Super Mario Maker (2015)

Nintendo's rigorous world-building and attention to detail have long been one of their strong points, yet it has resulted in a pretty restrictive approach to their most popular characters. So it's safe to say that when Super Mario Maker was released in 2015, the whole gaming community was taken aback when they were handed the keys to their most renowned castle. The game had two primary options, which effectively boiled down to create and play.

The 10 Mario Challenge allowed players to dive into a series of (often surprising) levels created by Nintendo developers, but the real fun was discovering what craziness was built by other players – plunging their hands into Nintendo's toybox and creating things you'd never see Mario hop over (including some that tested the boundaries of good taste and others that disregarded said boundaries entirely). The gameplay was excellent, but it was the flexibility of creativity and a fresh manner of experiencing an old classic that distinguished Super Mario Maker. Oh, and the sequel is fantastic as well.

Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo 3DS

Link to buy: amzn.to/3LHvXbp