Developer's Library: Deconstructing Levels of the Super Mario Series

Mark Brown, an indie developer and editor for Pocket Gamer, discussed the unique aspects of level design in the Super Mario series within the Game Maker’s Toolkit video series. With the author's permission, we have prepared a text version of the material in Russian. Enjoy.

Games with user-generated content are an excellent training ground for budding game designers. Projects like LittleBigPlanet, simple level-building engines like Build, the track editor in Trials, and the mod editor for Skyrim allow you to try your hand at design without having to master Unity, Xcode, or anything like that.

That's why I eagerly took on Super Mario Maker—a game for the Wii where you build levels for Mario. I didn't want to create silly or overly complex levels—instead, I wanted to build a normal location that embodied Nintendo's game design principles and visually matched the style of the game.

But as soon as I was faced with a blank screen and a box of Goombas (enemies resembling mushrooms with feet from the Mario series), pipes, and coins, I realized that I had no idea where to start. Even after pondering my own material on game design principles in Super Mario 3D World, I still couldn't get going.

Fortunately, one advantage of such editors is that they come with a set of inspiring ideas and examples. That is, the game itself. Or, as in the case of Super Mario Maker, four games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U.

So, I studied my favorite levels in each of these games and figured out how they are structured, how they test the player, and offer surprises, and whether there are any ideas I could borrow for my levels.

Let's start with New Super Mario Bros U and the level "Seesaw Bridge," located in Soda Jungle.

The first thing that stands out is a rather strange thing. A Wiggler (a caterpillar-like creature from the Mario series) walks on the blocks. It poses no threat. All you can do with it is kill it. Is this an easy victory at the start of a tricky location?

Right after that, we are shown the main mechanic of the level. The player needs to cross a bridge that swings up and down on its own. It's initially frightening, but there's no real threat: the edge of the bridge doesn't sink into the water, so wherever Mario stands, he's safe. To climb onto the bridge, you just need to make a small jump.

Then we're given a power-up, and now we have to make a bigger jump to leap from bridge to bridge. An arch of coins shows the best place to do this.

Next, Koopa Troopas (a type of turtle character in the Mario series) appear. These characters are fairly harmless here. Experienced Mario players will jump on a turtle and send its shell forward to hit a second Koopa, as the level is designed so that the shell also takes out three Wigglers.

After this, you'll likely notice a not-so-hidden pipe.

Through it, you can reach a location with an additional bonus—a big coin. To get it, you'll have to work for it, as it employs a mechanic the player is not yet fully familiar with. So this location is for advanced players.

Returning to the top, we find that the seesaw bridges task has become more challenging. You have to jump a much larger space, the log now plunges into poisonous water, and there's the first "interceptor." This is an enemy that periodically appears between platforms, making the player consider not only the jump's distance and landing spot but also the moment to take off.

Then another jump is required, and we see the interceptor again. This time, there are Wigglers on the opposite side of the gap. To move forward, you need to bounce off their backs, which adds a slight twist to the usual jumping mechanic.

Then it gets really tough. The player sees bridges that are anchored only at one point and spin 360 degrees around their axis. Plus, they move out of sync, so you can't just wait for them to align. To survive, the player will have to jump skillfully.

There's an interesting point here. In Mario games, you're always looking for an unconventional approach to a task. Above one of the spinning bridges is a mushroom granting an extra life. You can play it safe and ignore the bonus, or you can take a risk and try to get it. The choice is yours.

The section immediately following seems dangerous. But actually, it's quite easy to pass. After all, Mario creators want the player to have fun, and moments like these make players smile. Moreover, it's hard to mess up as the enemies are positioned so that nearly any player will want to toss a Koopa shell at a Wiggler, clearing this section with ease.

Next, the player encounters a red ring. Collecting these causes coins to appear and disappear. They make the player move faster, which is important because Mario is fun to play at high speed. Often, it's wiser to play slower and advance cautiously. But these brief speed sections spice up the game.

Then there's a stretch with a rotating bridge. This one is so long that unlike the others, you can't jump onto it in the middle of its rotation. But because there are teasingly visible coins above, some players will likely act foolishly and jump onto the bridge immediately—passing the section without waiting.

The game also increases the difficulty by extending the distance between safe zones.

