We're having a pretty great time with Super Mario Maker around these parts. I've made a handful of levels, Dan's certainly made his share, and even Drew's getting into the mix on occasion. But it turns out that creating levels and sending them out into the world becomes way more exciting when you can actually watch another human attempt to puzzle out the different dumb traps and other nonsense you've stuffed into your levels.

So we ran our original "Giant Bomb Makes Mario" stream a few weeks ago, and had a great time putting this level together.

But it wasn't until we got to spend some time watching someone we know bang their head against said level that it all came together. If you've been poking around Twitter and following the fun there, you might have already seen this, but just in case, here's ex-Giant Bomb Midwest news man (and, ostensibly, a current Twitch Partner) Patrick Klepek playing the level on his regular Mario Maker Mornings stream:

If you're a Super Mario Maker player, you can give that level a shot with this ID: F829-0000-0066-E98B

Anyway, we watched that and came back this week with a follow-up stream and a follow-up level. Here's us working with our friendly neighborhood chat room to build that second level:

Patrick went into action almost immediately after our stream wrapped up, and it took him two separate videos to best this second one.

Aaaaand here's the second video.

That level ID is 1F31-0000-0094-CC9D.

What happens from here? Well, Dan says he's cooking up something separate and more diabolical. He's doing it off-camera, away from the streams, so no one will know his secret. We'll have to wait and see what Patrick has to say about that one, but from what I've heard about this upcoming level so far, all I know is that I don't want to have anything to do with it.

If you've been playing our two levels (or any of Dan's nightmare bullshit or my not-bullshit nice guy levels) and have some video of you doing it, slot it in the comments down there, I want to see that stuff!

We'll probably run another Super Mario Maker stream in the near future. As for me? I'm going to keep making Super Mario Maker levels. Actually, I might just have to get into the "make garbage levels that are tough, but not impossible to finish" business myself, if only for a level or two. Watching other people squirm their way through these levels has been too much fun.

Lol this website is the best.

This has made me very tempted to get a Wii U, way more than I expected it to.

This stuff has been super fun to watch. I've been watching both sides independently, but it's nice that you put them all together here for people who haven't. I'm excited for Dirty Dan's next goatfuck of a level.

What a cool game. It's just too bad that so much of the social stuff has to be thrown together by the players themselves. Nintendo desperately needs better tools to make this sort of interaction easier.

Ostensibly a cross-promotion!

Casual reminder that this feature is mostly Dan Ryckert vs Patrick Klepek.

For more of this war go to https://www.youtube.com/user/patrickklepek/videos or watch it live on http://www.twitch.tv/patrickklepek.

This is what makes Mario Maker rise to through the GB GOTY rankings.

I've enjoyed watching the creation process, and watching Patrick puzzle his way through the community's nonsense. It's a good loop.

everything about this has been just so delightful

I will probably have to get a Wii U in a few years because of this game.

Watching Patrick play these god forsaken levels is the best thing.

Tweeted a buncha dumb gifs that I no longer have access to but here are two I do =]

Oh, and here's Patrick straight callin Ryckert out

Nice to see Dan's heel behavior has influenced Jeff to tap into the Satsui no Hado and get into some dirty deeds of his own.

Don't forget "Dan Watching Drew Watching Jeff Watching Patrick Play Super Mario Maker "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSbrOm8Ra7s

Patrick, deliver us from the Evil Ryckert! (only in the MarioMaker sense, nothing against Dan (or his dad))

this entire back and forth has been awesome, thanks Dan, Jeff, Patrick, Drew and the GB community... oh, and Mario....

keep the nightmare levels coming Dan...

Holy cow that was too funny.

This has been great. I appreciate that Patrick talks through his thought processes as he plays; it makes it really fun when you've seen how the level was made and you know how wrong he is.

edit: This is also really painful for someone who doesn't have a Wii U and can't justify buying one for only one game.

Same. I went from being passively interested to holyshitthislooksawesome!

Keep on colluding for the indefinite future, guys!

This whole thing has been very entertaining, including that periscope video of your reaction to Patrick's attempt.

https://youtu.be/FQScfldpb3w?t=49m39s

Patrick cutting a John Cena "Never Give Up" promo on Dirty Dan Ryckert at the end of the latest video.

The Mario Maker open challenge continues.

Is it kinda weird this website is essentially promoting Patrick's Youtube? Not that I mind watching Patrick die to Dan's levels, but this is kinda weird.

Maybe it really is just fun watching people die to your levels, no one is playing mine =(

Super, duper cool seeing Patrick still making cameos here. This case in particular has been ridiculous to follow.

Lovely to see kleptok's mug gracing the front page again, too!

Between this site, Patric and players who get this kind of level, http://youtu.be/DgkrtN0Z57g . Makes me want to almost get into Mario Maker....too bad I am horrible at all Mario games.

Giant Bomb GOTY 2015

Watching this back and forth has been amazingly entertaining. So fascinating to see how the level is made then seeing someone try and make sense of it. I'd love to see more things like it on the internet tbh.

Patrick should really make a puzzle level that will confuse Dan.

After years I broke down and created a Twitter account just to keep up with this. This is so entertaining, please keep up the good work fellas.

Masterful use of "ostensibly", Austin. Now you're finally a real newsman.

We need Patrick to make a level for Dan to play now.

Austin?! ;)

Anyways, Mario Maker is good you guys.

"As for me? I'm going to keep making Super Mario Maker levels"

i see you.

BRING BACK PATRICK!!!

But his morning streams have been great, I loved the Titan Souls ones and Mario Maker is great

@amyggen: Haha, saw article get posted, assumed it was Austin.

I know Patrick never truly went away but it's still really nice to see him doing stuff with the bomb crew.

This has really scratched that old Spelunkin' with Scoops itch for me, especially since he usually streams in the morning and even has a rivalry component vis-à-vis Klepek vs. Remo.

It sucks that Nintendo's moronic YouTube policies keep Patrick from getting anything out of it monetarily, though.

This back and forth has been great. I feel like a monster laughing at Patrick but I think he's laughing with us.

This game is the type of fantastic system seller and buzz generator the WiiU has needed from day 1. Interesting to think how different the console's position could have been if it came out earlier.

What would my life be without Giant Bomb?

Please bring this stupid shit to PAX in some form. I'm sure people would love to see Patrick's suffering live and in person.

Watching Patrick play horrific nightmare levels designed by Dan and the community has sold me on Mario Maker in a way that a lot of other videos haven't.

Yes.

I am down with everything that's happening here.

Literally getting this game because of this.

@mrwakka: I feel the same way, this whole back and forth is the main reason I want a Wii U

As for me? I'll keep playing them myself and watching others suffer through them.

I AIN'T SCARED

I'll play your levels tonight and post the video results but you better comment on them Jeff. :P

All of this is pretty great. I want moar!