Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like a natural progression of the platforming genre.
Ever since Super Mario Bros. launched for the NES (known as the Famicom in Japan) all the way back in 1985, Nintendo has been elevating the platforming genre to ever-soaring heights. Each new installment of Super Mario Bros. sought to improve upon its predecessors by refining the mechanics, among other things. When Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. 3 back in 1990, it revolutionized the genre in such a way that its influence can still be felt in modern Mario games.
When Super Mario World (1991) was released just a year later for the SNES (known as the Super Famicom in Japan), it went even further beyond with vibrant, colorful worlds, more secrets, more levels, and gameplay mechanics that still withstand the test of time. There is a reason it is held in such high regard to this day. After Super Mario World, Nintendo did not put out a brand-new mainline 2D outing for the plumber until the release of the New Super Mario Bros. (2005) for the Nintendo DS.
Three more games under the “New” title would follow. By the time New Super Mario Bros. U came out for the Wii U in 2012, fans felt fatigued by the lack of creativity of these titles. Mario needed a shakeup for his 2D escapades. Then, on one fateful day in June, Super Mario Bros. Wonder was unveiled in that month’s Nintendo Direct. This was different. The little tidbit that Nintendo had shown off Super Mario Bros. Wonder was just enough to whet my appetite for what was to come.
Mario and his companions are turning into elephants, the world has come to life, and Piranha Plants now have little feet to walk out of their pipes. Most mainline installments of Mario, whether in 2D or 3D, usually start with Bowser causing chaos, and Mario must heed the call to make things right. Most of the time, this is conveyed to the player in a brief cutscene. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, though, you are able to play through the intro, which is a nice touch!
Mario and his companions are invited to the Flower Kingdom by Prince Florian to have a tour of the place. When Prince Florian is in the middle of showing off the Wonder Flower, Bowser swoops in once again to cause trouble. Amidst the chaos, Bowser nabs the Wonder Flower, distorting the space around him and even fusing him with a castle. Yes, the King of the Koopas turned into a living, breathing castle. It is up to our heroes to save the Flower Kingdom!
When you get into the thick of it, you can feel the difference in the controls when compared to previous entries. Super Mario Bros. Wonder plays like an absolute dream. It is almost hard to put into words to convey the drastic difference in how this game feels, even when compared to New Super Mario Bros. U. The controls are tight, the gravity is just right, and the rumble feedback feels pleasing to the touch.
The three new power-ups are also a blast to use. The Elephant Fruit allows you to bash through blocks, water plants for coins, and knock back projectiles from enemies. The Bubble Flower lets you blow bubbles to jump on for greater height or to instantly take out enemies. Lastly, the Drill Mushroom protects your head from descending foes such as the Spinies or drills the floor or ceiling to find new areas in a given level.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder adds another new layer of mechanics with badges. Badges are skills that you can set before a level to give you an advantage in certain scenarios. For example, the Dolphin Kick badge allows you to propel yourself forward to give you a boost in underwater segments. Underwater levels are notorious for being a slog to get through, but thanks to this badge, not anymore.
You will come across Badge Challenges scattered around the map. When you complete them, you will unlock that challenge badge, opening up more ways to play in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Veteran Mario fans will even recognize some of the badges that are inspired by previous Mario games, like the Crouching High-Jump Badge, which functions like the maneuver from Super Mario Bros. 2.
While making your way around the world, you will find talking flowers, and depending on who you ask, I personally find them to be one of the most charming creatures in Mario’s history. When you walk past them, they will share their thoughts on the world around them or even lead you to a secret!
The developers have given you the option to turn them off, but I believe that detracts from the overall experience the team was going for. These little flowers breathe so much life into the world of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Be sure to touch each one you see; you never know what they will have to say!
That is just like the theme of this game, unpredictability. In each level, you will collect Wonder Seeds. On the world map, there are levels that require you to collect a specific amount to open them. This works similarly to most Mario games before it.
Most levels have two seeds to be collected–one way is to reach the flag pole, and the other is through the Wonder Flower. The Wonder Flower changes everything you thought of 2D Mario titles from the past by drastically altering the gameplay and level landscape in new and exciting ways.
