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Super Mario Maker Getting Major Update, Introducing Checkpoints and More

The free update arrives next week.

41 Comments

Nintendo has announced a new update for Wii U level-building game Super Mario Maker that, among other things, introduces the ability to add mid-level checkpoints. The free update, due November 4, also adds new Course World categories that will showcase levels made by Nintendo as well as third-parties.

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Players have already created and uploaded more than 3.3 million Super Mario Maker courses, up from 2.2 million less than a month ago, Nintendo also announced.

With the update applied, players can edit their existing Super Mario Maker levels to include checkpoint functionality or build entirely new creations with the feature built in. "Shaking an arrow sign item from the course parts palette will allow you to place a checkpoint flag," Nintendo explained in a statement.

The November 4 Super Mario Maker update also introduces new power-up functionality.

Nintendo explains: "Following the update, players can also insert power-ups that are dependent on Mario's status. For example, by attaching a Super Mushroom to a Fire Flower and placing it inside a block, Mario will receive the Super Mushroom when he is small, and the Fire Flower when he is large."

As for the new Course World categories, one is called Event Courses. One of the first courses added to this is "Ship Love," the level created by Facebook employees earlier this year. Another new Event Course is the one featured in this summer's Omegathon at PAX Prime. Read more about that level at Geekwire.

No Caption Provided

Going forward, Nintendo said it will add new Event Courses on an "ongoing basis." Some of these levels may feature "Mystery Mushroom transformations." Finally, Nintendo announced that this new update also adds a new Official Makers section to the Course Wold, which will feature "specially selected courses, including some created by Nintendo."

For more on the new Super Mario Maker update, watch the video above or click through the images in the gallery. The game has sold more than 1 million copies. Check out our review here.

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Andycreep1

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4CB9-0000-00EA-87AD MARIO MAKER

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aquamah

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Edited By aquamah

too late. i got bored

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Ye_Olde_Gamer2

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Edited By Ye_Olde_Gamer2

Looking for classic-style Super Mario Brother levels? Secret areas, hard/fair difficulty, and at least 2 hidden 1-ups in each level!

Classic dungeon level: 5395-0000-009D-4527

Classic underground level: 35AD-0000-00C6-BAFA

Classic Bullet-Bill level: FFA8-0000-00B3-E43D

2 hard classic Lakitu levels: 517E-0000-00C3-5D99, D291-0000-00A0-92AE

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megakick

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Check point and the small Mario/ super Mario power ups are a BIG PLUS.

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drumjod

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Edited By drumjod

Great news, especially about the check points!

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KaBob799

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Sounds very good, hopefully this is only the first of many updates. I figured they'd add checkpoints but I'm happily surprised they are adding the conditional fire flower thing. Hopefully the next update is more focused on things like new enemies and map features.

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ElectricOcarina

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Yeeeeeaaaaaaassssssss

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TJDMHEM

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this is going to be interesting.

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Maroxad

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Free support is always great.

But I feel like this only adds things that should have been in since launch. And still no slopes >_>

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hystavito

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@Maroxad: I agree. I think Nintendo has just recently (like with Splatoon) decided to do what many other companies have been doing for ages because it generally works to keep players engaged and/or possibly buying. Nintendo has that image of being a "nice" company though so it might work even better for them.

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Braghez

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@hystavito: Well, at least I noticed that they try to deliver a game with a finished "core" and a solid base on which they can work on...many studios just decide to release unfinisheds and unpolished games just to make them better later...some of them even with paid stuff.
Just look at Planetary Annihilation...people bought that game on steam for 90 euros or so (not me luckily...and at least people from kickstarter got the second game for free) and they released an highly umpolished and empty game in early access...and i said ok, it's easly access, let's see how they roll. After some months and some stupid weap updates they decide to release the game...clearly not delivering even a single thing of what they promised...and they left it there.
After 1 year...sbam ! They decided to remake it and they re-launched the same game, with all the missing stuff and polishing needed, which you had to buy again ! not even a DLC, buy a totally new game !
I mean...there should be a limit on how low you can go.

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ElectricOcarina

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@Maroxad: notice they said "among other things"

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ElectricOcarina

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@electricocarina: oh sorry watched the official announcement. no slopes lol

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kangaroosly911

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Now erease ''Automatic levels'' that I REALLY don't care and still don't know why people still make that ! And I'll be really happy !!!

