Like all Nintendo 3DS games, the Super Mario Maker port will be playable on both the 3D-less Nintendo 2DS and all versions of the Nintendo 3DS. Either way, the game will only output in 2D. The box art for this December’s Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS has a tiny message at the bottom that could alarm some 3D-lovers: The game will only play in 2D.
That’s not unprecedented for games on the handheld. Pokémon Art Academy bears a similar warning on its cover, and several major releases keep their stereoscopic 3D effects to a minimum. (The Pokémon series of role-playing games comes to mind.) Nintendo has never required developers to include flashy, three-dimensional tricks to their games, but it’s still surprising when one of the console’s few big holiday releases from the hardware maker itself lacks 3D capabilities.
Super Mario Maker for 3DS sounds more and more like a skimpy recreation of its older brother on Wii U. Part of what made last year’s Game of the Year-winner special was the ability to upload original courses online, as well as play others’ creations from around the world. That feature won’t be included in the 3DS release, although players can check out certain levels made for the Wii U version.
Any Super Mario Maker is better than none, though. The 3DS version launches December 2.
