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‘Mario Maker’ thrives on your creativity

‘Mario Maker’ thrives on your creativity

mario-maker

Mario Maker
Nintendo
Wii U

Now that the shine of E3 has worn off, we can finally look back on all of the conferences with a level head. Who am I kidding? I’m way too excited about Mario Maker to analyze the gameplay for Nintendo’s conference fairly. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m actually prepared to buy a Nintendo Wii U now.

I’m not the only one pumped-up to play either. Game critics were seriously impressed with what they saw at E3, and awarded Mario Maker  Best Social/Casual/Family Game of the Year.

This year, at Nintendo’s Digital Press Conference, Mario fans everywhere were introduced to the game they have been dreaming about for years-Mario Maker. Think Little Big Planet, but with Mario and bricks instead of Sack Boy and cardboard.

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Mario Maker, which will hit stores in 2015, allows players to create their own level in the Mushroom Kingdom, utilizing the Wii U’s game pad by turning it into a personal creative lab. Players can add all the familiar items and power-ups found in Mario, anywhere they please. Levels can use enemies against each other, making Mario’s life a walk in the park, or they can turn the Mushroom Kingdom into a plumbers worst nightmare, and prevent Mario from ever succeeding in his mission. The only limits to the game are in the players imaginations.

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Mario Maker gives players the option to play in one of two versions of Mario. The classic 8-bit style, or the newer HD mode of Super Mario Bros U. Players can switch between versions at any time by simply pulling down the drawstring in the corner. Feeling a little retro? Click. Pixel heaven. Want to travel to the future? Click. HD paradise.

One of the great things about Mario Maker is that players can create levels and play-test them immediately. All it takes is the press of a button. If the game play is feeling a bit rocky, players can make the necessary tweaks, without having to send Mario back to the start. Nintendo has also been kind enough to leave a ghost trail of Mario’s previous attempts in order to maximize Mario’s speed and jumping distance.

With Nintendo’s recent push to make their games more social, providing players with the opportunity to share their creations is a no brainer. Constructing boundaries and isolating players would inhibit Mario Maker from reaching optimum awesomeness. Nintendo is currently working on the best way to incorporate this feature, and at the moment it seems like the Miiverse is where all of our levels might be heading. I’d love to hop online and see what wild weird worlds everyone else came up with.

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In the trailer that Nintendo released, we witnessed your typical side-scrolling action. What we did not see was whether or not it is possible to travel down pipes, or, vice versa, climb up vines into the clouds. There has been no mention as to the possibility of linking levels either.

Yes, I know E3 is all about brief previews of the games. I’m sure that Nintendo is working out how to deliver a complete Mario game as we speak. After all, Mario isn’t Mario until there are secret tunnels, hidden coins, and warp zones–but I can’t help it, I want to see more now! Infinite possibilities are already running through my mind.

So, there you have it folks: Mario Maker, the game we’ve been asking for Nintendo to make for years, is finally coming to Wii U consoles everywhere. Let’s just hope that Nintendo continues to move Mario Maker forward, and doesn’t limit its creative possibilities.

[wpchatai]