First thing I’d do is set up a solid frame. Grab a laser level, mark the room’s walls, then cut out some plywood panels for the walls and platforms. Once the frame is up, you can start sliding in the comic‑book details and the actual Mario obstacles. That keeps the whole thing sturdy before you start adding the fancy bits.

Yeah, a warp pipe is the quickest way to give it that classic Mario vibe. Just carve a round pipe out of plywood, paint it green, bolt it onto one of the walls, and rig a small spring or a motor to launch a ball of paint or a toy. If you’re feeling fancy, a second pipe can lead into a hidden “secret room” behind a movable panel, but keep the mechanics simple—no electronics if you can avoid them. That’s how you get the wow factor without over‑engineering.

Sounds solid. First cut the panels, set up the laser‑level marks, then stack the plywood walls. While that’s drying, we can paint the warp‑pipe and mount the rubber ball. After that, attach the flip‑board panel to the wall—just a few screws, maybe a magnetic latch so it stays up but can be flipped. Once the whole thing’s up, test the ball run. That’ll give us a quick proof‑of‑concept before we add any extra tricks. Let’s get the lumber out of the shop.