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Super Mario Maker Is Nintendo’s Secret Weapon

Super Mario Maker Is Nintendo’s Secret Weapon

There are a lot of amiibo. I’m not just talking about the figures. There are going to be about 55 in the Super Smash Bros. line, and Mario Party 10 and Splatoon have receieved eight and three so far. Let’s not even get into the 100 amiibo cards for Animal Crossing or the unreleased toys. The point is, Nintendo is capitalizing on the amiibo trend and most games require ownership of each one to take advantage of their special features. That is, except Super Mario Maker .

Super Mario Maker is different, and that’s important. This title is looking at amiibo and doing something different. It’s not only welcoming any and all amiibo to come and play, but won’t it hold things back from people who looked at those NFC figures and thought they weren’t for them. It’s great, because it’s acknowledging everyone and offering an unprecidented level of parity.

For people who are collecting amiibo, that’s great! I admire your dedication and sometimes count myself among your ranks. You know, depending on how cute the figure is. 99 of the toys will work with Super Mario Maker , resulting in Costume Mario transformations. Even the most unlikely characters like Wii Fit Trainer will be there in pixelated form. It’s a fun reward that doesn’t take away from the game, since the actual Mario abilities remain unchanged. It’s like a little thank you for your dedication, and a way to spend time with your favorite characters.

But people who don’t have the time or money to collect all 99 toys get those amiibo bonuses too. They just have to work for it. People with the toys have to tap a figure to a GamePad to make the magic happen. Those who don’t have to take on the 100 Mario Challenge challenge within Super Mario Maker . It’s unknown how difficult that will be, or if costume unlocks will be random, but the important thing is that it’s there. Content isn’t trapped inside a NFC chip. You can access it within the game, if you desire, and that might even make some of those costumes more meaningful.

Super Mario Maker Is Nintendo’s Secret Weapon

Super Mario Maker is another amiibo pioneer. So far, we’ve seen games where amiibo offer optional bonuses that enhance gameplay, but don’t take anything away from people who don’t collect them. Splatoon ‘s supplemental challenges, Code Name: Steam ‘s Fire Emblem characters, and Mario Kart 8 ‘s Mii costumes all apply. With Super Mario Maker , we’re seeing a new approach by Nintendo. “Hey, these figures are neat. You probably already have some. Why not use them to immediately and deliberately unlock a particular Mystery Suit, so you don’t have to work hard for a random chance of getting it?” It’s another encouraging move that shows Nintendo’s NFC figures are being handled the right way.

Well, at least in games. Don’t you dare go and make that Roy amiibo extra rare, Nintendo!

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