Finally, a reason to buy a Wii U

After almost three years of being overshadowed by the more powerful, adult-oriented video game consoles from Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo's Wii U will at last become a must-have item thanks to Friday's release of “Super Mario Maker.”

The game is exactly what it sounds like: It gives you the ability to create your own game levels featuring Super Mario, the villainous Koopa Troopas, question-mark blocks and all the other familiar trappings of the “Super Mario Bros.” game franchise that first lit up American TVs in 1985.

And your virtual palette is not confined to one style — the levels can be modeled on the original “Super Mario Bros,” “Super Mario Bros. 3” (Raccoon Mario!), “Super Mario World” (Yoshi! Mario's superhero cape!) or “New Super Mario Bros. U” (things you haven't seen before because you don't own a Wii U!).

The game comes with a book offering suggestions for how to make the most of your Mario creations, which you and other players around the world share with each other online.

“Super Mario Maker” retails for $59.99, and is available as both a physical copy and a digital download. A bundle featuring the game, the Wii U console, a game pad and more goes for $299.99. Do I want to spend that $300 on a new guitar, a video game system or new furniture for my new apartment? Ahh, the tough decisions we infantile adults have to make.

Shocking coincidence

Wes Craven, the director of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream” who earned degrees in English and psychology at Wheaton College, died Sunday, Aug. 30, after battling brain cancer. This week, by sheer coincidence, a new Blu-ray edition of one of his cult classics zapped its way into stores.

“Shocker,” released to theaters just before Halloween in 1989, stars Mitch Pileggi as a serial killer who lives on as an electrical spirit after his date with the electric chair. Silly, yes, but it offers us the chance to see Pileggi as an evil, unhinged character from a time before his stint as FBI director Walter Skinner on “The X-Files.” (Pileggi will reprise his role for the six-episode revival coming to Fox in January.)

The new Blu-ray edition retails for $19.99 and includes a bevy of extras, including an archival audio commentary recorded by Craven, a new interview with Pileggi and a documentary on the film's heavy metal soundtrack that includes members of KISS and Megadeth. “Shocker” is also available digitally from iTunes, Vudu and PlayStation Network.

• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald copy editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.