Super Mario Maker Game styles: movement and power-up differences
Choose among the four Wii U styles before designing a jump or puzzle.
Edition covered
Original Wii U edition with its updates, not Super Mario Maker 2 or the Nintendo 3DS adaptation. Course uploads ended in March 2021; remaining official online course services ended in April 2024. Saved courses, creation tools and 10 Mario Challenge remain usable offline.
There are four game styles
Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U each supply their own Mario abilities and visual language. Super Mario 3D World is a sequel feature.
| Game style | Movement distinction | Signature option |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | Cannot carry shells | Mystery Mushroom costumes and Goomba’s Shoe |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | Can carry shells | Raccoon Mario |
| Super Mario World | Can throw objects upward | Cape Mario and Yoshi |
| New Super Mario Bros. U | Wall jumps and ground pounds | Propeller Mario and Yoshi |
Six themes change the setting
Ground, Underground, Underwater, Ghost House, Airship and Castle themes give a course its scenery and environmental context. Night effects from Maker 2 are absent.
| Theme | Setting | Design check |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | Open outdoor setting | Make the main route easy to read |
| Underground | Enclosed cave setting | Check headroom above jumps |
| Underwater | Swimming movement | Test the space around enemies |
| Ghost House | Haunted interiors | Keep puzzle clues visible |
| Airship | Airborne machinery | Separate safe landings from hazards |
| Castle | Fortress and lava setting | Give lethal gaps a visible edge |
Test a style change immediately
A route that depends on wall jumping or carrying an object can fail after a style swap. Test the critical action again before decorating the course.
Choose the movement before the reward
Build a short playable section around one available move, then place the power-up where a player can learn that move safely.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Nintendo original game information | microsite.nintendo-europe.com |
| Edition-specific mechanics reference | www.mariowiki.com |
| Nintendo: Super Mario Maker service closure | en-americas-support.nintendo.com |
| Nintendo online-service status | www.nintendo.com |
| Nintendo eShop and existing-download status | www.nintendo.com |