Super Mario Maker 2 has been out for a week now and it has absorbed a lot of my time. While it feels like a great package, there are some more things I want to see in the game. The first Mario Maker had a few updates post-launch, some of them adding new things, so it’s not a stretch to think that more things could and would be added to this game. For example, they already said that online with friends would be added in the future. So, I’ve made a little wishlist of all the things I’d like to see added or changed.

Super Mario Bros 2. Style

The new Super Mario 3D World style is listed under a separate heading, called “Extra Styles,” and it opens the way for new styles to be added in the future. If more styles are to be added, why not start with Super Mario Bros. 2?

Super Mario Bros. 2 is a unique game, though many of its elements can be seen and felt in other Mario games, mainly Shy Guys and Birdo. Enemies can’t be defeated by jumping on them, but instead, they have to be hit by something you grab, like vegetables or other enemies. This would go beyond the new things and different movement options presented in the 3D World style, and a Super Mario Bros. 2 style would radically change the game. Throwing things becomes a central mechanic for developers to work with, and it would be really interesting to see what kind of stuff people would make in this style.

Improved Skipsqueaks

Skipsqueaks are the 3D World rat enemies that stay in one place and jump whenever Mario jumps. In the overview trailer, the narrator speculates that Skipsqueaks could be used to solve puzzles. However, the puzzle capabilities of Skipsqueaks are hindered by one thing: they can’t activate switches.

They just sort of make a comedic thud when they hit one, which really limits what they could do. Imagine a level full of on-off blocks and only Skipsqueaks have control of the switch. It’d become something like the “no landing after entering the air” levels, with you feeling pressured not to jump while going across a line of blocks, lest a rat seals your fate. If Thwomps can activate switches, surely these bad boys can, too.

More Clear Conditions

Speaking of the “no landing after entering the air” levels, the clear conditions are a great addition to Super Mario Maker 2, but they could always add more. Sure, there’s a condition for killing a certain number of enemies, but how about one where you don’t kill any? Imagine Mario (or others) taking a vow of pacifism, and having to rush through a level without harming anyone.

Also, how about that thing in the corner? You know, the thing next to the clock? There’s still a scoring system, but it’s essentially meaningless since time is the only thing that matters in rankings. Attempting to get a certain score before reaching the end, can lend meaning to this mechanic though.

More Enemies

There’s a whole lot of enemies in the Mario series beyond the standard stuff of Goombas and Koopas. I’ve been looking through this Tumblr account, called Weird Mario Enemies, and it has me thinking that there are a lot more enemies that can be added to the game.

Like, the New Super Mario Bros. style could reintroduce the Broozer, this weird punch ghost that decimates brick walls while trying to kill you. Sure, the Mario Maker games have brought back the Shoe and the Angry Sun from Super Mario Bros. 3, but it could also bring back the Pile Driver Micro-Goomba; those Goomba variants that disguise themselves as blocks. Who needs cheap enemies hidden in blocks, when the blocks themselves can become enemies? The point is, there’s a lot of weirder stuff that Super Mario Maker 2 can draw on to add more variety to levels.

Super Mario Maker 2 is a good time, though it can become a better time. A lot of people are already making fun levels with the tools they have, and the variety will only grow stronger with more tools.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.