Last week I challenged you fine Kotaku readers to create some courses in Mario Maker 2 and load them up with Thwomps. I was curious how far you all would take the challenge. I discovered some of you really, REALLY like Thwomps.
In many ways, I asked for my own punishment this week. Thwomps lend themselves so well to puzzle levels and tricky timing obstacles. These are things that can sometimes throw me for a loop. So maybe next time I’ll ask for a bunch of wonderfully themed levels.
Anyways! If you want to play all the courses people submitted for the contest, you can check out my Mario Maker 2 profile where I liked all the levels that I played. This is probably the easiest way to play all these courses without having to enter dozens of ID codes.
My Mario Maker 2 ID number: 2C7-40T-HXF
Now, below are some of my favorite courses and a short description of the course and what I liked about it.
Thwomp Fort Thwart | TH3OSTRICH | TWD-DF4-6MG
A good mix of Thwomp puzzles and Thwomp platforming. I do always feel bad for the Thwomps at the bottom of these big stacks. They are forever stuck, hoping to break free one day. Poor bastards.
Captain Toad – Thwomps Ahead | Bernzai | F5N-GB2-QNG
Playing this level as Toad made it feel like a weird rom hack or indie game I had never played before. There are A LOT of Thwomps in this level, but I never got annoyed by the number of Thwomps. They were mostly used to help set up long, scary runs in one direction. Every run, I screamed.
Thwomp Romp | Antor | T9P-1RD-VRG
I loved two things about this level. The first thing I want to mention is the tricky but doable platforming. I’m not great at Mario games, but I never felt like quitting. The other thing I loved about this level is the name. THWOMP ROMP. It is just fun to say.
The Floor Is Made Of Thwomps | BulletBill64 | FHY-BK1-ONG
Here’s another great name for a great level. But what I love about this name is that it literally explains the level. A large chunk of this place is made out of Thwomps. It is scary to walk around on a floor that also growls and shakes when it sees you. And I’m not a big Yoshi fan, but making him necessary to move around these sections was a smart way to make me protect him.
Michael Bay Presents: THWOOMP-OOM! | Geonicus | VJ2-NS6-5WF
I wasn’t expecting much from a level made by Michael Bay. The guy knows explosions, sure, but does he know anything about making a cool Mario level? Turns out he does. This is a very simple level based on moving as fast as you can. But it is stuffed full of explosions, collapsing bridges and tunnels, and last-minute escapes. My GF was watching me play and this was her favorite to watch. So good job Michael Bay.
If your level didn’t make it on to the featured list, don’t worry! A new Mario Maker Contest will return in the future!