Another ‘Wonderful’ 2D Mario Experience
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review (Nintendo Switch)
The plumber’s newest 2D adventure is here with a charming art style, multiple playable characters, and wonderful effects. Save the Flower Kingdom from Bowser’s clutches in this all new adventure. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been universally praised from fans and critics for bringing 2D Mario back in a new and fun way.
But is it as great as the fans say it is? Or is it over-hyped that falls short of expectations?
Announced late-June in 2023, Super Mario Bros. Wonder was revealed to the world. It’s been over a decade since New Super Mario Bros. U came out, which was the last brand new original 2D Mario game. Super Mario Maker 1 + 2 did fill that gap for fans to sink their teeth into creative and difficult fan created Mario levels.
As someone who unintentionally skipped both Super Mario Marker games, I was very much looking forward to Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It looked very different compared to the New Super Mario Bros. series which has lost steam with fans. It seemed like they did everything they could with that formula and Super Mario Bros. Wonder is shaking things up.
A new kingdom, a new art direction, and new power-ups. Showcasing the Elephant Apple in the reveal trailer was a smart move because it’s the most different Mario power-up in years. We got a few more trailers including a whole Nintendo Direct to show the game’s features.
After finishing the game, I can safely agree that Super Mario Bros. Wonder delivers a fresh take on 2D Mario that will please new and old fans alike.
Story-wise, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. Bowser is causing havoc but instead of the Mushroom Kingdom, it’s now the Flower Kingdom. Prince Florian rules the land with talking flowers and new enemies to encounter. Wonder Flowers can be found throughout the kingdom which have the ability to warp and bend reality.
As Prince Florian is showing a Wonder Flower to Mario and his friends, Bowser appears and touches it. Fusing with the Flower Kingdom’s castle, Bowser takes over the land and traps the Poplins.
In a joint effort between Mario, his friends, and Prince Florian, they must work together to stop Bowser and restore the Flower Kingdom.
Like I said, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. The Flower Kingdom and Prince Florian are a nice touch to make the aesthetics of Super Mario Bros. Wonder stand out from previous games. But like most Mario games, you’re not playing it for the story but it’s for the gameplay.
During development, producer Takashi Tezuka gave the team as much breathing room as possible. This allowed the team to develop thousands of ideas while having no concrete deadline. Because of this, Super Mario Bros. Wonder was able to deliver an amazing gameplay experience where every single level is unique, fun, and entertaining to play.
The controls are pretty much what you would expect from a 2D Mario game. It’s still smooth and precise platforming that you’ve come to know and love from Nintendo. The Elephant Apple transforms your character into an elephant. They can wack enemies, push heavy objects, and collect water. The most different power-up a Mario game has seen in years and it’s my favorite in the game.
The other two powers aren’t bad but they don’t make Mario into an elephant. The Bubble Flower lets the player shoot bubbles, turning enemies into coins. You can also jump on the bubbles to give yourself some extra height to reach platforms. I wish I had more control of how far the bubbles go, to make platforming on them more precise.
The last new power-up is the Drill Mushroom. The player can now dig below ground to defeat enemies or get past tight corridors. It’s only really necessary to find collectibles.
Other returning power-ups include the Fire Flower and the Star. Classic power-ups to bring back while focusing on the new ones. With the level design in mind, none of the power-ups feel exceptionally broken. They will for sure make certain levels easier but it won’t be an easy straight path to the finish line.
Speaking of the level design, Nintendo truly outdid themselves here. Every main level in Super Mario Bros. Wonder is expertly designed where no two levels feel the same.
In addition, all of them have a Wonder Effect to discover, almost changing the level entirely. Each effect is different from the last and makes me wonder what other ideas they had for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. I mean turning into a Goomba and sneakily platforming around was pretty dope. Or changing the perspective where Mario is running on the wall. They’re all excellent and fun to discover.
