K E L V I N

T U

Maker ID:F03-Q06-MFF

SLIDE

Course ID: QF4-Q7Q-5RG

Slide was the first in a series of systematic explorations of Mario Maker. The premise for this course was: what could I make with just ground blocks? In this case, I used an approach similar to the one I used for Überkrieg: taking an ideologically inverse approach from the source material. While Mario's core mechanic of jump is an upward motion, I focused on the downward motion of crouch.

The core mechanic for the course became ducking and sliding under blocks. I extended the slide mechanic with the addition of iced blocks, built various obstacles, then arranged them over a 4 part narrative structure augmented with some architectural flourishes such as elevation changes, closed/open spaces, and slopes. I juiced up the finale with a starman-enhanced, goomba-poppin, music block hopping summersault finish.

This was the easiest course I’ve ever built, it only took a few hours to put together and only needed a bit of testing to set the time. I created a second version with a shorter timer to see if I would see/learn something from play-stats, but results were fairly unremarkable.

STACKING GOOMBA HEIGHTS

Course ID: QF4-Q7Q-5RG

For this course, I restricted myself to using only goombas. It was a bit challenging at first, but I eventually settled on a novel mechanic, at least, novel to me. When a stack of goombas walks into a floating platform, part of the stack is pushed off, splitting it into two. I built a central obstacle that required this mechanic to split the stack multiple times. I then extracted pieces from the centerpiece to create mini obstacles that helped prime the player. After adding some architectural flourishes, the course was ready. Testing took a bit longer because I wanted to ensure it could be cleared without running.

I had some leftover pieces from the exploration phase that didn’t fit the theme and were too difficult, so I arranged them in an optional, extra-hard area. There was some negative space near the end, so I added a secret Bowser, having learned from previous experiments that a 1-up or secret costume felt a bit underwhelming.

KOOPA CRASH COURSE

Course ID: M6T-1PV-9GG

Following the same strategy as before, this course is a restricted exploration using only Koopas. The dynamics of Koopas, especially the ability to pick up and place shells for setting up certain jumps, made this course more puzzle-oriented than the Goomba course. Many of the early parts were designed specifically as primers for later set pieces.

This is probably my personal favorite course. The first platformer I really got into was Drill Dozer for the GBA, and this course allowed me to apply what I learned from that game the most.

PIRANHA PLANT PLATEAU

Course ID: Q4H-RH6-KGF

Next, I tackled the Piranha Plants. They don’t interact with other elements in the game as much as Goombas and Koopas, so this course was less puzzle-focused and more action-oriented, making it snappier and closer to a traditional Mario course. Unlike the Goomba and Koopa courses, which took a few weekends and several playtests, I churned this one out in just a few hours while at the Acura dealership for an airbag recall. I did playtest, mainly because I was concerned that some areas might have too much momentum loss, but no changes were needed. I like to think it’s because I became a more experienced Mario course designer, but the action-oriented nature of the course, similar to "Slide," where I could feel through most of the design, was likely a factor. *laugh*

PEACHY HOLLOWS (MM1 ONLY)

This course is unfortunately unavailable, as it was built in Mario Maker 1 and relies on MM1 mechanics. However, I wanted to include it here because it isn’t part of my systematic exploration of mechanics like the previous courses. Instead, it represents a time when I allowed myself to "play" Mario Maker for fun. The result is a more explorative course, in contrast to the more linear ones before.

This was my first "full-scale" course. With the original Mario Maker having just been released and Halloween approaching, I decided to create a haunted mansion course, as they are some of my favorites in the series. I wanted it to be a puzzle box, like Ocarina of Time’s Water Temple, where the entire space is one large puzzle. To do this, I needed parts with state changes that were persistent, so I used block-type elements as they were the only option: Question blocks, invisible blocks, and regular bricks.

The main theme for the course was tricks and treats. I filled it with false paths but always offered a way forward, along with fun rewards like costumes or cute little interactions. The course revolves around a trick maze that players must traverse multiple times to solve. Using invisible blocks as valves, the maze’s available paths change with each passing. Camera movement and framing were crucial to manage player knowledge and expectations, tightly controlling the reveal and flow of information (although this is true for all courses, it was especially important here!).

BOOLISTICS

Course ID: 53X-WSQ-HTF

Created one year after Peachy Hollows and also for Halloween, this course focuses on the other aspect of the holiday: jump scares! I wanted to use Boos, mainly because I love their sprites and the new haunted house set. To achieve the desired scare, I needed to accelerate the Boos quickly and suddenly toward the player, designing for near misses. The solution seemed clear: shoot them out of a cannon. Architecturally, Boolistics is more traditional, as it's essentially a study of haunted courses from Super Mario World. One key design challenge was the start of the course, where I had to slow the player down so they had time to see and react to a Boo cannons.