Super Mario Maker 2: A Guide to Building and Sharing Courses

Super Mario Maker 2 turns the tables on more than three decades of Mario level design by handing the toolbox directly to players. Released on Switch in 2019, it lets anyone build, playtest, and publish their own courses using the same visual styles and physics found across the series' history.

Five Game Styles, Five Different Physics Sets

One of the most distinctive features is the ability to switch between five visual styles, each with genuinely different movement rules:

• Super Mario Bros. — classic NES-era jump arcs and enemy behavior.
• Super Mario Bros. 3 — includes tanooki suits and the raccoon tail.
• Super Mario World — features Yoshi and the spin jump.
• New Super Mario Bros. U — modern physics with the Mini Mushroom and other newer items.
• Super Mario 3D World — the only fully 3D-feeling style, with unique items like the Cat Suit.

Story Mode: A Built-In Campaign

Beyond the creation tools, Super Mario Maker 2 ships with a substantial single-player Story Mode built from hundreds of developer-made courses, giving you a full campaign to play through even before touching the level editor yourself.

Tips for Building Courses People Will Actually Finish

1. Teach before you test. Introduce a new mechanic in a safe area before combining it with enemies or hazards.
2. Keep early checkpoints generous. Courses with punishing early sections get abandoned quickly by online players.
3. Use Clear Conditions sparingly. They're powerful (e.g. "clear without touching the ground") but confusing if not clearly signposted.
4. Playtest relentlessly. The in-editor playtest mode exists specifically so you can catch unfair jumps before publishing.

Multiplayer and Versus Mode

Super Mario Maker 2 also supports online multiplayer, including a competitive Versus mode where players race through randomly selected community courses, and co-op building where two players can design a course together in real time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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