Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been chewing on. Today, Kevin wonders if Nintendo is ready to bring a new dimension to its Maker series…
If you can believe it, Super Mario Maker was released for the Wii U almost nine years ago. The game was an integral part of Mario’s 30th anniversary celebration, although a lot has happened since then. In 2015, the idea of Nintendo sharing the user tool and giving us the green light to make a new game ourselves was an incredibly exciting prospect. Indie games in the 8-bit and 16-bit styles were also undergoing a renaissance at the time, and Mario Maker was essentially a crash course in the basics of side-scrolling.
We’ve since gotten a 3DS version and a full Switch sequel with 2019’s Super Mario Maker 2, which was essentially a very similar game to the first entry, just with a lot more tools and improvements (like the slope).
I’m counting here, Super Mario Bros.’ Next year is the 40th anniversary. What better way to celebrate another decade of the burly plumber than with a potential Super Mario Maker 3(D) that takes things to a new dimension?
A paradigm shift
I’m old enough to remember the big shift from 2D to 3D gaming. Around the time I got into video games it was at the very end of the Super Nintendo generation. I older cousin introduced me to Mario, Link, Mega Man and more, and I was so taken by them that my dad went out of his way to buy a Nintendo 64 at launch so my brother and I could play the brand new system on Christmas 1996
I little mind was completely blown. When I got Super Mario 64, I couldn’t put down that three-handled controller for days – actually until winter break ended and I was forced against my will to go back to school again. 3D gaming has come a long way since the Nintendo 64 era, but it’s become very clear, especially in the last few years, that those pointy, blocky, muddy graphics (and I say all this with love) have left a lasting impression on many gamers.
Similar to the era of indie games that paid tribute to 8-bit classics and then the 16-bit generation, the 64-bit indie wave is no exception. Games like Cavern of Dreams, Pseudoregaliaand Corn Kidz 64 pay homage to retro 3D platformers such as Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, and have garnered much attention and sparked much discussion among gamers.
I think the time has come for Nintendo to start letting us make our own 3D Mario game.
The stage is set
I’ve seen debates and discussions about whether it would be feasible or easy enough to understand to implement 3D development into a Mario Maker game. 2D side-scrolling is obviously a bit simpler and easier for the average gamer to conjure up. Nintendo developers used hand-drawn grid paper to design the Mario games for the NES, and it was a simple screen transition complete with a drag-and-drop tool.
Aside from making a few Super Mario Maker levels (which I’m pretty proud of, by the way), I’m not a game developer and don’t know much beyond the basics I’ve read about. However, it seems that there are many new developers and modders who are already working with the 3D Mario tool, and with great success.
I keep getting Nintendo 64 mod videos suggested to me on YouTube, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Emanuar says is just one such YouTuber who considers himself an expert on Mario 64. He’s taken assets from the game, modified and enhanced them to create brand new worlds that look and feel like a fully fleshed out, direct sequel like we never got. He made sure his mods worked within the limits of the Nintendo 64 hardware as well, confirming that everything was playable on actual N64 hardware attached to a CRT TV.
The point is, fans are already doing it and there is a hunger for more.
Elections, elections
When it comes to 3D Mario, there are currently two different game modes.
As official infographic split by Nintendo until the release of the Super Mario Odyssey series, Nintendo essentially divides them into ‘linear’ and ‘non-linear’ modes of operation. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World have a simpler gameplay reminiscent of the 2D generation. But with Mario 64 and Sunshine we had large sandboxes and hub worlds to play in, with different mission objectives of various kinds.
When it comes to what would be easier to convey and design in a 3D Mario Maker game, the linear option would be the obvious choice. We could have a 3D world template that’s actually, you know, 3D this time, unlike Mario Maker 2. Designing individual planets and comets with unique gravitational forces like in Mario Galaxy might be little too advanced, but ‘isometric’ 3D platforming with simpler 3D planes and bosses to conquer seems doable. But I do not think that the second option is completely excluded.
Thinking about designing for a ‘non-linear’ branch also sounds like a lot of fun. Creating a sandbox environment and filling it with unique mission objectives and NPCs would be great. You can also include more immersive 3D platforming, puzzle segments, and boss fights. It might be too much to ask for both styles, but the original Mario Maker had several different templates, so it’s not impossible!
Creating the future
When asking the question about the future of the Mario Maker series, we have to consider the future of Nintendo’s hardware. The Switch is nearing the end of its lifespan and I honestly doubt we’ll get another Mario Maker sequel this generation. Super Mario Maker 2 worked perfectly for the Switch because, like many games for the system, it was essentially an enhanced version of a Wii U game that many people never played. Nintendo won’t be able to rely on that strategy with its next console and will have to do whatever it takes to win people back.
Including a sequel to Mario Maker for its next generation of hardware, one that celebrates another decade of Mario, sounds like the perfect thing to me, and maybe new hardware features could help. Some have theorized that we could go back to a different dual-screen setup on the ‘Switch 2’ with the ability to stream to a TV while displaying something different on the console’s own screen. While playing Mario Maker 2, I couldn’t help but miss the intuitiveness of designing stages on the GamePad. I haven’t always liked focusing on two screens while gaming (I’m looking at you, Star Fox Zero), but for games like Mario Maker it made perfect sense.
While designing stages on my TV with the Switch attached, I sometimes wished I had the ability to use two screens. Given that the Switch’s successor is likely to be another hybrid system, it would have to be capable of operating only in manual mode, meaning that dual screens would have to be a purely optional feature. And that’s perfectly fine! Two screens can be pointless when I’m playing a quick game like Super Smash Bros., but if I’m exploring in Zelda and want a map to glance at, or designing new stages in Mario Maker, it could be a really useful addition. And considering how 3D development is a bit more complicated, that extra screen could go a long way in simplifying the process for the average gamer.
We only have to look to our gaming past to see how the future will unfold. I really don’t think it’s possible that we’ll see a Mario Maker sequel on new hardware, and that it could include 3D design tools. After the success of the first two games, it seems to be the logical next step.
And Super Mario Maker 3D is right there.
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