Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Reviews

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Nov 30, 2016

If you’re looking for endless side-scrolling action on a handheld, you aren’t going to do better than Super Mario Maker on 3DS. It’s the most Super Mario we’ve seen packed into the handheld to date with a seemingly endless number of levels to tackle that will keep you busy as long as you let it.

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9 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS doesn't match the Wii U original in terms of visual polish or amiibo 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.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS hits home and aside from a couple mild issues, it’s a dream come true for Nintendo nuts.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2017

Easy to use, versatile level-creator with some content-sharing limitations. Solid platformer.

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85 / 100
Dec 12, 2016

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a great game, and possibly the best 2D Mario available on the system. The creative mentality seems to unlock the developers from holding true to past level designs, and allows creators to toy with the varied elements of a Mario level to really create something special.

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8.2 / 10.0
Dec 5, 2016

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a good game but has so many features missing that made it the hit on Wii U.

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Nov 30, 2016

Still a magical creative toolkit with an outstanding interface

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Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for 3DS comes pretty close to being a perfect portable adaptation of an incredible Wii U game. It certainly works a lot better than previous ports had led me to expect! That said, the absence of one of the original game's most important elements truly diminishes this conversion. The new format and new pre-baked content go a long way toward making up for the loss... but while this version is worth owning for the 100 (!) new levels alone, it's still not the definitive Super Mario Maker.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

18 worlds full of beautiful levels, pure Nintendo quality, with interesting achievements, are the main selling point of the game. The editor is nice, but it's crippled by the limited sharing options.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

The infinite Super Mario that was Super Mario Maker on Wii U is quite limited in this portable version.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

VideoGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for 3DS is a perfect fit for the handheld, with loads of content and excellent creation tools, but why can't you share levels online? That decision is baffling.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Nintendo's brilliant course creator is ready to come to a 3DS near you, but with a couple of notable limitations

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8 / 10.0
Dec 13, 2016

Super Mario Maker for the 3DS is enjoyable but it has its drawbacks.  While the 100 Mario Challenge and Super Mario Challenge are both fun to play through, the lackluster search function of the Recommended Courses, having to go through the Super Mario Challenge to unlock most of the stuff for stage creation, and the quizzical lack of ability to upload courses and share them with the world outside of locally and via StreetPass make this a hard game to recommend at $40 for a lot of people.

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GameMAG
ASarafanov
Top Critic
8 / 10
Feb 6, 2017

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is a great game for platformer fans thanks to an interesting set of episodes and a deep level editor. Test of Super Mario Mode will be the outlet for the hardcore audience. Besides, the game is just perfect in order to pass the time in between daily activities and trips.

Review in Russian | Read full review

80 / 100
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for 3DS is a great addition to the 3DS library.

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Stevivor
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Dec 7, 2016

Ultimately, Super Mario Maker is paired down on 3DS, but not to ridiculous levels. Editing is as easy on a 3DS touchscreen as a Wii U touchpad — though decidedly easier on a 3DS XL than a 3DS — and gameplay is largely the same. If you own a copy on Wii U, it’s probably better to stick with that. For most of us — who either don’t own a Wii U or who mothballed it a while ago — this entry’s a great little package to pick up for Christmas.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Feb 7, 2017

Missing features, but not missing class

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8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is not just a shrunken-down version of its Wii U counterpart, but a title that puts more emphasis on the single player and on local sharing of contents. It's a pity, then, that no online sharing is included and that some features are missing. Still, a worthy episode for long time fans of the franchise.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10
Dec 15, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS isn’t definitive, but the exhilaration of making a Mario level wherever you are in the world is a pretty amazing thing, as is one of the best 2D Mario experiences in recent memory.

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8 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS continues to delight with wacky and unexpected creations. It falters in not looking to foster an online community of its own but remains the perfect construction kit to live out your Mushroom Kingdom dreams.

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