Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

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.

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.

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

Mario brings his 'Maker' series to 3DS with many additions with the single player in mind. If you just want to play, this version is as good (maybe even better) as the one for Wii U. If you want to create and share it with the world, then stick to the Wii U.

A perfect conversion that brings to the 3DS all the power of the Wii U version, keeping in mind the obvious differences between the two platforms.

The final package then is mixed, but the bottom line has to be that Super Mario Maker is still an insanely fun game. It’s one of the best 2D Mario experiences out there and plays great on 3DS. It’s not as complete as we might have liked, but it’s certainly not bad.

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.

If the content is getting lighter from the Wii U version, Super Mario maker 3DS is still a great game that challenges the player with a lot of stages, but we would have loved to be able to share our creations on internet.

Ultimately, Super Mario Maker is paired down on 3DS, but not to ridiculous levels.

It's hard to recommend the new Super Mario Maker for people already familiar with Wii U version, but it's a great proposition for 3DS enthusiasts. Handheld conversion offers equally good gameplay and few additional functions, but less in terms of internet integration.

Super Mario Maker for 3DS offers equally good gameplay than Wii U version but less online integration. Conclusion: It's a great game for Nintendo 3DS.

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS loses some important features the Wii U edition had, but also adds a few interesting ones. And we can still play thousands of levels based on the best Mario 2D games ever, now in portable.

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

The lack of interaction with the Wii U version is a huge disappointment and the removal of some assets (like Mystery Mushrooms) makes the 3DS version feel like a “lite” version. It’s also bizarre that Nintendo didn’t include any 3D effect. On the flip-side, the inclusion of 100 exclusive, Nintendo created levels was pretty cool. Without a doubt, if you haven’t played the Wii U version, this game is an absolute must.

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is still great, but leaving from the Wii U to the less powerful 3DS has been rough. The new graphics are less shiny and you can’t share your new levels online. Despite that, you’ll have a very good time with the brand new challenge mode and with the simple but clever tutorials.

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.

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.

My biggest gripe with Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is that it’s not designed to be shared between more than one person playing on different consoles.

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.

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.

Missing features are balanced out by excellent additions, but if you want the world to see your work, stick to the Wii U version.

The Challenges not only provide a detailed explanation of the items, they also reveal the gameplay's deepest secrets through an amazing level design. While the creation interface is slightly cramped, it remains an incredibly simple, funny and exhilarating way to build courses. However some important parts like the costumes and the online sharing option were removed, thus reducing the social reach of Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS to a local, pocketable level.

Super Mario Maker 3DS is the most complete Mario experience ever made on a handheld. The level editor is just as simple as last year. Unfortunately there is no way to upload your own levels on a online network, but overall this is a decent Mario title.

A game design masterclass, but you'll need to Wii U version to make the most of its teachings. [Jan 2016, p.65]

Not being able to share levels online to get global feedback (or show off your creation to a friend across the country) holds the 3DS version of Super Mario Maker back significantly. The fun community aspect is almost entirely gone, which is disheartening. The ability to create, however, still feels great, and playing all of Nintendo’s new levels is worthwhile. Mario Maker encourages creativity and continues to be one of the best level creation tools ever made, but the limitations on sharing make the 3DS version an inferior experience compared to the Wii U original.

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.

The Nintendo levels are really good and differ from the main series, but the impossibility to upload your own stage is an heavy flaw.