Super Mario Maker launches 11 September, demo kiosks ready
It might not be the most well thought out date for a launch, but at least Nintendo is putting exact figures this time. Almost exactly a year since it was announced, Super Mario Maker will finally be landing exclusively on the Wii U on 11th September this year. But if you're itching to actually try it out before you buy, you might just be in luck. Partnering with Best Buy, Nintendo will have demo kiosks ready North America, giving fans a chance at making their dream Mario level.
It's still unknown how much traction this particular game will get, but given how many mods and imitations you can see over the net, it's safe to say we're going to see a lot of YouTube videos about it when it launches. As the name points out, Super Mario Maker will let you create levels using actual Nintendo assets. No more reverse engineering or downloading warez just to get illegal unofficial sprites.
One special aspect of the game-slash-game-maker is that it will let you change the levels on the fly. Want to cheat? Turn bullets into coins. Finding a level too hard? Banish all the monsters. The assets included span generations of Super Mario games, meaning you can mix and match styles or even progress from one style to the next.
After news of the delay last April, Nintendo is finally putting a date stamp on the game, launching 11th September. But on June 17 and 20, Nintendo will be holding special events in Best Buy locations in the US and Canada where interested gamers can take Super Mario Maker for a spin. They will also be giving away Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary buttons, but only while supplies last.
Super Mario Maker might be serving a niche market, but the game could be taken to other venues. It could, for example, be used as a learning tool to introduce gamers and non-gamers alike to the craft of game design and development. Sadly, Super Mario Maker's reach will be short, as it is only available for Wii U owners. One can only hope a 3DS "lite" version would be available, if the little handheld can even handle it.