How To Change Characters In Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Bros. games have let players choose their character since The Lost Levels (or, as it's known in Japan, Super Mario Bros. 2). Super Mario Maker 2 is no exception. As in the New Super Mario Bros. games, Super Mario Maker 2 lets you switch your preferred character to Luigi, Toad, or Toadette. For those of us who've been staring at Mario's red and blue duds for almost 40 years, it's a godsend.

Changing Super Mario Maker 2 characters doesn't take much work, but the game doesn't explain the process very well. Here's how it works: press the "plus" button on your controller to open up Super Mario Maker 2's main menu, then open the settings screen by choosing the wrench icon. In the upper right corner of the settings menu, you'll see an M, an L, and Toad and Toadette's faces. That's what you're looking for. Choose the character you want to play as, and you should be set.

There are some caveats, however. While you can choose which character you want to play as in most single-player modes, Story Mode is a Mario-only experience. In local multiplayer, which character you play as is dictated by which controller you're holding, while character selection is entirely random in online matches.

Unlike Super Mario Bros. 2, where every character has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, Super Mario Maker 2's Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Toadette handle exactly the same. Don't worry too much about which character you're assigned in multiplayer — you won't have any advantages or disadvantages over your opponents — and feel free to play as your favorite the rest of the time. You won't be missing anything.