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Online Play in Super Mario Maker 2 Limited to Randoms Only

by Neal Ronaghan - May 28, 2019, 6:00 am EDT
Total comments: 13

Want to play with friends? They better be at your house.

The addition of online multiplayer in Super Mario Maker 2 comes with a major caveat according to a Nintendo Treehouse representative at a press event last week: you can only play with random players online, whether you’re seeking out co-op or competitive play. The only way to play multiplayer specifically with friends is through one system or local wireless play.

Nintendo’s reasoning is that, with global leaderboards, the matchmaking for competitive play would be compromised if you could play with friends. That limitation also extends to co-op play as well despite those not being leaderboard driven.

Multiplayer with friends can be done locally on a single system (read our preview for more details on that) as well as through local wireless with up to four systems.

The only hope for this to change is via a future update. No plans for a way to play with those on your friends list was detailed, but Super Mario Maker on Wii U had a several post-launch updates.

Note: this post was updated to clarify that the "Nintendo representative" is a part of the Treehouse team.

Talkback

ShyGuyMay 28, 2019

There it is, there's the catch.

Good.

I hate my friend too.

nickmitchMay 28, 2019

:(

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 28, 2019

Nofriendo.

Seriously, I feel like Nintendo has hundreds of developers coming up with amazing ideas, then one guy sitting in the Office of the Monkey's Paw who's only job is "Okay, how can we do this, but make it bad?"

Would have liked a feed of friend's levels too, rather than having to add their maker profile list. Guess that's too much.

SorenMay 28, 2019

Since when did Nintendo care about the integrity of online leaderboards? Cause they sure as hell didn't with Splatoon.

Ian SaneMay 28, 2019

Wouldn't the simple solution to this leaderboard "problem" be to just make it that only random grouped games count towards the leaderboard and friend grouped games don't?  This certainly doesn't seem like an exceptionally brilliant idea and I thought of it in like two seconds so why can't the people at Nintendo come up with this stuff?

Nintendo is so shockingly inept at online stuff that I figure they must have some old manager that's been there for 40 years that heads up the online team and makes the final decisions and he's way out-of-touch but has held on to his position regardless.  Nintendo is far too large of a company and the internet has been mainstream for far too long for this kind of incompetence to be present all throughout the organization.  The buck must be stopping at somebody and that somebody has their head up their ass.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 28, 2019

Or even have two separate leaderboards, one for teams, one for randoms.

ChiramiiMay 28, 2019

The benefit of having no friends \o/

StratosMay 28, 2019

Hey! On the bright side, we have confirmation of local single system co-op! That's a positive, right?

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterMay 28, 2019

I can't wait to see course world flooded with courses that are just the words, "fix online".

Mop it upMay 28, 2019

This was already looking to be the case, bummer it's confirmed. Perhaps if they get enough feedback about it, it can be added into a future update.

Quote from: Soren

Since when did Nintendo care about the integrity of online leaderboards? Cause they sure as hell didn't with Splatoon.

While ranks may not have been separate in the first Splatoon, Splatoon 2 does separate friends and solo queue for the ranked modes.

EnnerMay 28, 2019

orz

Given how Nintendo is low-key getting in to games-as-a-service/extended support (Primarily Splatoon 2, Smash Ultimate, and Mario Tennis Aces, but games like Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade 2 have seen free updates come), I can only hope this negligence will be remedied (soon) after launch.

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