I don't care, since the NWC I'm in a state of hype about this game regardless. I am way more likely to buy it now at retail than I would have had it been merely DLC for NSMB. If it would have been included in that game from the start it wouldn't have nearly been as fleshed out as it is or had the same inpact. It looks like you can do literally anything you can come up with for a Mario level. Maybe Nintendo could include a World of sample levels as a mini-Mario game, but it looks like they'll have a variety of loose complete levels included so anything else would be icing. It's not exactly a game where I expect a story-mode anyway but who knows what else gets added until release in september.

Mario Maker has 4x the graphics

I couldn't care less about a story mode. We all know the story and can predict the ending. Mario beats bowser and saves the princess. Whee. What matters is that the level creation and editing are intuitive and fun. And it looks like it is.

Mario Maker is an ode to Mario's history, it spans four Mario titles. Game includes four different styles in graphics but also physics; gameplay affects which style you pick. Enemies and items that weren't present in a title have been retoactively added with its according style. New gameplay items are available like packing stuff (boxes, pipes, cannons), stacking, flying, etc; even putting goombas in water! How much freedom the game has we will see, but you should be able to put anything anywhere... no easy task.

We know the game has some pre-made levels. Would be nice if those were set-up as level designer tips, or a campaign covering Mario's history and design choices. Thinking of this, I wonder if Nintendo would let us make our own challenges/tips/traps too via text bubbles.

Depends on how much nintendo ultimately winds up charging for it. A cent more than forty dollars and I would agree that they are being greedy.

honestly i am sick of mario games. This is like a go crazy create your own thing. I think they are saving the story mode for the NX launch and TBH this way it is better no need to saturate mario any further. Let the gamer feel liek they creating something.

Well, Nintendo/Retail shops can always put the price down, but cant put it up.

how to add a story mode where it would use all 4 types of graphic styles for Mario?  i know it could have a story mode but it wouldn't make sense. and they alrady mentioned a pre-built 40 levels which is good. finish it. and create one. but the good thing is, you can play what others have done.

about the youtube upload, it didn't happen. since great level designers. and you uploaded it in youtube. then some copycats would just try to create level designs similar to that in a sense and i can build even better than this... hence they also blocked the feature not to edit the level you've downloaded.  since it is not your creation and it doesn't make sense.

overall, if this really well-marketed, it might sell a million in a short span. 

I don't think they are greedy, they just want to get as many different games out the door as fast as they can.

1) you can do new super Mario u graphics as one of your four art styles, so it totally does match lbp.

2) I seriously doubt this will sell as a $60 game. I suspect $15-30.