Super Mario Maker 2 is a game we've hardly been quiet about, except maybe during that whole 'E3' thing. Well, now we can say with confidence that we actually have the game in our collective hands, and we've been digging right ruddy deep into it and learning as much as we can.

In short (and before the eventual review), we've been having an absolute blast playing Super Mario Maker 2. Course creation is as wonderful as it ever was, and even with the slim selection of levels available online at the time of writing due to so few people having access to the game, playing their creations is some of the most fun we've had with a 2D Mario game in years.

It seems to be very much fitting into that reliable 'sequel' identity, keeping the ground work largely the same and just building on top of it with more and more delicious gubbins, and that's no bad thing in our eyes; Super Mario Maker probably didn't reach the number of people it should have done due to it being on the Wii U, but the following it garnered from people simply watching the game being played on platforms like YouTube is a testament to just how much people like the idea.

As excellent as it all is, there are some areas that have been leaving fans with more questions than answers, and we've tried to accommodate that in the videos found below. We're certain there are still some ludicrously specific ones you still have, and whilst we can't cover everything, we hope you find the answers to at least some of them in the following audio-visual-based presentations.

There's a fair bit missing in the 3D World style

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The Super Mario 3D World style is missing a fair amount of stuff, but it's also got a fair chunk of its own unique goodness. A lot of it's mechanical stuff like gizmos and differently functioning enemies, but if you're more into just creating whatever you fancy with whatever tools are within your pinky finger, you shouldn't have any issues at all. Think of it like an entirely separate toolbox.

Some courses in Story Mode can't be recreated

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Story Mode includes mechanics that aren't available to use in the core creator, and it's not entirely clear why. They're nothing extraordinary, simply clear conditions that require you to end the level carrying a heavy stone that weighs you down and limits your movement speed, or escorting a hapless Toad or two to the exit, complete with their own vulnerabilities. Here's hoping they become available in a future update.

The Weird Mushroom is gone as well

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We don't care if it broke some levels, at least let us use it as a standalone powerup! This is potentially due to the random nature of the item, as it could spawn from any block that would normally house a Super Mushroom at a rate of 1 in 100, and potentially break some levels unexpectedly. Admittedly it's not a big deal, but its omission still makes us a bit mopey.

Boss rushes are even more fun than ever

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We love a good boss rush, and thanks to new mechanics in the 3D World style, we've been able to create a belter. Rather than focus on the predictable Meowser, we instead decided to create small arenas with more unique bosses mostly of our own design, although we did include Boom Boom and Pom Pom, the mad lad and mad lass themselves. We're still not happy about having to have that awkward door above that second Warp Box though.

Traditional Mario levels are just as wonderful as they ever were

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Maybe even more so. Thanks to the new night versions of themes there's even more variety to play around with. In this course, everything's super slippery, making the platforming that much more challenging, but we've tried to keep it fair as well, rather than just making things unforgivable. It's a fine line to walk and we're still not sure we've quite nailed it just yet, but it's a solid start in our eyes, and a hell of a lot better than those 'Don't Touch Anything' courses that plagued the first game.

We're certain there's still a wealth of potential we've yet to see from Super Mario Maker 2; are you planning on picking it up come launch? Let us know in the comments below.