Somehow Nintendo still hasn't built an official Zelda Maker, but indie developers are stepping in to fill the void with Super Dungeon Maker, which is already enjoying a very positive response on Steam.
Super Dungeon Maker had been in Early Access for some time, but it just officially went 1.0 on Steam and launched on Nintendo Switch today, May 3. Hundreds of Steam user reviews put it at a 'very positive' rating - allowing for some hesitance over a lack of polish. While the game no longer has the Early Access banner, the devs are still working on updates, with more dungeon themes and character skins alongside more bug fixes and other improvements.
This is normally the part where I'd attempt to break down what the game looks and plays like, but honestly 'Zelda meets Mario Maker' tells you everything you need to know. Super Dungeon Maker, as the name implies, is focused on dungeons in the classic Link to the Past style, letting you build up puzzle-focused labyrinths and then upload them for others to play with cross-platform level sharing tools.
There's even a demo on Steam so you can try the tools out before you commit to buying the whole game. Notably, the official site says that the game's free for students as part of an effort to "give something back to the industry that we love so dearly."
Nintendo briefly teased us with the possibility of an official Zelda Maker through the Chamber Dungeons in the Link's Awakening remake, but that bonus feature was frustratingly limited in scope.
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