Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 For alternate box art, see therelated gallery. | |||||||||||||||||
| Developers | Nintendo Software Technology Corporation Nintendo EPD | ||||||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||||||
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS | ||||||||||||||||
| Release dates | Original release: December 1, 2016[1] December 1, 2016[2] December 1, 2016[3] December 2, 2016[4] December 2, 2016[5] December 2, 2016[6] December 3, 2016[7] August 3, 2017[8]Nintendo Selects: June 29, 2018[9] November 2, 2018[10] November 29, 2018[11] February 4, 2019[12] | ||||||||||||||||
| Languages | English (United States) English (United Kingdom) Japanese Dutch French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Korean Portuguese (Europe) Russian Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||
| Genres | Level editor,Platform | ||||||||||||||||
| Ratings |
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| Mode | 1 player | ||||||||||||||||
| Format | Nintendo 3DS:  Game Card Digital download | ||||||||||||||||
| Input | Nintendo 3DS: | ||||||||||||||||
| Serial codes | CTR-AJHJ-JPN CTR-AJHE-USA | ||||||||||||||||
- Everyone
- All ages
- Three years and older
- All ages
- All ages
- All ages
- Six years and older
- General
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is aNintendo 3DSport of the 2015Wii U gameSuper Mario Maker. Despite being a Nintendo 3DS game, it is only playable in 2D. It was initially released in December 2016. As of 2024, this game is recognized as an independent entry in theSuper Mario series, specifically the nineteenth.[13] The only other rereleases or ports to be recognized byNintendo as standalone entries are the ones that saw release on theNintendo Switch.
Changes and new features[edit]
The game includes much of the content from the original Wii U release, with notable exceptions being its sample courses, 10 Mario Challenge, theMystery Mushroom andBig Mushroom power-ups (and thus theCostume Mario andBig Mario forms), and searching for courses by code. It is also possible to play courses made in the Wii U version, though not every course is compatible with the 3DS version due to version differences, such as the removal of Mystery Mushrooms and Big Mushrooms from the 3DS version.
Exclusive toSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS and replacing the Wii U version's sample courses, the game includes 100 new courses designed byNintendo pre-installed. The courses also include medal objectives, in which the player must fulfill certain criteria, such as collecting everycoin in the level, to earn a medal. Players can also send unfinished courses to other players, by way of Local Play, and they can team up, or collaborate, on stages. Stages made in this way have a special icon marked next to it. The editing mode of the game also includes Yamamura's Lessons,[14] an interactive tutorial guided byMary O. andYamamura.[4] A similar feature namedYamamura's Dojo would later be included inSuper Mario Maker 2.
Super Mario Challenge[edit]
TheSuper Mario Challenge (calledChallenge Courses in theCoursebot) is a challenge mode containing 100 levels that replaces 10 Mario Challenge from the Wii U version. It has Challenge Medals to collect that come in handy for accessing the 19th world. Each time one of the first 18 worlds is cleared for the first time, some course parts are unlocked.
Gameplay[edit]
The 100 levels are divided up into 19 worlds. However,Princess Peach is taken to World 18. The player needs to go through 88 of the 100 levels to rescue Peach. After the player clears the final level,World 18-8, Peach thanks Mario for saving her and calls him her hero, after which the credits play, which depicts Mario walking down a Ground-themed level in theSuper Mario Bros. style while theTime Limit counts down the credits duration.
World 19 is unlocked in the Coursebot when Peach is rescued. The first level in World 19 is dependent on collecting 40 Challenge Medals. The actual mode has the player starting out with ten lives, but they can increase it to 100 lives. If the player receives a Game Over, the player has to restart from the beginning of the world they are on. Lives gained or lost in the Coursebot do not change the lives in the mode. After rescuing Peach, the player can choose to redo the whole challenge with altered text for completing World 19.
