It’s been a fair few years since the last 2D platformer from Mario, and if you ask me, it’s been even longer since we had a really good one. Nintendo seems more than happy to slow down its own production and instead hand the keys over to fans, allowing them to create their own levels in Super Mario Maker 1 and 2. Super Mario Maker 2 even got an update down the line that let users string levels together into larger worlds.
Well, for one fan, this world function was a call to action, as Metroid Mike 64 on Twitter has spent years making Super Mario Maker 2’s Super Mario Bros 5. The game is designed as a homage to the original titles, and with the design philosophy behind being the aim of feeling like Nintendo created all 40 levels. The initial reaction is overwhelmingly positive, and it really does make you wonder why Nintendo itself doesn’t add more of its own levels to the game.
If you dust off your copy of Super Mario Maker 2 and open up this fan-made game, it rewards you with 40 inventive levels featuring the pixel art of the original four Super Mario Bros games, from the OG to Super Mario World. There’s a fantastic mixture of different ideas, with a difficulty curve that most people can get to grips with. Plus, the Koopalings turn up as bosses at the end of each world. Altogether, this fan project is a monumental achievement but also goes to show the rabid fan demand for more 2D platforming from Mario himself. Any chance of a new game Nintendo?
How do I play Super Mario Maker 2’s Super Mario Bros 5?
If you want to play this entirely new Mario game from Mario Maker creator Metroid Mike 64, you can use the ID code 0G9-XN4-FNF to find the painstakingly crafted levels waiting for you. Have fun! For an in-depth look at the process behind these levels, you can also watch an interview between Metroid Mike 64 and GameXplain in the video below. It gives some fascinating insight into the difficulty behind all these levels and perhaps explains why it seems so few developers can really nail that Nintendo feeling.
As an added bonus, the viral reaction to Metroid Mike’s levels has many people sharing their Super Mario Maker 2 Worlds with the internet, and one fan known as Ry121 on Twitter shared their own take on a sequel to New Super Mario Bros U. You can find this project with the ID code LH3-RV3-25G. Happy gaming folks.
That’s all we have for now, folks. We’re finishing up this article so we can write some strongly worded letters to Nintendo demanding more updates to Super Mario Maker 2. Seriously, where are the Game Boy themes, at least? If you love running from left to right and doing a little jump in between, be sure to check out our exhaustive list of the best Switch platformers next.