Just over a week ago I did something I thought I never would. I bought a Wii U. Ever since the Wii U’s launch in the Fall of 2012 I had thought of the system as little more than a bad joke. The gamepad looked goofy, the system was woefully underpowered, and it had a terrible name. If that weren’t enough, the system’s game library was lacking at launch and the Wii U’s catalog has been sparse ever since.

It didn’t take long for most people to refer to the Wii U as a failure. Sure, it had some great games, but that was never enough to make me want to purchase one. I haven’t really been into Nintendo since the N64, and even then I played more third party games on the system than core Nintendo games. I bought a Wii second hand, long after the system’s prime, mostly to play around with Wii Sports and to check out the Zelda games (which I couldn’t get into). I’ve probably logged less than ten hours of game time on my Wii. Last Christmas I got a 2DS, my first handheld system since the original Game Boy, and finally started getting interested in the world of Nintendo again.

Like many gamers in their late twenties and early thirties, Mario on the NES first introduced me to video games. There was nothing more fun than passing around a controller, attempting to see who could get furthest into Super Mario Bros. When I first learned of the warp pipes (through a friend, there was no Google) it blew my mind. There was something incredibly special about Super Mario Bros. and I couldn’t get enough of it. I remember watching my cousins play Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3, however for whatever reason I never played those games myself. It would be several years until I would dive into the world of Mario again (outside of Super Mario Kart).

1996’s Super Mario 64 became one of the most influential video games of all time, and I remember it fondly. I found it astonishing that you could run around the castle just goofing off instead of diving into the game’s levels. Eventually one of my cousin’s showed me how you could grab Mario’s face on the title screen, and again a Mario game blew my mind. Things like the warp pipes and the silly title screen illustrated the incredible charm and dedication Nintendo’s developers are known for today. When playing a Nintendo game you know you’re getting something more than a product. You’re getting an experience delicately crafted, down to every last detail.

When I first heard about the concept of Super Mario Maker I was intrigued, but as exciting as it sounded I still had no intention to purchase a Wii U. It wasn’t until I actually watched someone playing it that I knew I needed to experience it for myself. Not only would it be a blast to create my own personal Mario levels, but the game has an irresistible charm. I was going to buy a Wii U.

Just over a week ago I bought a Super Mario 3D World Wii U bundle. I had heard horror stories about the initial console update process, but to my relief there was a note inside the box advising me to insert the 3D World disc to install the update before connecting the console to the internet.

The initial setup process was rather painless, though more cumbersome than other modern consoles. Before too long the Wii U was up and running and I was ready to ‘make some Mario’. I was immediately surprised at just how easy it was to begin creating. The gamepad and stylus make for intuitive click and drag process that you can master in seconds. It took only a few minutes to make a simple level with the basic set of items available at the start of the game.

After making and uploading my first level I jumped into the 10 Mario Challenge mode, and made my way through ten levels of varying difficulty. It was exciting to see a variety of concepts between the different levels, and it was exhilarating to complete each one. From there I jumped into the wild west that is the Course World mode. I encountered some unimaginably creative levels alongside some especially difficult levels. Despite dying over and over again, I couldn’t help but continue on trying to get inside the head of the levels’ creators, attempting to figure out the ‘trick’ to complete difficult segments. In the long run I learned that a large number of Mario creators are simply sadistic, and don’t want you to be able to complete their levels at all. Although frustrating, I could never stop having fun.

I’ve loved owning a Wii U so far, even though I’ve only played one game. I’m saving Super Mario 3D World for when I get back home so that I can play with Vanessa. I’ve been tempted to download Mario Kart, but I feel like that will also be a title best experienced alongside her. I’m not sure what Wii U game I should play next. I’ve pondered purchasing New Super Mario Bros. U, however I have New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 2DS and haven’t spent a lot of time with it.

The wonderful thing about Super Mario Maker is that with the never ending variety of levels, the game should never feel old. Would I recommend buying a Wii U solely for Super Mario Maker? Absolutely, however I’d recommend waiting until Black Friday as it’ll probably be the best time yet to pick up a Wii U.