Players have spent countless hours cooking up delightful, demented and downright difficult levels in Super Mario Maker, and now they are about to get a few more tools added to their arsenal.
For those looking to add some relief to the existing Super Mario Maker levels, Nintendo (via Kotaku) will be adding the option for players to insert flag checkpoints into their courses, just as many existing Mario games do. This should make some of those more punishing levels a little more manageable...or not, if players choose not to use them.
The game will also be receiving the ability for players to employ contextual power-ups. Say, for example, Mario is small. A block may then reward Mario with a size increasing mushroom. But if Mario is already large and in charge, that same block can be programmed to release a fire flower instead. That should open up some creative possibilities.
Speaking of creativity, Nintendo will be looking to highlight the creativity of fans and partners with the introduction of new event courses. These levels will be highlighted by Nintendo on the game's online course hub. The first course to be featured comes from a Facebook contest in which Facebook employees crafted their own Mario levels and then presented their creations to a panel of judges, who then selected the best of the best. An "Official Makers" section of the online hub will also be added and will be a place for Nintendo send out levels crafted by Nintendo designers.
The update will be free to download for all players starting Nov. 4.
It's nothing to crazy to be sure, but players have shown time and time again that even the game's most straight forward options can be used in some truly fascinating and surprising ways. It's for that reason the game has already sold more than 1 million copies. As is the case with the overwhelming popularity of Minecraft, sometimes letting the players make their own game can be just as rewarding, and commercially viable, as releasing yet another AAA blockbuster.
For more Super Mario Maker, be sure to check out our round-up of some of the most impressive courses we saw in the first week of the game's release.
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