Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Reviews

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.9 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2016

If you’ve messed about on the Wii U game and simply need to make 2D Mario Levels on the bus or in your bathroom, the 3DS version fits the bill. Otherwise, you’ve seen most of this circus before. If, however, you have never participated in the glory that is mucking about in an interactive toolkit for one of gaming’s most revered franchises, Super Mario Maker on 3DS becomes something like an essential backpack, or deserted island, companion. Long may you run.

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7.8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Mario Maker 3DS is missing some core features from its Wii U counterpart, but it absolutely works as a portable Mario creation suite

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
7.8 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker is a great game, but this handheld version is missing a couple of features that made the Wii U version essential. Loads of fun to be had, just far too familiar.

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7.8 / 10.0
Dec 31, 2016

The fact that players cannot share and play others' courses on the 3DS through a complete course browser is the single thing that holds this version back. With the Super Mario Challenge and the fluid mechanics intact, we still have a solid product in Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS.

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7.3 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS is not a hurried porting. The efforts made to ensure the title could have a place in the 3DS line-up are tangible. The single player mode, for instance, is finally interesting and funny. The lack of online, on the other way, deprive the project of a substantial dose of appeal.

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IGN
Top Critic
7.2 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

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 will 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.

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3.6 / 5.0
Dec 9, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS is a fun game on this console that offers some really fun gameplay and more importantly, the ability to create your own 2D arcade worlds with an intuitive creation system. However the downside of this title is the lack of sharing your creations with other players from the around the world and if this was included in Super Mario Maker 3DS, it would have been a fantastic game on this console. It’s still a fun game but is missing that final piece of the gaming puzzle!

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Some of the best 2D Mario levels in years, but the lack of online options means the construction aspect is unnecessarily limited.

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7 / 10
Nov 30, 2016

Worth picking up for fans of Mario games, but there are too many jarring limitations that I really hope Nintendo see fit to address.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

A good Mario game with a fun single player, but one that lacks the tools to make it fully worthwhile from a creation point of view.

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70 / 100
Dec 2, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS is a subpar port of a great game. While a lot of the fun is still there, the lack of sharing and search features make for an overall inferior experience.

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Nov 25, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS is a great port, with creation tools that work wonders on the touchscreen and the Challenge mode is a brilliant addition. It's only besmirched by the fact online sharing is so very limited. Perhaps with a future update? We seriously doubt it. If you've not tried Super Mario Maker on Wii U and aren't bothered by sharing your creations with the world, it's still very much worth your time.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jan 7, 2017

Following 2015’s excellent Wii U version, Super Mario Maker 3DS takes the fun of Mario level design on the go. The portable version brings the fun of the original’s creation tools as well as modes like the 100-course and 100-Mario challenges. Although the visual downgrade is expected, however, the limited level-sharing options are more surprising and take out the teeth from an otherwise solid game that’s centered on creation.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

With all that said, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is still a great holiday buy for gamers that only own a Nintendo 3DS. The game acts like a quick Super Mario campaign with an accompanying endless collection of levels — and endless Super Mario levels is never a bad thing. Despite a fantastic new delivery system found in Super Mario Challenge, too may of the downgrades strip the components of Super Mario Maker that made it a breakaway success on Wii U.

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Marooners' Rock
Marooners' Rock Writer
7 / 10.0
Dec 8, 2016

This is one scenario where Nintendo should have been generous, instead of making players work for everything. You can tell that it’s just not the playground it used to be, despite some options still being present.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

The local level creation is nice when it’s available, but that’s probably not going to be very often. The ''Maker'' part of the title seems less to matter. While I never made too many levels to begin with, having the possibility missing is something that can't be denied.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 29, 2016

The problem with Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is that while it does everything it needs to be a fun title, it does still have a bigger and better older brother. It comes around as a sleeker model that offers much of the same experience but it, unfortunately, left the popular features of the older model behind.

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6.9 / 10.0
Nov 30, 2016

Super Mario Maker is every bit the engrossing, feature rich creation tool that it is on the Wii U, but only if you plan on sharing your creations with a very limited pool of people. Its lack of real course-sharing rips out the heart of what made this title so captivating on the Wii U, making it a clear second best choice.

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6 / 10.0
Dec 13, 2016

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.

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Nov 30, 2016

Nintendo's port of Super Mario Maker is a great distraction for those that missed out on the Wii U installment, but it is lacking when compared to the console iteration.

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