‘Super Mario Maker’ gives gamers ability to construct their own levels

TORONTO – Of all the obstacles Super Mario has faced in three decades as a video game superstar, perhaps the biggest has been challenging level design.

The famous plumber has rocketed through the clouds, faced the dangers of the deep and traversed fiery caves in his ceaseless quest to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of the bellicose Bowser.

Now gamers themselves can see how they stack up with Nintendo’s developers with “Super Mario Maker,” out Friday for the Wii U to coincide with Super Mario’s 30th anniversary.

The game’s toolbox has plenty to get new players started as they construct their levels. Players can easily choose where to put enemies, power-ups and traps, and more elements become available over time.

No matter when you got into Super Mario’s adventures, there will be something here to suit your tastes. You can make levels based on the aesthetic of the 1985 original, or plot a course with the polished HD visuals of the Wii U’s “New Super Mario Bros.”

One of the coolest features is the ability to change that aesthetic on the fly, so you can start out plotting a level using the classic 16-bit look of “Super Mario World” and then change instantly to see how your level would looks in an 8-bit or modern game.

“Super Mario Maker” saves gamers from too much complexity. There is no need to worry about scripting enemy behaviour – just plop a Koopa Troopa on the screen and watch him go. However, it’s easy for perfectionists to get lost tweaking levels, to the point where the game’s manual suggests finishing your chores before tackling your creations.

You will want your levels to be as polished as possible, of course, before submitting them to a jury of your peers. The game’s “course world” lets players share their courses, as well as play and rate levels designed by others.

So long as there are creators making levels, the replay value of “Super Mario Maker” is very high. One of the early trial levels on offer had Mario running a deadly gauntlet of cannon fire in order to reach his goal with of margin for error. It made the toughest of Super Mario’s previous adventures look like “Candy Crush.”

The game retails on Ninetendo’s eShop for $69.99, which some may argue is high for what is essentially a level editor, even a very good one.

But series fans who have always wanted to put Mario through twisted trials of their own making should get their money’s worth. There is plenty of replay value in making levels alone, and those needing a break from creating can always try out what their fellow Mario makers have imagined.