Yes. No. Maybe. Well, sort of. It depends. Could you repeat the question?
There are, broadly speaking, three components to the original Super Mario Maker: making your own levels, playing your own levels, and playing levels made by others.
Super Mario Maker 2, on Nintendo Switch, has been bolstered by some additional tricks. There’s a new story mode, for example. Meanwhile, on the more traditional front, there are online and co-op multiplayer options, in addition to all that good stuff from the Wii U original.
Question is, do you need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play Super Mario Maker 2?
The short answer is: it depends.
The longer answer is that you don’t need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription for the offline components of Super Mario Maker 2. That means you’ll be able to take on the single-player campaign without it, for example. You’ll also be able to create and play your own levels without any subscription.
But the moment you want to start going online, to take part in online multiplayer game modes, or crucially, to download and play courses shared by other Mario Maker creators? Then you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, or you’ll find your Super Mario Maker 2 experience somewhat hobbled.
Not everyone will need it. Some of us will be happy just noodling around with our own creations. It’s possible to play Mario Maker and never feel the need to share or download a single created course. Lord knows, not every course is worth sharing.
But if you want to access the online components of Super Mario Maker 2, you will need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