The Super Mario Challenge mode also features a map that has 18 worlds. The number of levels start at four (Worlds 1-7, 10-12, 14-16), increases to six (Worlds 8 and 13), then increase to eight (Worlds 9, 17 and 18), and finally to twelve (hidden World 19) with the color of the world map background gradually changing as well (with the exception of World 19 which is exclusive to Coursebot).[15]
Levels[edit]
Challenge Medals[edit]
The are two types ofChallenge Medals that can be collect through the playthrough or Coursebot for each level. Nintendo mentioned some of these challenges in trailers before the game came out. The first medal is theGoomba Challenge Medal. It is available on the first time play. The second harder medal is theBowser Challenge Medal. This one does not show up until either it is completed or the Goomba Challenge Medal has been earned. The Bowser Challenge medal can be either a more advanced form, a total opposite, or a non-related challenge of the Goomba Challenge Medal. No Challenge Medals can be earned if the player loses a life after touching aCheckpoint Flag.
Assist Items[edit]
Assist Items are items that could appear when the player loses five lives. The player can choose not to accept the item, but they would be asked again if they lose five more lives. If the item is activated, the Challenge Medal would become unobtainable. Assist Items can't be activated after the player touches the Checkpoint Flag, as it, too, removes the possibility of collecting Challenge Medals.
Ending[edit]
After the player rescues Peach, the credits roll while Mario walks. There are coins at the top-left corner possibly meaning lives added. When Mario enters the castle, the score of all 88 levels is rallied up. After that, a "To be continued..." message appears due to the player needing to play World in order to unlock bonus content.
Differences between versions[edit]
- Due to hardware limitations forSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS:
- The following elements have been removed from the Nintendo 3DS version:
- Mystery Mushrooms; theWeird Mushroom replaces the Mystery Mushroom as the game theme-specific power-up in theSuper Mario Bros. game theme.
- Without Mystery Mushrooms,amiibo figurine support andEvent Courses have been consequently removed from the game, and clearing 100 Mario Challenge will no longer reward a costume.
- Big Mushrooms.[16]
- Without amiibo figurine support, scanning theSuper Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary amiibo will no longer summon a Big Mushroom.
- Cat paws and its other hand tones.
- TheGnat Attack minigame.
- Course IDs and all courses that involve the Mystery Mushroom and/or Big Mushroom items (although the player can download Wii U courses from theinternet and participate in the 100 Mario Challenge).
- Additionally, searching via the Super Mario Maker Bookmark portal site has been removed from the Nintendo 3DS version.[17]
- Mystery Mushrooms; theWeird Mushroom replaces the Mystery Mushroom as the game theme-specific power-up in theSuper Mario Bros. game theme.
- Players can no longer upload their courses, but instead, they can share them with other players via Local Play or StreetPass.[4]
- The Nintendo 3DS version has seven item interface columns with nine items each, as opposed to its Wii U predecessor, which has five columns with twelve items each. Also, there is no longer a crown column, and all items completely fill each column.
- It is no longer possible to record custom sound effects.
- The letters on the title screen can no longer be tapped due to them being on the top screen.
- There are fewer buttons when searching online courses.
- The following elements have been removed from the Nintendo 3DS version:
- Checkpoint Flags,Skewers, andKeys are now standalone course elements, meaning they no longer need to be created by shaking an arrow sign, aThwomp, or aP Switch, respectively.
- The following elements are now available from the start:
- TheSuper Mario Bros. 3 andSuper Mario World game styles.
- TheUnderwater,Airship,Ghost House, andCastle course themes.
- Mario's trail display, the timer and autoscroll settings, thesound effects menu, and the ability to create sub-areas.
- Donut Blocks,Fire Flowers,1-Up Mushrooms,Lifts,Cheep Cheeps,Bloopers,Spike Traps,Semisolid Platforms,Checkpoint Flags, the game style specific power-ups (Weird Mushrooms,Super Leaves,Cape Feathers, andPropeller Mushrooms),Super Stars,Bill Blasters,Dry Bones,Fire Bars,Burners,Hammer Bros., andTracks—however,Coins,Trampolines,Piranha Plants,Warp Doors,Boos, andBowser can no longer be turned intoPink Coins, Sideways Trampolines,Fire Piranha Plants, P Warp Doors orKey Doors, Boo Buddies, andBowser Jr., respectively, until certain points.
