[Update] Super Mario Maker Director Breaks Down Next Week's Update

Super Mario makers will have some new tools in their toolbox next week thanks to an upcoming update. Players who lean more toward playing than creating will benefit, too, thanks to the release of web-portal interconnectivity.

The update is coming Dec. 21 at no charge, and it adds several new toys. Here are some descriptions, straight from Nintendo, with additional commentary from game director Yosuke Oshino:

• Fire Koopa Clown Car: This volcanic vessel is capable of shooting fireballs as well as a powerful charged shot that can even destroy Blocks. It’s perfect for creating shoot-’em-up-style courses.
  "We’ve been inspired by the huge number of courses that everyone has posted," Oshino says. "There haven’t been any shooter game-like elements in the Mario series to-date, but as Super Mario Maker offers so much freedom, we’re hoping that users will be able to make even more worlds for Mario that have never before been seen."
• P Warp Doors: Unlike regular Warp Doors, these are only visible while a P Switch is active – perfect for creating truly devious Ghost House courses.
  "We really struggled with this decision right up until the very end," Oshino says. "For the people making the courses, not having the outline would be best. On the other hand, for the people playing, if there’s no outline, they may not realize they have to search for a door, and won’t have any hints where to look. Otherwise, players may be unsure about how to move forward.
  
  "P Switch-enabled doors are not the most straightforward items to use, and by adding this outline we feel we’ve given players more options for how they can use the doors to create puzzles. Super Mario Maker is all about giving users as many options for creating courses as possible, and it’s exactly because of this we decided to add the outline in. We hope that players will come up with lots of creative new ideas, and make the most of this. 
• Bumper: This bouncy donut-shaped object sends Mario bounding away when touched.
  "We added this item to further expand the jump mechanics of the game," Oshino says. "We hope that players will create thrilling, maybe even nail-biting courses filled with jumps. Having said that though, players are free to find their own uses for it. It may be a simple item, but it holds an infinite number of possibilities, and we’re hoping players will again find uses for it that we never imagined." 
• World Records: Now pages will display the World Record for each course uploaded, displaying the fastest clear time.
• Super Mario Maker Bookmark: Levels that players have bookmarked to play later using the Web portal will be accessible from the Course World tab.