Super Mario Maker is a celebration of Wii U's biggest failure

Mario takes a long look at a great big hole in the ground. He begins a run and jumps at the very last moment, aiming to reach the brick flooring on the other side. He fails and plunges to oblivion.

[gangsta_red]

Good article, if only Nintendo would have had this and other creation type games for the Wii U at the very beginning of the console launch.

This and Mario Kart would have been great uses of the second screen for creating new levels and tracks.

[-Foxtrot]

"This and Mario Kart would have been great uses of the second screen for creating new levels and tracks"

If they did that Nintendo would most likely end up creating a spin off title like this game instead of putting that feature within the main game.

I mean I love Mario Kart 8 but it wasn't really the advancement of the series I was hoping for.

A map editor

More unlockables

The Battle mode actually being a battle mode, not just copy and pasting normal race tracks.

Maybe a single player mode like that found in Diddy Kong racing and Crash Team Racing. A Hub to drive around in of the Mushroom Kingdom where you could find unlockables and stuff.

[RPGrinder]

Chronic complainers. I can find any game and nitpick it apart.

[WeAreLegion]

I wouldn't consider that nitpicking. Battle Mode used to be half of the Mario Kart experience. They barely put it into 8. It's the only reason I play Mario Kart. They blew it.

[-Foxtrot]

I really don't see how that's nitpicking

Jeez...no wonder Nintendo never goes the extra mile with their games to add more stuff. They just do what they can and that's it

So you're telling me you wouldn't have wanted a map editor, an actual battle mode and a campaign. There just wasn't enough new content in the game despite the massive gap between Mario Kart Wii and this

[Neonridr]

@WeAreLegion @Foxtrot - but that can easily be addressed with a future DLC bringing back classic Battle Mode Arenas. Problem solved.

It's not like the game is broken or anything.

[-Foxtrot]

@Neonridr

You would want to PAY for something like the Battle Mode which should have been done properly from the start

It felt like they ran out of time and rushed it.

[CrowbaitBob]

@ Neonridr

If Battle Mode is added in a future DLC I'll gladly pay for it, no questions asked.

Unfortunately there has been zero evidence of Nintendo having any intention of releasing a proper battle mode. As such it's nothing more than throwing around a bunch of what ifs.

The game isn't anywhere near broken, but launching without a proper Battle Mode is a HUGE omission for a lot of die hard Mario Kart fans. Pretending it's no big deal is kinda silly.

[Hoffmann]

"He begins a run and jumps at the very last moment, aiming to reach the brick flooring on the other side. He fails and plunges to oblivion."

That reminded me at a lot of articles on Polygon.com.

[SuperStatePro]

I don't see it.

[Concertoine]

The overwritten, over dramatic display of middling vocabulary.

[Metallox]

I don't see it either. Sounds to me like something it could go on any kind of article, and not just on Polygon.

[rainslacker]

Polygon doesn't even jump, they just fall off the side of the brick flooring because as we used to say, "The controller is broken".

[FallenAngel1984]

Leave it to Mario to demonstrate how to properly use their controller gimmicks. The Gamepad has its times when its actually useful. But most times its under utilized and it comes off as a bit much asking people to buy something they'll probably never use when given the chance not to.

[RPGrinder]

Polygon is the failure.

The Wii U tried something different. Unlike the PS4 and X1 which are just weaker PCs basically. What games are showing innovation there? Nothing?

Nintendo tried and the market would rather have the same old same old

[Ninja_G_Aidan]

You're delusional. No one wants a Wii U for a big reason, the games!

[MSBAUSTX]

Sppoken exactly like someone who hasnt played them.

[RPGrinder]

@MSBAUSTX

True words, he is the dellusional one. Wii U has the best collection of exclusives of any console right now. It is not even close really.

Sony gave up on Supporting Vita. Pretty much have given up on supporting PS4 the first 2 years.

Nintendo never gave up on supporting Wii U and 3DS.

[lizard81288]

I agree with the best exclusives. Xbox One's seem to be heading to PC and the PS4 only has bloodborne and the rest still seem to be coming soon. Possibly next year or the year after. I have a bunch of Nintendo Wiiu games, and they are exclusive, and they are very good too.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Yeah and that the reason is why people nowadays only care about the SAME of everything.

