The create-your-own Mario game comes to 3DS…
I was quite surprised to hear that the 3DS was getting it’s own version of Super Mario Maker a year after the Wii U version. I always thought they’d go well together, especially if you could make levels on the 3DS and upload them online to play on Wii U, but alas such a feature never happened. So what does the 3DS version have that the console version doesn’t?
Super Mario Maker for 3DS has a big number of the best created levels from the Wii U version, but it also challenges you further by giving you set conditions to earn medals for that specific stage. These can vary from killing every Goomba in a level to finishing the level wearing a specific item or even crazy conditions like not getting hit once and so on. It gives it an extra challenge to those who want to 100% the game, which is a nice touch that I wish the Wii U version got as well.
There’s a lack of features on the 3DS version that is disappointing. These include no online features, no 3D or Amiibo support…so you can’t use your Amiibos and become 2D Link, Zelda, Bowser or Peach to name a few…which is a shame, as it was one of the things I liked best about the original game. You can obviously still make levels with the tools you unlock, but you are limited to sharing these locally only…which also feels like a missed opportunity.
It really comes down to personal choice, or whether you have a Wii U. If you don’t, then the 3DS version is for you…if you do, then the Wii U version has a lot more to offer and I’m honestly baffled by some of the choices made here. The whole point of the original was to make levels and share them online, so without that it’s a hard sell. Also, still completely confused by the lack of 3D.
The Verdict
The 100 levels you get in Super Mario Maker for the 3DS are the cream of the crop from the Wii U version, but that’s the main course of the game. The 3DS version lacks online, 3D and Amiibo support, making it an experience that you can only share your creations with locally among your friends. But as I said, it’s all down to personal choice and you still get quite a bit of content for your cash…but you’ll find it and a lot more on the Wii U. All in all, it’s a great game but the missing features are disappointing compared to the original.