From moving pipes to singing Piranha Plants and transforming characters into different enemies, you never know what effects the Wonder Flower will unleash! There is always a Wonder Seed to be found while under the effects of the Wonder Flower, so be sure to be on the lookout! It was so exciting to play new levels, just to see what the wonder effects would be. Nintendo has played it safe with Mario for so long by keeping the same old formula, so it was nice to see such a vast departure in concepts from older titles.
Nintendo opened Pandora’s Box with the creativity found within Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and I don’t see them going back to the old formula anytime soon. They were able to truly craft something so unique and full of whimsy. This includes the new inhabitants as well. Familiar foes such as the Koopas, Goombas, and Cheep Cheeps are all here while being joined by a huge new cast of enemies, complete with fun ways to tackle them.
For instance, the Bulrush are triceratops-looking enemies that can’t be defeated by traditional means. You can lead them to a pit, as they are constantly moving in one direction once they spot you, or take them out with a Fire Flower or Starman. The little details in Super Mario Bros. Wonder also left a pleasant taste in my mouth. Each character is more expressive than ever, especially when put side by side from Mario’s last proper 2D outing, New Super Mario Bros. U (2012).
Whenever Mario or Luigi enter a horizontal pipe, their hats fall off their head while inside the pipe. They then promptly stick their hand out to grab it before exiting the opposite end of the pipe. The way each character struggles to enter or exit a pipe while in elephant form is another nice attention to detail. These little nuances go a long way in creating a deeper level of immersion by making the world more alive.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder also boasts the biggest roster of playable characters in a 2D Mario game. There are eleven playable characters in total: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, two Toads, four Yoshis, and Nabbit. In Daisy’s case, this is only her second playable appearance in a mainline Mario title after Super Mario Run (2016).
Yoshi and Nabbit are available as the easy-mode option for fledgling gamers who may be new to the genre or for anyone looking to breeze through the game without worrying about dying, except, of course, when falling into a pit. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a fantastic option for a family game or party game, so it’s great to provide that accessibility option for a more casual audience.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is also filled to the brim with secrets! You will be rewarded for your exploratory efforts, as you can find warp pipes tucked away in different corners of each world’s map. I won’t spoil what awaits on the other side of the pipes, but it might be worth your time to discover. In certain levels, you can also find secret exits that can unlock a new path on the map. This is a series tradition, and it’s nice to see that Super Mario Bros. Wonder upholds that.
There are also a good amount of levels spread out across the seven different worlds. The special world is packed with challenging levels, not for the faint of heart, so tread carefully if you are up to the task! Super Mario Bros. Wonder is not a challenging game by any means, so the inclusion of harder levels is a welcome addition for veterans.
One of the most stunning aspects of Super Mario Bros. Wonder lies in its presentation. It gives off a childlike sense of “wonder” by incorporating Nintendo’s magic that is sprinkled across every facet of the game. Super Mario Bros. Wonder features vivid dreamscapes that will leave you in awe of its sheer beauty. Those, as mentioned above, are the Wonder Flowers that not only change the gameplay drastically but the world around you as well.
As if the graphics weren’t already gorgeous, once you touch a Wonder Flower, the world becomes a living, breathing painting. Not only does Super Mario Bros. Wonder feature some of the best-looking visuals for a Mario game, but the Switch library, in general. It is hard to believe this is such a late-stage Switch release. Super Mario Bros. Wonder shows no signs of a game being rushed for a quick holiday buck.
That is because it wasn’t rushed at all; in fact, there was no crunch time for the developers. It is quite evident that the team was firing on all creative cylinders when it came to ideas for the game. It is amazing what can be achieved when people are given breathing room to hone their craft and show off their ingenuity—bonus points for bringing legendary composer Koji Kondo back for the game’s score.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder will certainly be remembered for reinvigorating the genre with the innovative Wonder Flower mechanic, fun online and local multiplayer modes, and its gorgeous presentation. Gather your family and friends for an unforgettable adventure in the Flower Kingdom!