- Shaking the following elements no longer gives them alternate forms until the player meets certain conditions:
- Coins can no longer be turned intoPink Coins until all of the secret World 19 courses have been cleared.
- Trampolines can no longer be turned into Sideways Trampolines until World 9 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Piranha Plants can no longer be turned intoFire Piranha Plants until World 4 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Warp Doors can no longer be turned into P Warp Doors orKey Doors until Worlds 12 and 18, respectively, of Super Mario Challenge have been cleared.
- Boos can no longer be turned into Boo Buddies until World 9 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Bowser can no longer be turned intoBowser Jr. until all of the secret World 19 courses have been cleared.
- Rocky Wrenches can no longer be turned intoMonty Moles until World 6 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Buzzy Beetles can no longer be turned intoBuzzy Shells until World 15 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Spinies can no longer be turned into Spiny Shells until World 16 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Grinders can no longer be turned intoBumpers until World 16 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- Koopa Clown Cars can no longer be turned intoFire Koopa Clown Cars until World 18 of Super Mario Challenge has been cleared.
- The Nintendo 3DS version supports the ability for different players to collaborate on courses together via Local Play.
- 10 Mario Challenge has been replaced with Super Mario Challenge, which consists of 100 courses designed by Nintendo in 18 different worlds.[14]
- Half of the 60 course elements are unlocked at the start, compared to the Wii U version, which has a set of elements unlocked at a time each day.[14]
- When placing an object down in the course creator, instead of a distorted voice saying the name of the object, there is simply a small sound that sounds like two sticks tapping each other.
- Upon starting the game for the first time, the player no longer needs to play though an unfinished course and a guided tutorial before being able to access the Main Menu. Instead, the player is greeted with an introductory speech fromYamamura andMary O.[18]
- It is now possible to skip one of the seven intros upon starting up the game.
- If the game card is used on another Nintendo 3DS system, a message will appear saying the player will need to delete all data from the game card.
Updates[edit]
The following is a list of updates thatSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS has received.[19]
Version 1.02[edit]
Release date: December 2, 2016
- The two network features of Course World, "Recommended Courses" and "100 Mario Challenge", are now supported.
- Fixed various issues leading to improved overall gameplay experience.
Version 1.03[edit]
Release date: April 27, 2017
A number of issues have been fixed to make for a pleasant playing experience.
This update was released alongside the version 1.46 update forSuper Mario Maker.
Version 1.04[edit]
Release date: November 7, 2017
A number of issues have been fixed to make for a pleasant playing experience.
This update was released alongside the version 1.47 update forSuper Mario Maker.
Version 1.05[edit]
Release date: March 23, 2021
Addressed an issue involving StreetPass functionality.
Profiles[edit]
- Nintendo 3DS eShop description:
- English (United States):
Get ready to play a near-infinte number of side-scrolling 2D Mario courses anytime, anywhere! Earn in-game medals in 100 built-in courses and access recommended courses from the Super Mario Maker™ game on the Wii U™ console. Plus, design courses and share them with other players via the StreetPass™ feature and local wireless!
Want your cannons to shoot coins? Go for it! In this game, you call the shots, and simple touch-screen controls and interactive tutorials make designing courses a snap. Learn design tips and tricks from Mary O. and Yamamura, then share your masterpieces via the StreetPass™ feature and local wireless. Collaborating has never been easier now that you can share incomplete courses with other players. Finish off a course together and a special icon will commemorate the collaboration. That's one of many reasons that this is the must-play portable Mario™ game for inventive groups of friends and anyone yearning for never-ending Super Mario™ magic. - English (United Kingdom):
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is all about playing courses anytime, anywhere.
There's lots to play right out of the box, with 100 built-in courses designed by Nintendo. Those levels have extra challenges too, such as collecting every coin or defeating every enemy before reaching the goal. Completing these extra challenges earns you medals.
- English (United States):
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS.
Logo
Mario holds a New Nintendo 3DS XL
Mario and Toad on a New 3DS XL
Multimedia[edit]
 | It has been requested thatmore audio and/or video files related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: More samples of tracks composed for this version Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
 Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS - The music for even-numbered worlds. An arrangement ofDonut Plains fromSuper Mario World. | File info 0:30 |
Glitches[edit]
NOTE: All names are conjectural unless otherwise specified.