The difficulty for each level is shown with the amount of stars given to the level. For the most part, the rating is accurate. I never went into a level with multiple stars and breezed through it. Maybe I’m the average platformer player but I can still understand why some levels may have 4 stars as opposed to two. Bottomless pits, more enemies/projectiles coming your way, you’ll know what you’re getting into by the star rating.
If you’re having trouble in a level, the different playable characters might come in handy. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and the Toads are here in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. They all control the same with no major differences between them. There’s four Yoshi’s to choose from and they can flutter jump, eat objects, and take no damage.
They are definitely the “easy mode” of the game, so you can use them in the harder levels. Nabbit is also an option where he literally won’t flinch when taking damage. The downside of Nabbit/Yoshi is they can’t use power-ups. This is most characters any 2D Mario game has had so far and I love it.
Sure, it would’ve been nice if Luigi/Peach/Toad had their special abilities like in Super Mario Bros. 2 but balancing every character for the levels would have been a hassle.
Their powers do make an appearance in the all new badge system. Think of them as perks where you get an extra attribute before the level starts. They grant the player a new ability or assist in completing the level. If you die or restart the level, you can always change your badge before heading back in.
Only one badge can be equipped at a time. They’re split into three categories; action, boost, and expert. Action Badges give the player a new ability to work with. Boost badges change how the level works a little or give you an extra boost. Expert Badges change how you play the level entirely.
You’ll unlock them as you play the game and some can be purchased at shops. Because you can only equip one at a time, they’re fairly balanced. Not a single badge works universally for every level, so trial and error between picking badges is key. You can always ask Prince Florian to pick which randomizes the badge. I wish he was like the recommendation button but it only randomizes it which can backfire. All in all, the badges work amazing and I hope this feature returns in the future.
Another area where Super Mario Bros. Wonder shines is its quality of life changes. If you happen to collect another power-up, it will automatically be saved for later. If you collect a Mushroom while having a power-up saved, the mushroom will not replace it. Super cool change to not mess you up later on.
Multiplayer returns and it’s more streamline. The same griefing/trolling mechanics of the New Super Mario Bros. series are not present. So, there’s no grabbing other players and throwing them off, Super Mario Bros. Wonder genuinely wants you guys to work together.
The camera will follow whoever has the crown which makes navigating levels less confusing. One player cannot simply run ahead unless they have the crown for the camera to follow them.
If a player dies, they turn into a ghost which gives them a chance to be revived by touching another player. This is important because all the players share lives, enforcing the idea of working together. Whether it’s 2 player or 4 player multiplayer, Super Mario Bros. Wonder works even better with company. A more enjoyable multiplayer platformer experience compared to another blue hedgehog’s game from 2023.
The last part of the gameplay is the boss fights. They’re kind of basic as you’ll face Bowser Jr. every single time. He’ll do an attack pattern before giving you a chance to attack. Stomp on his head a few times and the boss fight is finished.
There’s not a single boss fight against Bowser Jr. that gave me trouble. A little more creativity or challenge would’ve been nice especially since the main adventure is chock full of new ideas for 2D Mario. For the boss fights to be Bowser Jr. encounters over and over again, it’s disappointing.
Presentation wise, this is the best Mario has looked to date. For one, the characters are a lot more expressive than before. Instead of the static tones of the New Super Mario Bros. series, Super Mario Bros. Wonder lets the visuals shine and have personality. The talking flower you encounter throughout your adventure gives hints but also brightens up the experience.
The game also performs great on the Nintendo Switch. I did not encounter a single bug or glitch during my playthrough. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a visually pleasing experience that ran flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch.
Fans can expect Super Mario Bros. Wonder to give them an all-new 2D adventure with its most unique levels and gimmicks yet. Visiting the new Flower Kingdom makes this game visually different and a chance for Nintendo to shake up the level design.
Not a single level feels the same from one another. If you were scared Super Mario Bros. Wonder would retread New Super Mario Bros. territory, I can assure you it doesn’t. Nintendo really took their time to craft this game and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. This is a 2D Mario experience well worth the $60 price tag.
Travis “tvsonic” Vuong
Business e-mail: travisvuong56@gmail.com
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