5 Super Mario Maker Secrets To Search For

While it’s great to go through Super Mario Maker and enjoy the obvious elements like the level editor, Nintendo-original courses and ever growing library of online offerings, there are also some special bonuses that can be stumbled across intentionally or unintentionally as you play. Basically, the game is full of secrets. Most are already aware of all the things that can happen if you touch letters on the title screen or press standard controls rather than choosing Create or Play, but these other five might be more obscure.

• By now, everyone knows that the Fly Swatter mini-game from Mario Paint makes an appearance in Super Mario Maker. When working in the editor, flies might randomly appear. (The first time they showed up for me, I was making one with tons of flying spinies.) Tapping them launches Fly Swatter. Beating the mini-game rewards a player with a new costume for the Mystery Mushroom.

• It’s easy to see how to play a single level you’ve unlocked, created or downloaded in Coursebot, but Nintendo didn’t come right out and say how to play through an entire world. Mary O. tells you how in the manual, but who checks that? Tap the triangular “Play” button in front of the four levels to go through the world. If you want to reorder or rearrange, drag and drop levels to shift them around.

• Ready to go old-school? The CRT cathode ray effect can be added to any level, regardless of whether you own the 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo or are in an original Super Mario level. When a level is loading and you see Mario under the title, hold down, A, and B at the same time. It will switch the effect on and off.

• Want to feel like a champion? Play 10 Mario Challenge seven times. You’ll unlock the four Nintendo World Championships 2015 levels specifically made for the event. You’ll get to see if they really were as challenging as they looked back in June.

• The Year of Luigi may be over, but there’s still a hint of him in Super Mario Maker. While a Luigi Mushroom can randomly come up in a level in place of a Super Mushroom, you can reliably make one appear every time by beating all four of the Nintendo World Championship levels. Shake a Super Mushroom in the level editor and it will transform into a Luigi Mushroom. In this form, Mario can jump a little higher than normal, but will skid a little more than usual on landings.

Super Mario Maker has a lot to offer, and hopefully everyone who has or does plan to pick the game up will enjoy making their own levels and experiencing those made by others.