Headless Bowser Jr.[edit]
NOTE: This glitch only works on theNew Super Mario Bros. U game style.
For this glitch, the player must have aBowser Jr. and aKoopa Clown Car, regardless of which type it is. When Bowser Jr. takes any form of damage or is far away from Mario, he hides into his shell and starts speeding towards Mario. If he falls into a Koopa Clown Car while inside his shell, his head will be jammed inside, giving somewhat of a headless appearance.
There is also another way to experience this glitch by using a Spiny Shell on Mario. When Bowser Jr. hides into his shell, the player should wait until he jumps back out to attack. When he is in mid-air, Mario needs to run under him so he takes damage. When he jumps from the damage, Bowser Jr. is headless for a second before retreating into his shell.
Mystery Mushroom[edit]
By way of a glitch or a possible developer oversight, it was possible to spawnMystery Mushrooms using a BigMagikoopa prior to version 1.0.3. Touching the Mystery Mushroom would turn Mario into Small Mario with the same abilities as Super Mario.[20]
Wrong Bob-omb Color[edit]
In all game styles exceptNew Super Mario Bros. U, if the player places a litBob-omb in the level's main area in the editor, it is colored red as it should be. However, if the player goes to the sub-area and places a lit Bob-omb, it is incorrectly colored gray in the editor. (The color is fixed when play-testing the course, or when the player taps an object while in editing mode.)
Pre-release and unused content[edit]
Reception[edit]
| Reviews | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Reviewer, Publication | Score | Comment |
| Nintendo 3DS | Jose Otero,IGN | 7.2/10 | "The core idea behind Super Mario Maker is the ability to create, play, and share your creation, but the 3DS drops the ball on the last part of that credo. It's worth noting that designing stages is as easy at it is convenient on the portable 3DS, but not having a larger platform to showcase unique creations left me wondering what the point is. It's still an excellent way to play a bottomless pit of classic-style 2D Mario, though, and that makes it worth keeping in your pocket." |
| Nintendo 3DS | Thomas Whitehead,Nintendo Life | 9/10 | "Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS doesn't match the Wii U original in terms of visual polish oramiibo support, nor does it have the vibrant online scene that defined that title. Despite this, there are smart design choices that compensate for these inevitable shortcomings, with additions that enable quicker and more educated level design, along with Super Mario Challenge, a large set of official levels that's more structured and enjoyable than equivalent modes in the HD iteration. For those without a Wii U, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a no-brainer, as it's a lot of Mario on one cartridge and a terrific creative toolset. For those with a Wii U it's a tougher call, as the HD original offers smart online features and sharing, even though the portable iteration offers a strong offline and solo playing experience. On its own merits, however, avoiding those comparisons, this 3DS version of an elite Wii U title deserves plenty of credit - it's a big success for small screens." |
| Nintendo 3DS | Jed Whitaker,Destructoid | 6/10 | "If the 3DS version would have came out prior to the Wii U version, I think we would all feel very differently about it, but that isn't the case. While the main features are there, the lack of online rips the heart out of the game making it little more than a glorified way to play a random selection of levels, most of which aren't very good, even with Nintendo's curation. On the other hand, the 100 included levels from Nintendo aren't to be missed if you want some of the best Super Mario Bros. levels released to date; they just aren't worth the $40 price tag alone. Super Mario Maker for 3DS isn't a bad game or even a bad creation tool, but without its online heart continuously pumping life into it, it feels more like a useless skeleton, and nobody likes skeletons. NOBODY." |
| Aggregators | |||
| Compiler | Platform / Score | ||
| Metacritic | 73 | ||
| GameRankings | 72.42% | ||
Staff[edit]
- Main article:List of Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS staff
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スーパーマリオメーカー for Nintendo 3DS[21] Sūpā Mario Mēkā fō Nintendō Surī Dī Esu | Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 超級瑪利歐創作家 for Nintendo 3DS[22] Chāojí Mǎlì'ōu Chuàngzuòjiā for Nintendo 3DS(Mandarin) Chīukāp Máhleih'āu Chongjokgā for Nintendo 3DS(Cantonese) | Super Mario Creator for Nintendo 3DS | |
| Korean | 슈퍼 마리오 메이커 for 닌텐도 3DS[23] Syupeo Mario Meikeo for Nintendo 3DS | Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS |
Notes[edit]
- TheNew Super Mario Bros. U template lacks the same quality as inNew Super Mario Bros. 2, which is also a Nintendo 3DS game. 3D elements do not have anti-aliasing effect, and 2D elements are blurrier than in the original game featuring the same art style, being more akin to the originalNew Super Mario Bros., for the originalNintendo DS.
