Super Mario Maker review round-up

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Super Mario Maker is coming on September 11, but the initial reviews of the game have been very favorable. Several major publications have given the game a perfect ten or just shy of that and while you’ll have to wait for our assessment of the game, here’s a short collection of some of the things the internet is saying about Nintendo’s latest effort.

Venture Beat – 10/10

Nintendo didn’t just do the bare minimum here. It didn’t just scrap together a level editor and sharing system. It has put unparalleled craft and care into every element of this game because it loves Mario as much as we do. And that propels this game into a whole other realm of greatness.

USGamer – 5/5

Just as Super Mario Bros. redefined the platformer genre, Super Mario Maker redefines the idea of a consumer-level game design toolset. It makes complexity feel simple and creativity addictive, and it does so by drawing upon, and holding true to, the principles of accessibility and polish that made Super Mario Bros. such a landmark all those years ago.

Polygon – 9.5/10

Where other publishers might release a making-of documentary of their golden era, Super Mario Maker does the unthinkable: It lets you do the making of. I have had a tremendous amount of fun playing Super Mario Maker, but the way it developed that newfound appreciation for something I’ve known my whole life was the game’s biggest accomplishment. Sure, there’s touches of fan service here and there, like a startling number of references to Mario Paint, but that’s not how it won me over. Super Mario Maker wooed me because it’s a hands-on history lesson.

GameSpot – 9/10

The first time I discovered that, not only could I make a giant, flame-spewing piranha plant, but I could also make it fly, I cackled with horrible glee at the possibilities. And for the first time in a creation-focused experience, I look forward to returning again and again for more than just the amazing levels I know other people will create. I want to keep making my own levels better. The game won’t necessarily turn you into the next Shigeru Miyamoto, but you can almost feel a little bit of that magic rubbing off every time you upload a new creation.

Destructoid – 8/10

Super Mario Maker is a charming little creation tool, and I’m sure fans will come up with some amazing levels for years to come. However, it feels a bit more constrained than it needs to be, and is in dire need of updates or DLC to keep it going long term.

IGN – 9/10

Super Mario Maker is a great way to mark Mario’s 30th birthday, but it’s not concerned with being an overwrought history lesson. Instead, it’s a celebration that folds three decades of Mario into one accessible, powerful creation suite. The perpetual joke at the end of every 10 Mario Challenge run informing you that the Princess is in yet another castle hints at Super Mario Maker’s bigger promise: There will always be more levels to play thanks to the online creation community, and a virtually endless pool of challenges to overcome.

The Destructoid review is about as critical as they get and then the only complaint from them is that the game seems as though it could be supported through more DLC. It’s likely that it will, given Nintendo’s history of DLC support with its latest games.

Have the reviews pushed you over the edge into buy territory for the game, or were you already getting it despite the reviews? Let us know in the comments!