In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone, yet still does, Nintendo reveals that players can only play with strangers in Super Mario Maker 2’s online modes.
It seems as if playing with friends in Super Mario Maker 2’s online options will be almost impossible.
Super Mario Maker 2 on the Nintendo Switch is an upcoming game that allows players to build their own Mario levels, filled with enemies and obstacles as seen in previous Mario games. The original Mario Maker was very popular on the Wii U. Since the Switch has a much bigger player base than the Wii U, it can be expected that Mario Maker 2 could be a bigger hit for Nintendo.
Though online was a feature in the first Mario Maker, the sequel was taking it a step forward. Now gamers can play levels online with other players. Up to four players could play a single level together. There are different modes to how to play online; you can race against your fellow co-players, or all four of you can work together to pass an especially challenging level.
These new online features certainly appear fun, yet we now know there’s a big catch with it. Players can’t play online with their friends; they can only play with other random players.
According to Nintendo World Report, Nintendo’s reasoning for disallowing players to play Super Mario Maker 2 with friends is because they fear it would affect leaderboards. They feel that playing with friends would compromise the competitive nature of online leaderboards. If people can just play with their friends to pass levels, then that would be a disadvantage for gamers who can’t play with friends via online connections.
Cooperative play is still an option in Super Mario Maker 2, yet it is limited by having players be in the same room. If you want to play Mario Maker 2 with a buddy, you both need to play on the same console, on the same screen, and together in the same room.
This decision by Nintendo to force players to play with strangers will no doubt be controversial to fans. This is especially worrisome as this news comes out several months out after Super Mario Party’s disastrous online service. Many fans would take the Mario Maker 2 news as proof that Nintendo keeps missing the mark in terms of online services.
Super Mario Maker 2 is scheduled for a worldwide release of June 28.
