Super Mario Maker 2 news dump: Finally, Mario gets an online-versus mode

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  Yes, you can stack Goombas, or any characters, in Super Mario Maker 2. And more. Much, much more. [credit:
  Nintendo
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With only six weeks to go before launch, Super Mario Maker 2‘s new and updated features have mostly emerged thanks to tiny teases. That changed on Wednesday with a whopper of a Nintendo news video that revealed, among other things, the series’ first-ever online-versus mode—and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the series’ first online-subscription requirement for some of its content.

The game will launch on June 28 at a standard $60 retail price, though Nintendo will also sell Super Mario Maker 2 as a $70 bundle with a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online subscription code. If you’re already a paying NSO member, that code will stack on top of however-many months you’ve already purchased (currently $4/mo or $20 for a 12-month subscription).

That bundle will hit store shelves for good reason, as Nintendo will gate much of the original Wii U game’s content behind a paid-online requirement—including the ability to upload custom-made levels and to search for and download other users’ creations. Should you wish to play a slew of custom levels offline, SMM2 will support offline play for any levels you’ve already downloaded to your Switch. As of press time, Nintendo did not clarify whether the game will require any routine online check-in to access those downloaded levels after, say, being offline for over a week or canceling a NSO membership.