[BenRage3]

@Ninja_G_Aidan

That's not entirely fair--the system has some A+ titles. The Wii U is kind of like the Vita in the sense that most who own one really like it.

It's just getting it in the hands of the skeptical public that's the problem and that's where you are correct. Wii U has a serious public image problem because of the lack of 3rd party support.

But RPGrinder 110% correct. Nintendo tried something different and they have my respect for trying. Name a new convention brought to the table by PS4 and Xbone? They are just PC's now, not that, that's a bad thing, but it is not innovative which is the argument RPGrinder was making--he's not delusional.

[WeAreLegion]

You're saying that none of the PS4/XBO games are innovative? Come on, man. That's ridiculous. There's plenty of innovation on every system. This gen is full of it, already. People DO respond well to innovation, but the game also has to be good. You're forgetting that.

There are excellent, innovative games on the Wii U, XBO, and PS4. But the Wii U is lacking the features and 3rd party support the others have. They all have killer libraries this gen. I know. I have all three. I highly recommend every gamer do the same.

So, can we stop this? It's a really stupid conversation.

[RPGrinder]

You did not even name a single game............Way to prove my point.

[MSBAUSTX]

Every game that is released still has the same basic building blocks: walk with the left stick, look with the right, A jumps, B crouches....blah blah blah so on and so on. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I appreciate those controls since they are what I am used to.

What he was trying to say is that Ninty tries to find NEW ways to PLAY the games. They still provide a basic controller almost identical to the XB controller. The difference is they try to innovate and invent new ways of immersion with the gaming environments.

The game mat for NES, the Glove for NES, The Blaster for NES (a first for home consoles), Bazooka for SNES, Rumble PAK and weird controller for N64, Another weird controller and Game Boy Advanced connectivity along with microphones and bongos for the Game Cube, MOTION CONTROLS for the Wii, DUAL SCREEN for the DS and then Dual screen 3D without glasses for the 3DS, Improved 3D for New 3DS, Amiibo extras and unlockables on tons of games, and now the dual screen on the Wii U with off TV gameplay and movies plus full gyro controls and up to 5 multiplayer at one time on some games.

Neither Sony or Xbox have any type of revolutionizing innovation, or gimmick if you want, in gaming other than the Dual analogs. Those can arguably just be a different way of playing keyboard and mouse meaning they applied the same controls to a smaller device.

Sure there are a few games here and there that may try some new type of gameplay when it comes to the button usage or style of gameplay, but Ninty tries really hard to get the person IN to the game. They want it to be fun and interactive. That is true innovation. Nintendo innovates in the WAY the games are played. The others do not.

All of the big 3 have a place on our shelves, I definitely agree. However, so many people write off the Wii U because it may not have comparable graphics, "Gimmicky game pad" ( a lame one because you don't have to use it since they have the Pro Controller), or because hating on it seems to be the "Cool" thing to do.

I own all 3 of the new consoles and the Wii U is just as entertaining as any of the "Next Gen" games I have played on my XB1 or PS4. The difference is that I get to play the games differently on the Wii U. That is what makes it refreshing. It isn't just another way of playing the same game.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

I want to say that I agree with you, dude.
I really do.
But...examples?
Because most of the biggest named games this gen have not really done anything innovative.

Batman?
Nope.
CoD?
Nope.
Witcher?
Nope.
Repeat as needed.

The list goes on and on.
It does NOT make those games BAD, but innovative?
Not so much.

It's honestly the smaller titles, on the other systems, that have shown more innovation. Stuff like Tearaway and Unravel, and indie games.

Then there's Nintendo, coming out of left field with games like Splatoon, or Super Mario Maker.

[MSBAUSTX]

Monkeyman is right dude. The indie crowd has been thinking outside the box a whole lot more than mainstream developers. The games he listed and the likes of Fez are truly innovative games that did some new stuff. Other than that it has been the norm.

[WeAreLegion]

You guys seriously need a list? Why don't you use Google?

Why do you say Nintendo is the only one innovating new ways to play? What about the Nemesis System of Shadow of Mordor? What about the hundreds of new tools in LittleBigPlanet 3? Project SPARK?

Using the touch pad of the DualShock 4 for various purposes in inFamous: Second Son, Blue Estate, LBP3, control of the OWL in Shadow Fall, and several others?

