better as a classic single player experience, thanks to a hundred levels that combine quantity and quality, capable of keeping the player busy for hours.
The social aspects of the WiiU counterpart, on the other hand, end up being a bit sacrificed, given the impossibility of sharing your creations online: nevertheless, being able to create four-handed internships with a friend proves to be a lot of fun.
In short, if you are willing to "settle" for another, excellent Mario in two dimensions, you have found the right product for you: for wannabe game designers, however, we continue to recommend the home version.