Lower, the red zones indicate where Mario can fall into the water, and the green ones indicate where he can't. As the player progresses, the areas where you need to think quickly and react instantly get larger.

For example, there's a section where the safe zone is not even visible. You have to just keep moving forward and react to the situation. When you finish the section, you're rewarded: an easy victory over three Koopas.

Finally, the player faces the last challenge: many spinning bridges—a type not seen before. Plus, the nearest safe zone is far away.

It all ends with a nod to the start of the level: a Wiggler that poses no threat but is impossible not to kill.

There are many cool moments in Super Mario Bros. 3. But one I particularly remember is when I got trolled. They played a trick on me.

It's about level 4-6, located in Giant Land. It's mostly created for one specific trick: the player can change the size of enemies from giant to normal and back by entering magic doors. This doesn't affect much, but the user gets a chance to experiment.

And now, the joke. At a certain point, the player jumps over another Koopa and hits a wall. A star pops out from the impact. This item makes you invulnerable for a short time and lets you instantly kill all enemies you touch.

You get the power-up, run forward, and kill enemies. While in this deadly mode, you decide to take out another Koopa wandering between two pipes. But when you try to climb out of this gap between the pipes, blocks with coins appear out of nowhere overhead. Then another, and another. A third block produces a life-giving mushroom. But you're unlikely to catch it. By then, the power-up will have expired, and you won't be able to quickly clear the next Koopa couple as easily.

So, that's the unexpected twist. A developer's joke on the player.

The rest of the path is unspecial. A few difficult jumps—and a reminder that Koopas, although not particularly tough enemies, can add a timing element with their predictable behavior, even to the simplest level segment with jumps.

In Super Mario World, we'll look at Chocolate Island 3. Here, the mechanics are an advanced version of something we saw much earlier on Donut Plains 3. But this time, the rotating platform has only one foothold.

As always, it starts with the player getting comfortable in a relatively safe environment. It's easy to jump onto the platform, and there is only one rotating platform between safe zones.

Immediately, the task gets more difficult. Now there's a Koopa in the platform's center, which means that if we want to land, we need to be cautious not to hit the enemy or fall off its shell into the abyss.

On the next section, there are three rotating platforms between safe zones. The distance between the first and second is shorter than between the second and third. It's a small difference, but it's there.

Then there's a section where the player chooses: jump down, kill a Koopa, hit a block and get a power-up, or ignore this chance and run along the top. Two platforms moving asynchronously. Again, compared to other sections, the difference is small, but it adds to the complexity of the task.

Then we face a pipe. Once again, like before, we must decide whether we want to risk it. If yes, there's a great reward: not just a bunch of coins, but a fun and interesting mini-game. Mario levels are entirely built on balancing danger and moments of pure fun. And on decent rewards for taking risks. And here, there's more risk than it seems at first glance: if you climb into this pipe, you'll miss the mid-level checkpoint.

Speaking of the checkpoint, it's mockingly suspended in the air. You can only reach it if you take a tricky route and land on a tiny platform at the end.

After a few jumps, we see the task has become more challenging again. Now, instead of Koopas on the rotating platforms, there are Fuzzies—spiky, urchin-like creatures from the Mario series. They move not just on top but also below the platform, so Mario needs to duck at the platform's low point.

And here's a stunning finale. Between one safe zone and the next are six platforms, some of which move asynchronously. Almost each has a Fuzzy in the center. A question block and two Koopas add a risk-reward element. And a Koopa Paratroopa (a winged Koopa in the Mario series) serves as an interceptor.

Finally, via a vine and one last nod to the main mechanic, we finish the level.

And now we come to Super Mario Bros. The levels in this game are a bit simpler because, at the time of the game's creation, Nintendo was still finding its style. Plus, all the enemies and tasks were novel to the player—meaning even Piranha Plants could still surprise, which they don't anymore.

However, this game still has lessons. And I don't just mean level 1-1, which is possibly the most analyzed level in the history of gaming.

I'd rather tell you what I like and what I don't in level 8-2.

In this level, we meet Lakitus (a type of Koopa in the Mario series that flies on clouds) and are immediately in danger. We must quickly navigate a broken staircase while dodging Lakitus, Spinies (spiked-shelled creatures), and Paratroopas.