Do you guys actually play all these games or do you just want to defend Nintendo? Because I gotta say...the most innovative Wii U stuff isn't coming out of Nintendo. I love Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. Wii U, and Splatoon...but you're kidding yourselves if you think other studios haven't done all that before and better. INCLUDING NINTENDO! The Wonderful 101, ZombiU, and LEGO City: Undercover are the most innovative things we've seen on that system. They're all excellent, by the way.

Why name 3rd party games to trash PlayStation/Xbox? First parties are plenty innovative. Did you play Sunset Overdrive? No? You missed out. Dead Rising 3? Did you see how spectators can control what happens in your game on Dead Nation? Is that innovation or is it not?

Morpheus and HoloLens aren't out yet. I'll give you that. But if you want a different way to play games, there it is. I realize Nintendo tried the Virtual Boy, but Sony and Microsoft are beating them to the punch on legitimately fun, new experiences. VR/AR is going to be a huge part of this industry. Nintendo better be ready for that.

Innovation is everywhere. So, please don't give me that COD/Witcher/Batman crap. Arkham Knight was plenty innovative with the Batmobile's drive/tank mode mechanics. THAT is how you do car combat.

Tearaway is not an indie game. Media Molecule, a first party PlayStation developer, made that game. And what about Gravity Rush? You'd be hard pressed to find a Nintendo game more innovative than that. I promise you. While we're at it, why don't we talk about Splatoon or Mario Maker?

Splatoon is a good game. Obviously. But come on. Those games are a dime a dozen on Steam. Tons of interesting, fun shooters full of color and a gimmicky mechanic. Still fun, but that's not innovative.

Super Mario Maker. You seriously want to mention Super Mario Maker? LittleBigPlanet 1 is a more intricate experience than Super Mario Maker AND it comes with a fleshed out campaign. You want innovation. Look no further than 2008. It's Nintendo that's playing catch-up on that one.

You only see what you want to see. If you want to keep believing Nintendo is the ONLY one of the big 3 innovating, keep believing it. But it's not even close to the truth. They're all innovating like crazy. Left and right.

[RPGrinder]

You made a fool of yourself with this last post. Stay out of gaming conversations

[deafdani]

I love the Wii U because it has many awesome games, but come on. The gamepad has gone largedly ignored in the majority of the games. The best gamepad eexperience to date is arguably Zombi U... a launch title.

Outside of Miiverse and web browsing (which is superb on Wii U), there's very little use for the gamepad. The majority of games are better played with a Pro Controller, and that makes me sad. I really want more games that truly make the gamepad shine, because when it's actually well used, it becomes awesome. Zelda Wind Waker was amazing because of it.... and that was a HD remake of a cube game.

:(

[hatsume-miku]

I agree with what you're saying, but anyway I find the gamepad a superb controller. The off Tv play is an amazing feature, and simply having a map displayed on the gamepad is really usefull instead of pause the game all the time (I'm playing Shantae and the Pirate Curse right now). It's also very good for browse the net, I'm replying to you using the gamepad, I find it much more confortable then my LG G Pad 8.3 even if the screen of the gamepad is not the best. I don't know what the NX will be but if it the next Ninty home console I hope it will compatible with the gamepad.

[MSBAUSTX]

The best Gamepad experience was Nintendo Land. If you haven't played the Metroid, Donkey Kong, Ninja, and Legend of Zelda games from Nintendo Land on the Game pad then you haven't experience the true potential it has/had. However, Zombi U did do a good job and I enjoyed it.

[deafdani]

MSBAUST, yes, I played Nintendoland, and yes, I played all of these attractions. I particularly loved the Balloon Trip one.

I still think Zombi U is a much better example of a core game with a superb gamepad experience, that's all.

[rainslacker]

How are Nintendo games any more innovative than any other console? For the most part, they use the same mechanics, the only real difference is the presentation, which is hardly innovative because Nintendo's been using that same presentation since the NES days.

The game pad could be innovative, but it's the same concept they used in the 3DS, so it's actually not innovative, because it's just a different version of something that was innovative elsewhere.

This time around though, Nintendo opted to test their "innovation" as their sole selling point, and decided to disregard the factors of processing power to be able to garner enough developer support for the entirety of the generation.

