A server glitch that resulted in temporary closure of Super Mario Maker on Wii U and 3DS in December 2023 has left people wondering: what’s next?
We’ve known for a while that online services for Nintendo’s retired platforms would be ending in 2024.
But while it seemed that some servers had been closed, it now appears that this was a temporary glitch. Servers dedicated to Super Mario Maker on the Wii U and 3DS have been brought back online, as reported by the team at Pretendo.
What is Pretendo?
Pretendo is an open-source project aiming to recreate Nintendo Network for the 3DS and Wii U consoles. Its main goal is to preserve online functionality in these systems after the potential closure of Nintendo’s official servers.
So potentially, games like Super Mario Maker and others could continue running once Nintendo abandons its old servers later in 2024. It’s an entertaining prospect, albeit one that would probably require some manual firmware updates or network configuration tweaks.
But if it’s Super Mario Maker you’re interested in, Pretendo’s community-supported servers are not the only option.
Other ways to design Super Mario Maker levels
While Super Mario Maker itself isn’t open-source (as it’s owned by Nintendo), there are some open-source engines inspired by it and allowing you to create your own Mario-style platformer games.
Here are some popular Super Mario Maker game engines:
- Hello Mario Engine: Created for GameMaker: Studio, it’s feature-packed, user-friendly, and well-documented with tons of enemies, power-ups, and level editing tools.
- Source Code of Super Mario Maker World Engine (SMMWE): Developed for Godot Engine, it provides a full Mario Maker experience with level creation, sharing, and online multiplayer.
So, you don’t even need a Wii U or 3DS to play Super Mario Maker!
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