Everyone’s favorite Italian plumber is celebrating a birthday.

Thirty years after the release of the iconic “Super Mario Brothers,” players can re-live all their favorite Mario memories with “Super Mario Maker.”

“Super Mario Maker” provides 68 base levels to conquer. Some previous stages are remixed and others have been modified to put modern twists on games from the ‘80s and ‘90s. In 10 Mario Challenge mode, players get 10 lives to complete sets of 10 levels. 

Those challenges are short and easily beatable if you have previous Mario experience. But that barely scratches the surface of “Super Mario Maker.”

All the levels can be edited by players at the own volition, creating one of the best creation games ever.

Have you ever wanted to see Mario ride a rollercoaster through chainsaws, ghosts and cannonballs? Or maybe you want to create a Rube Goldberg machine where players never have to press a button to travel on an intricate and incredible ride. Custom sound effects can also be added through the microphone on the Wii U Gamepad.

These are possible creations I did not expect when the game was announced; I also did not expect it to be this cool.

I thought it would be just standard, boring re-creations of previous Mario levels. But Nintendo gave so many tools and the community has ran with the possibilities. 

Princess Peach does not have to be saved and Bowser does not need to be defeated because players can do whatever they want.

At first, players will realize making a Mario game is not as easy as it looks. It is simple to drag and drop items from the menu on the Wii U Gamepad and players of all ages can figure out the process. The menus are intuitive enough for your little brother or grandma to pick the game up and succeed. Everyone must hone their skills before creating anything better than an abomination.

Players are also eased into their creations because Nintendo is slowly rolling out more items and fixtures for a week after its release on Friday. Some more hardcore players are probably angry because they cannot do everything at once. For me, someone too embarrassed to share my atrocities online, I’m glad Nintendo is holding my hand through the process. 

The ability to share levels among thousands of other creators is awesome, but it shows another long-gestating hole in Nintendo’s development. The company still cannot perfect online multiplayer.

Gamers can sort through all of the most-played and highest-rated maps, but cannot filter by friend-created maps. Granted only 10 million Wii U units have been sold, so not everyone’s neighborhood is chugging away playing “Super Mario Maker.” It would just be nice to what my friends are working on, no matter how bad their stages are. 

Regardless of talent, creators must pass their own level before posting online, so every stage is beatable — no matter how infuriating it is.

In the end, “Super Mario Maker” is absolutely worth the purchase. Instead of being a boring walk through 30 years of Mario history, this game lets players turn the past into their own future. Players will hopefully add awesome content to the game for years to come, maybe prolonging the Wii U’s life cycle. This is a must-buy for all Nintendo and Mario fans.

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Austin Miller can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @AMiller_DE