I'm sorry, I have a WiiU, and the games i play on it I enjoy, but I see nothing innovative about the WiiU or it's games at all. I see the games as pretty much the same as we had last gen, but now with a 2nd screen. I see the system as under-powered for more modern games, and I see Nintendo trying to hang on to what makes it unique, while not really bothering to be inclusive beyond it's current fans, and those who are family friendly with bouts of Nostalgia that still see Nintendo as the forward thinking, innovative company they were in the NES/SNES/N64 days.

The Wii itself was a big step forward in innovation, but it was pretty half-assed so while it opened up a new market, Nintendo was incapable of keeping them for the long term.

In the end, those people went to the market which they have around anyways, and lowered their standards to mobile gaming, which is actually more advanced that what was mostly available on the Wii.

Innovation means nothing if people don't want that innovation. At best, it's there for academic discussion, because the community wants what it wants, and the community at large has no reason to feel ashamed because we don't prescribe to Nintendo's brand of "innovation".

[DivineBliss]

Nothing about nintendo is innovative. It's all about the gimmicks. You want to play this game? Buy this controller. You want to play multiplayer? Too bad you have to buy more controllers because the game pad can't be used in multiplayer. You want to play an actual game with no controller gimmicks? Buy our pro controller. You want to play monster hunter? Buy a 3ds. You want to play xenoblade? Buy our new upgraded 3ds. Everyone who disagrees with me can pull out their 9 wii controllers and go blank yourselves.

[Lon3wolf]

I disagreed but only have 2 controllers for the Wii-U will that suffice?

But I am playing MH on the Wii-U (yes its just the updated Wii version), and I will be playing Xenoblade on it by the end of the year. I will also be playing Uncharted- remastered and Gears re-mastered plus whatever other exclusives come out on consoles, don't get me started on the Steam/last gen console backlogs :(

[Concertoine]

Actually i only had to buy 1 pro controller for my wii u. Everything else i already owned for several years.

I cant understand why the other consoles' controllers are 10 dollars more than the Wii U but have less than half the battery life

[MSBAUSTX]

LOL the Game pad can definitely be used in multiplayer. I played COD ghosts and BO2 using the game pad as one screen and a friend played on the TV. Zombi U uses it and the pro controller, that came with the bundle, for it's multiplayer. Every multiplayer Nintendo game uses the gamepad so I do not understand the retardation spewing forth from your mouth right now. Not only that, they have a couple bundles that come WITH the pro controller at no extra cost. Have you ever played a Wii U or are you just making stuff up and hoping it might be true?

I notice you have the default amount of bubbles and no gamer picture. Perhaps you are a person that has another account and made a separate one so you can troll Nintendo articles because secretly you are bitter that you have to spend $60 for each new controller for your system and Nintendo allows their customers to keep using their old ones for free?

[BenRage3]

"Everyone who disagrees with me can pull out their 9 wii controllers and go blank yourselves." <--the sign of someone who does not have an actual argument.

You are twisting one argument into several arguments and it comes off as an incoherent rant. Every developer in the industry has learned something from Nintendo, don't believe me ask them. Take a video game design class and ask why Super Mario brothers is the first game talked about. "Nothing about Nintendo is innovative" You know nothing.

[CrowbaitBob]

So what you're saying is they wouldn't sell any hardware if it weren't for people's desire to play their games?

I agree, they've monetized video games.

[rjason12]

Well for someone like myself I have never bought a Mario kart game until 8 so it's a pretty big jump to me personally lol, but I agree they screwed the battle mode, I'm hoping the "future dlc" or even an update adds it in.

[Ark_]

"But it's also a celebration of Nintendo's much-maligned console, the Wii U, and its unloved second screen."

It's not news, but an opinion piece. And I disagree btw.
The second screen is great - just underused.

[franwex]

Cool article. Also the comments above are pretty cool too. Nintendo articles tend to generate nice debates.

Super excited about Mario Maker; day one for me!

[RPGrinder]

Nintendo is the ONLY one who innovates. Whether that be with hardware features or even game art styles. Nintendo is very indie in that regard, specifically to new art styles.

People fault Mario for being exactly the same, but guess what, so is Uncharted and Halo. Uncharted specifically, each game, gameplay wise, graphics wise, is more or less exactly the same, just more powerful for the system. That is all.