But eventually, we're in a position where it's relatively easy to kill the annoying Lakitus, reminiscent of the Half-Life 2 moment when you finally bring down a pursuing helicopter.

Here's a moment I want to highlight. You jump on a spring—why not?—and a mushroom pops out of a brick block. But you can't collect it right away and must chase after it. One eye follows the mushroom above, while the other watches pits and enemies ahead.

This is another example of how the player is encouraged to speed up briefly—to add fun and speed to the game.

Next are cannons. But if you're a platformer fan, you'll guess they can be bypassed by sticking to the upper level—until you run into an upper cannon that spoils your plans.

The next part is, frankly, weak. The player just needs a long jump. The character might lose a life, but there's no significant complexity here.

This is followed by a difficult section—not due to complex mechanics, but rather familiar enemies are arranged such that precise jumps are required.

Just before the level's end, we're reminded of the first staircase at the start, only now with more gaps.

Now, before I share how I worked on my first level in Mario Maker, let's quickly revisit what we've learned.

In a typical Mario level, there are only one or two mechanics. They gradually evolve, so the difficulty increases subtly. For example, the gap between platforms may increase, or timing the jumps becomes trickier. Or the distance between safe zones lengthens. Or enemies hinder jumps or block paths, or the mechanic completely changes—becoming harder with safety nets removed.

To guide the player through a level in a specific way, coins can be used. And encouragement to take risks comes through bonuses.

To make the player accelerate, albeit briefly, introduce timed content. Something fun and interesting can serve as a reward or a breather between challenges.

Now, let's return to what I ended up making.

Perhaps the biggest constraint in Mario Maker is that you can't create your own equipment. You're limited to the provided set. I didn't come up with platforms that move along tracks, but I still tried to find unique ways to use them.

At the very start of the level, we learn how the platforms work in a safe zone. If the character falls, the stationary surface below acts as a "safety net," allowing one to return and try again.

Then the player gets an extra life and a clue about what's coming up (hint: saws).

The mechanic becomes more complex. The player has to jump between two platforms while dodging interceptors.

On the next section, the player sees a Goomba bouncing off a musical block suspended in the air. It doesn't look great, honestly. It was a random find, but I liked it, so I kept it.

Next are three moving platforms. Here, the player has a choice. Prefer the safe route and advance or choose the riskier path and climb upwards past the spikes? If they choose the latter, they will face a small obstacle course: bullets, falling donut platforms, and spikes.

Then there's a box with a life mushroom. I completely borrowed this idea from Super Mario Bros. but added spikes to keep it consistent with the rest of the level. If the player rushes, they'll get an extra life. If not, the mushroom will fall onto the spikes.

Either way, at the end of this segment, a door will take them back to the main level.

Below, the player encounters a Koopa on a small platform. I decided to use mushroom-shaped platforms because they're just like regular land but look less reliable. And perhaps I've succeeded in that.

Then there are flamethrowers to contend with. I deliberately had the platform slowly descend to them to give the player time to understand how they work. One can bypass the obstacle course on top by jumping on the boxes, one of which is marked with a question sign. But then you'll never know what's hidden inside! Spoiler: there's a feather (one of the power-ups).

Next comes a safe zone… Well, relatively: a Koopa can get onto the platform with the player. I didn’t plan it that way. But I like how it turned out, and that it can happen by chance. So the Koopa definitely stays.

The following section prepares the player for what's ahead (again, saws). This is actually a warning. The saws won't kill the hero as they leave space for their figure if they don't jump. But in the next stage—they certainly can.

To pass the next part, one must climb onto a note block and jump over the blade. Timing the jump to match the platform's movement is quite tricky.

Then coins start falling near the player. I decided to troll the player with them slightly. The real reward is the chance to knock a Koopa shell off a staircase, kill a bunch of Spinies, and get many extra lives. The saw, buried in the ground, is a callback to the beginning of the level.

And finally, the player faces a final choice: take the easier route directly to the exit or venture past the horrible saws and get an extra life.

And here it is—my very first Mario Maker level. I'm satisfied with it. It's not perfect and, perhaps, a bit simple. The jump from the note-marked block could have been more challenging. And it's quite hard to fail the life chase: as it turned out, the bullets are slow.

Overall, though, I think it was a successful attempt. The level generally adheres to the principles identified in the analyzed Mario games.