The feature is a frequent request among Super Mario Maker‘s playerbase, and will grant designers greater flexibility in terms of difficulty and challenge.
Currently, Super Mario Maker requires players to start levels over from scratch if they die at any point. This can be discouraging during long levels, as players must repeat previously completed challenges before they can get another shot at later segments. Some players have attempted to circumvent Super Mario Maker‘s limitations, crafting their own solutions to the game’s current lack of checkpoints.
After next month’s update, however, designers will be able to add custom mid-level checkpoints, allowing players to retain their progress after death. This addition will also aid the level-design process, as creators can use checkpoints to clear difficult level segments before uploading the finished product to Nintendo’s servers. In its current state, Super Mario Maker requires players to complete a custom-built level from start to finish on one life before their creations can be uploaded.
November’s Super Mario Maker update also introduces a progressive power-up system. Players who trigger a progressive power-up as small Mario will receive a Super Mushroom, for instance. If players have previously collected a Super Mushroom, the power-up will instead be a Fire Flower, rewarding skilled play.
Other additions slated for Super Mario Maker‘s next update include a more difficult version of the Gnat Attack minigame and “Event” stages that offer limited-time global challenges. The Course World mode will also be updated with a list of Nintendo-made levels under the new “Official” tag.
All of these features will be bundled in Super Mario Maker‘s next software update, which will launch as a free download on November 4th.