References[edit]
- ^Nintendo (September 1, 2016).Nintendo 3DS Direct 2016.9.1 プレゼンテーション映像.YouTube (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^abNintendo 3DS/Nintendo 3DS XL - 香港任天堂網站.Nintendo Hong Kong (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved December 26, 2025. (Archived September 17, 2025, 17:14:07 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^abNintendo 3DS/Nintendo 3DS XL - 任天堂官方網站(台灣).Nintendo of Taiwan (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved December 26, 2025. (Archived July 9, 2025, 20:40:34 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^abcNintendo of America (September 1, 2016).Nintendo Direct 9.1.2016.YouTube (American English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Mario Maker - Nintendo 3DS.Amazon México (Mexican Spanish). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS games | Games | Nintendo UK.Nintendo UK (British English). Retrieved February 6, 2026. (Archived November 25, 2025, 06:02:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^Nintendo AU NZ (September 2, 2016).Grab your hard hats! #SuperMarioMaker for Nintendo #3DS arrives on 03/12 in AU/NZ! #NintendoDirect.Twitter (Australian English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^August 3, 2017.「슈퍼 마리오 메이커 for 닌텐도 3DS」 정식 발매.Nintendo of Korea (Korean). Archived September 25, 2017, 15:19:50 UTC from theoriginal via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^Nintendo UK (May 23, 2018).Nintendo Selects - more Nintendo 3DS fun!.YouTube (British English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^NintendoAUNZ (October 19, 2018).On Nov 2nd, Super #MarioMaker and #TomodachiLife will join the Nintendo #3DS line-up of #NintendoSelects, for only SRP AU$29.95 each!.X (Australian English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^November 12, 2018.한국닌텐도, Nintendo Switch 소프트웨어 「Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes」와 「New 닌텐도 2DS XL 하일리아의 방패 에디션」, 「Nintendo Selects」의 새로운 라인업 발매.Nintendo Korea. Archived December 11, 2018, 00:16:03 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Lada, Jenni (January 15, 2019).Super Mario Maker,Majora's Mask 3D, andStar Fox 64 3D Become 3DS Nintendo Selects.Siliconera (English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Nintendo Co., Ltd.HISTORY → Series →Super Mario.Mario Portal. Retrieved 6 Nov. 2024. (Archived October 3, 2024, 11:52:39 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^abcNintendo of America (November 17, 2016).Super Mario Maker 3DS - Overview Trailer (EN).YouTube (American English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^GameXplain (November 8, 2016).Super Mario Maker 3DS - Overview Trailer (JP).YouTube (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Koopman, Daan (November 17, 2016).Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Hands-on Preview.Nintendo World Report (English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^December 2, 2016.Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS: Differences between the Wii U version.Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^NintenDaan (November 17, 2016).(Mario Maker 3DS) Intro Gameplay.YouTube. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^December 2, 2016.How to Update Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS.Nintendo of America (American English). Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ^Marvin3130.Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS Costume Mario Found!! : MarioMaker.Reddit (English). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^Japanese box art
- ^瑪利歐歷史｜超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年｜任天堂.Nintendo of HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^「슈퍼 마리오 메이커 for 닌텐도 3DS」 소개 영상
External links[edit]
- Mario Portal Game Archive (EN)
- Mario Portal Game Archive (JP)
- Japanese website
- English e-manual
- French e-manual
- Spanish e-manual
