You never know what to expect in any given level of Super Mario Maker

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You’ll see a genuine reverence for Mario’s history in the 10 Mario Challenge, a mode where you’re given 10 lives to complete sample courses. There’s 68 stages in all and each one is wildly different from the other. Some remix levels from past Mario games, others showcase interesting twists and challenges that transform Mario’s standard platforming mechanics into a puzzle to be solved. Overall, it’s a fun experience, even if it can be finished in one or two sittings, depending on your skill level.

10 Mario Challenge is brief, but each sample course you unlock can then be closely examined and even disassembled in the Course Maker, an intuitive design suite where you can easily build Super Mario stages in one of four styles from the franchise’s unique history: From the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros.

No matter which style you choose, creating levels is an intimidating task but the well designed interface makes learning easy and intuitive. Each piece of this do-it-yourself toolkit is well thought out, with smart button-based shortcuts, a grid-based user interface, and simple drag and drop controls. The 60 individual building blocks you use to make levels -- from ground tiles to enemies -- unlock over a 9-day period. But this careful roll-out really works because you have plenty of time to tinker with new stuff and not feel overwhelmed by too many choices. Loading

Each day I returned to the Course Maker, I would lose track of time building stages, an experience punctuated by funny sounds and my wacky imagination of what a Mario stage could be. Despite the overall goal of keeping things simple, Super Mario Maker is a powerful toolkit that helps you build fun contraptions, distractions, and courses. However, the fact that you can’t place a checkpoint baffling. You’re forced to finish a level on one life. Sadly, not even the original Super Mario Bros., which the company released in 1985, was that cruel.

But Super Mario Maker isn’t limited to just making levels for a Super Mario platformer. The tools are flexible enough that you can make all sorts of things, from special birthday messages to rube goldberg devices. The ability to personalize your stage with special character costumes or custom sounds adds another layer of personality to your creations.

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The simple stylus-driven interface makes it possible to build almost anything you want, and the self-discoveries made during the process transform the act of creation into something that feels like a game itself. But the most novel part of Super Mario Maker comes from how quickly and seamlessly it jumps between stage creator and play.

Once a level is complete, you can quickly upload it to Nintendo’s servers and keep track of stats and feedback via notifications. Through curated lists you can find and play the popular levels or discover up and coming designers to follow in the community. However, don’t immediately count on playing stages made by your buddies - there’s no filter for searching levels made by people on your pre-existing Nintendo friend’s list. Loading

The 100 Mario Challenge is a fast way to play though up to 16 user created stages in a mini-campaign from the maker community. If a level is too difficult, a quick can swipe on the GamePad will move you over to another randomly selected stage quickly.