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bizuit

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@kangaroosly911: You could always just not play them

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BrunoBRS

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checkpoints were sorely needed. now please add a tag system so i can find good levels more easily, rather than digging through a bunch of music levels and "don't touch anything" levels.

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nini200

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@BrunoBRS: BRUNO!!! Where you been

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nini200

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Not this is what I'm talking about. Levels and Events created directly from Nintendo instead of terribly designed gamer made levels. This has me closer to actually purchasing the game now.

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sds3387

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@nini200: you're underestimating the talent out there. Yes, there are a lot of garbage levels, but I've played a lot of excellent levels too. They're not too hard to find either. I'll spend hours at a time just sifting through levels, playing whichever looks interesting. More often than not, they are.

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nini200

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@sds3387: I wish I was underestimating the talent from what I've seen. From your experience, whats the ratio of good to bad levels out there? I watch GameJ06's twitch stream a lot and most of the levels he's came across were troll levels, punish the player/get the player stuck for taking the wrong turn levels, autoplay levels or easy jump and run over everything to the flag levels.

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sds3387

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Edited By sds3387

@nini200: I would say it's 70/30 bad/good. I'm not denying there are a lot of garbage levels out there and a lot of "gotcha" levels. But there's enough good levels that feel very nostalgic or have very unique ideas that it's worth playing through them. The autoplay levels are impressive in the fact that they probably take FOREVER to get right, but they're boring to watch.

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nini200

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@sds3387: I definitely have seen what you mean as far as the craftsmanship of creating those autoplay levels. That is definitely good but the novelty wears off fairly quickly. I'm kind of on the fence about this game but with the 4th and 5th additions, it's helping me get closer to a purchase. This game also needs 2 player alternating like Super Mario World had and the ability to create a custom map of your created (and maybe favorited) levels. I'd like those features.

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madsnakehhh

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@sds3387: Its actually very easy to find good levels, is a bit more hard to find excellent leves but they are definitely there and its also really easy to avoid troll levels.

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nini200

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@madsnakehhh: I saw that you can skip the levels you don't like and all so yeah I can see that. What difficulty have you found the most good/excellent levels on?

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madsnakehhh

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@nini200: It actually has a little bit of everything for everyone, i have found some pretty challenging levels that are really fun to play, as well as some easy levels that are very well designed, of course there are also some crazy levels with just the right amount of difficulty, and the usual trollish in a hillarious way levels (like the Giant Bomb levels).

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nini200

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@madsnakehhh: Giant Bomb made levels? I'll check those out. And ok cool about the variety.

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madsnakehhh

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@nini200: Check out their process of making them...its one of the funniest things ever XD.

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KBFloYd

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this is a decent amount of DLC ....and its free! 2 big things people wanted..

but needs more....more!

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nini200

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Edited By nini200

@KBFloYd: Agreed, like 2 player

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deactivated-58ce94803a170

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Omg, your about to break the internet.

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Bread_or_Decide

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I have a feeling the support for this game will rival Splatoon.

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elheber

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I'd been begging for this from the start.

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akaimizu

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Nice. Not only am I glad they are supporting this with updates, I'm glad they got a requested feature finished and ready to go so fast, knowing how much testing they usually need before they release them.

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Tiwill44

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Now we're talking. Kind of silly that they didn't launch the game with checkpoints, but oh well, better late than never.

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deactivated-58ce94803a170

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@Tiwill44: I think they didnt want so many people making long or super difficult levels in the beginning. I think they always intended to update it like this. I expect to see Star Coins added later in an update.

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Tiwill44

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Edited By Tiwill44

@mesome713: Yeah, that's probably it. Same reason we didn't have everything unlocked from the start: limitation fuels creativity.

It was pretty funny seeing those levels with improvised checkpoints where if you fall, you don't die but you gotta backtrack a bit and climb a vine back up. Oh, and the famous infinite mushroom pipes.

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JDlok

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Resident Evil 4 HD please.

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madsnakehhh

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Edited By madsnakehhh

This is pretty neat...i would like some more items as well, but i guess they'll leave that for later because its clear we will have Super Mario Maker a while.

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This_Bro_Knows

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I'm really hoping they support and add-to this game about the same amount as they have Splatoon. I think there are so many great DLC opportunities, and I think the way to keep this game relevant is to continuously add new content to give people a reason to go back and play/build.

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KaBob799

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@this_bro_knows: Yeah if they want to keep interest up they should do a small update every couple months. There's enough enemies in Super Mario World alone to provide over a year of updates.

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