Players Narrow Down Thousands of “Uncleared” Super Mario Maker Levels
In late 2017, the original Wii U Super Mario Maker boasted nearly 85,000 “uncleared” levels, challenging in their unbeat status since their upload. Presently, a determined collective known as “Team 0%” has whittled down this extensive list to one remaining level—a fiendish Bob-omb bounce-and-throw obstacle aptly named “Trimming the Herbs” in Super Mario World style. Moving methodically, this group has progressively conquered these levels, with the penultimate uncleared level falling on March 14, as recorded on the reliable “Is SMM Beaten Yet?” tracker.
The assured victory over Super Mario Maker’s “final boss” appears inevitable for Team 0%. However, this shared endeavor to entirely surpass SMM faces an imminent cutoff: April 8, the date Nintendo plans to terminate the Wii U’s gaming servers.
The Grand Finale
Time is of the essence, with the next three weeks determining Team 0%’s success or if the elusive “Trimming the Herbs” will remain unbeaten, thwarting their aspirations. Marveling at the remarkable proximity to this longstanding ambition, Team 0% founder Jeffie remarked, “How often does a community of gamers do something like this?”
An Audacious Initiative
The gripping race against time commenced in September 2017 when player The0dark0one meticulously compiled Nintendo server data to formulate an exhaustive inventory of uncleared levels at that time. Inspired by this inventory during the festive season, Jeffie conceived an audacious plan to clear all these levels, eventually leading to the emergence of Team 0%.
The team’s ranks swelled with new recruits, rallying behind the cause, in part buoyed by influential streamers. Team members initially pledged to tackle the approximately 13,000 uncleared levels from 2015, the game’s inaugural year, viewed then as a challenging yet surmountable objective.
Enduring Challenges
In a remarkable feat, Team 0% overcame all 2015 uncleared levels within eight months. However, they soon confronted the deluge of subsequent uncleared levels that arose during their clearing efforts, presenting a daunting challenge akin to the ceaseless manure of the Augean stables.
The turning point arrived in March 2021 when Nintendo ceased new uploads of original Mario Maker levels (while still permitting play of existing levels), prompting Black60Dragon to underscore the intensification of the quest. This decisive action crystallized the longstanding goal of triumphing over Super Mario Maker, galvanizing increased interest and support for Team 0%’s endeavor.
With time, the initiative gained momentum, drawing more participants, including attention from prominent streamers, culminating in a broader recognition of the Team 0% effort. Jeffie reflected on the journey, noting the gradual but eventual embrace of the initiative by skeptics who initially dismissed the ambition.
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