Super Mario Maker 2 Review: Is It Worth Playing?

Absolutely, especially for creative players and Mario enthusiasts. The robust creation tools offer near-limitless potential, while the Story Mode provides excellent solo content. The endless stream of user-generated levels means you'll never run out of things to play. If you enjoy 2D platformers, level design, or simply want a game with infinite replayability, it's a stellar purchase. The value comes from both your creativity and the shared global community's output.

The included Story Mode is a substantial campaign, taking roughly 10-15 hours to complete all 100+ Nintendo-made levels. However, 'beating' Super Mario Maker 2 is a misnomer. The game's true length is infinite, defined by the millions of user-created levels available online. You can spend hundreds of hours building, playing, and curating courses. Think of the Story Mode as an extensive tutorial and a delightful game in itself, but the main attraction is the endless, player-driven content.

Yes, but with notable caveats. Local multiplayer (co-op and versus) is available for playing built or downloaded courses together on one console. Online multiplayer with friends is restricted to playing courses together that you've both already downloaded; you cannot search for random online levels and play them with a specific friend in real-time. There is also a competitive online multiplayer versus mode with random players worldwide. So, while shared local play is great, online play with friends is more limited than some hoped.

No. Super Mario Maker 2 is published by Nintendo and is a first-party exclusive for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo almost never releases its major franchises on other consoles or PC. It is also not available on any subscription service like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus as a native title. Your only way to play it is by purchasing the game physically or digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop. It is firmly a pillar of the Switch's library.

Super Mario Maker 2 is a massive, definitive upgrade. It adds crucial new features like the slope terrain, on/off switches, new enemies, and themes like the desert night (with rising sand) and Super Mario 3D World's unique style and items. The Story Mode is entirely new. The most significant addition is the versatile multiplayer, both local and online. While the Wii U game's touchscreen creation was intuitive, the Switch version offers a more complete package with vastly expanded creative tools and gameplay possibilities.