SUPER MARIO MAKER 2: BUILD THE LEVEL, THEN WATCH YOUR FRIENDS SUFFER
8.5 of 10 bananas. Nintendo's 2019 level builder: make and share 2D Mario stages in five styles, or play millions made by others. Endless and inventive; building with a controller is slower than a touchscreen, and online play was always rough.
By the Alpha. Switch cartridge listing. Updated Nov 3 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, and it also plays on Switch 2 (developed and published by Nintendo, released June 28 2019). The Amazon button is the US Switch cartridge. At my Nov 3 2026 check the featured new offer was 49.99 dollars from a third-party seller named BEST SOURCE 365, shipped by Amazon, not sold by Amazon.com. That is below the original 59.99 dollar launch price. Sellers and prices change, so look at the seller before you pay.
Get Super Mario Maker 2 for Nintendo Switch on AmazonStore check, Nov 3 2026: new copies on offer from a third-party seller, BEST SOURCE 365, shipped by Amazon. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. Every young ape thinks they could build a better level than Nintendo. This game hands them the tools. Most learn humility. A few build something brilliant.
What It Wants To Be
Super Mario Maker 2 lets you build 2D Mario levels in the styles of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World. You can also play a story mode with more than 100 Nintendo made levels, and browse levels made by players around the world.
What Works
It is endless. Metacritic shows an 88, and the 2020 update added a World Maker and Link from Zelda as a power up. Slopes, water levels, night themes, and the Clear Condition system made it far more flexible than the first game. The story mode alone is a solid Mario game, and co-op building is a blast.
What Breaks
Listen well. Without the Wii U GamePad, building with a controller in TV mode feels slow, so handheld touch is best. Online multiplayer had lag and no way to play with friends at launch, and Nintendo ended new updates years ago. The quality of player levels is wild, from genius to cruel troll stages.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love 2D Mario, want to build, or have kids who dream up levels. Skip it if you only want a single, polished adventure.
STRENGTHS
- Endless levels to play
- Deep, flexible building tools
- Strong story mode
- Fun co-op building
HONEST COSTS
- Slow building on TV
- Rough online play
- Third-party seller, not Amazon.com
Affiliate note: this Amazon link supports the troop at no extra cost to you. One CTA per review. Platforms listed honestly above.