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SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER (SWI)
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Publisher: Nintendo.
Developer: Nintendo EPD. Released: October 2023. Genre: 2D Platformer. Posted 5th May 2024. By Shane Battams © 2024 |
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Though Mario’s 3D outings would garner acclaim across multiple generations of Nintendo consoles, the 2D line-up had admittedly grown stagnant towards the early part of the 2010s. Multiple sequels, reused assets and a lack of ideas started to make the “New” part of the titles seem at odds with the overly-familiar content. Ironically, the first 2D Mario to ditch that moniker feels like the freshest instalment in a decade, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder offering a genuinely delightful experience that’s up there with the plumber’s best. Refreshed gameplay mechanics, reinvigorated aesthetics and oodles of charm ensure this platformer is one of the best on the Switch, and shows Mario and company still have new tricks up their sleeves.
From the get-go, this feels like a reinvigorated attempt at a 2D Mario. Moving from the Mushroom Kingdom to a neighbouring Flower equivalent, Mario and friends witness a demonstration of the Wonder Flower: a potent object which can alter reality. Unfortunately, Bowser gets his mitts on it, merges with Prince Florian’s castle and takes over the kingdom. Luckily, Mario volunteers to help save the land along with Peach, Luigi, Daisy and a motley crew of Toads and Yoshis. It’s refreshing to see the series move away from the kidnapped princess trope, and meeting Poplins and talking flowers is genuinely charming.
Though Mario’s 3D outings would garner acclaim across multiple generations of Nintendo consoles, the 2D line-up had admittedly grown stagnant towards the early part of the 2010s. Multiple sequels, reused assets and a lack of ideas started to make the “New” part of the titles seem at odds with the overly-familiar content. Ironically, the first 2D Mario to ditch that moniker feels like the freshest instalment in a decade, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder offering a genuinely delightful experience that’s up there with the plumber’s best. Refreshed gameplay mechanics, reinvigorated aesthetics and oodles of charm ensure this platformer is one of the best on the Switch, and shows Mario and company still have new tricks up their sleeves.
From the get-go, this feels like a reinvigorated attempt at a 2D Mario. Moving from the Mushroom Kingdom to a neighbouring Flower equivalent, Mario and friends witness a demonstration of the Wonder Flower: a potent object which can alter reality. Unfortunately, Bowser gets his mitts on it, merges with Prince Florian’s castle and takes over the kingdom. Luckily, Mario volunteers to help save the land along with Peach, Luigi, Daisy and a motley crew of Toads and Yoshis. It’s refreshing to see the series move away from the kidnapped princess trope, and meeting Poplins and talking flowers is genuinely charming.
It's as colourful and dynamic as you'd expect of a Mario platformer, and it plays brilliantly
Like previous 2D entries, Wonder sees you entering stages through the world map. This is split into six regions, each housing Royal Seeds at the end which clear the protection around Bowser. But rather than simply following the path, parts of the map allow you to freely move and select from multiple levels at once, offering some flexibility. Levels themselves house a mix of traditional and new enemies, meaning along with the typical goombas you’ll also meet the charging Bulrush, spiked Hoppycats which jump simultaneously with you and Maw-Maws with scarily large mouths to avoid. As always, the general goal is to reach the end of the stage and touch the flag, though hidden pathways often incentivise careful exploration over rushing to the end. This encourages multiple runs through stages to seek out hidden items.
Controls and gameplay feel airtight, perfectly refined with little room to complain. Jumping, sprinting and ground pounds all still work a treat, offering a preciseness few games can match. The difficulty also builds rather nicely, starting accessible but gently raising the slope with new mechanics, trickier layouts and additional foes. However, its a plethora of new mechanics that stand out. A slew of new power-ups stand out immensely, including being able to turn into an elephant or donning a drill hat to dig into terrain, be it ground or ceiling. Prince Florian also accompanies you, which ties into the new Badge system. These are a series of perks which range from potent abilities such as being able to grapple onto some surfaces, passive boons such as starting levels with a growth mushroom and even challenging modifiers such as becoming invisible for extra difficulty. These feel like game changers, and can be swapped between levels and respawns to aid you. It’s all great fun, and the chaos is heightened further via four player co-op, either locally or online.
Controls and gameplay feel airtight, perfectly refined with little room to complain. Jumping, sprinting and ground pounds all still work a treat, offering a preciseness few games can match. The difficulty also builds rather nicely, starting accessible but gently raising the slope with new mechanics, trickier layouts and additional foes. However, its a plethora of new mechanics that stand out. A slew of new power-ups stand out immensely, including being able to turn into an elephant or donning a drill hat to dig into terrain, be it ground or ceiling. Prince Florian also accompanies you, which ties into the new Badge system. These are a series of perks which range from potent abilities such as being able to grapple onto some surfaces, passive boons such as starting levels with a growth mushroom and even challenging modifiers such as becoming invisible for extra difficulty. These feel like game changers, and can be swapped between levels and respawns to aid you. It’s all great fun, and the chaos is heightened further via four player co-op, either locally or online.
FOCAL POINT: RAISING THE (WONDER) BAR!
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The biggest addition to this Mario Bros is Wonder flowers. These transformative power-ups warp the stage around you with results that are trippy, exciting and compelling. Bizarre moments see you riding a wave of rampaging Bulrushes, witnessing piranha plants singing and even turning into enemies such as a hoppycat. There are alterations on perspective, such as shifting to a top-down view. One even has you avoiding attacks from a random mini-boss. These paths hide extra Wonder Seeds, and while you can technically complete levels without touching these Plants, doing so would be a great disservice. While some effects can repeat, there’s mostly a sense of excitement as you wait with anticipation to see what insane twist is thrown your way next. It’s almost reminiscent of the madness of Rayman Legends from a decade prior (right down to multiple musical sidebars) but the comparison is certainly not a bad thing here, and it shakes up the stages immeasurably.
For those dedicated completionists out there, Wonder has tonnes to uncover. Stages house multiple Wonder Seeds, three large flower coins to grab and even hidden paths which reward special levels not seen on the map. There’s also a Special World which houses some of the most difficult levels in the game, proving a great test for challenge-hungry players. Badge challenges require skilful use of abilities and overcoming handicaps placed from the expert badges, which also reward more seeds. Standees serve as a fun form of collectable too, appearing when you die in co-operative and allowing the player to revive. Flower coins found in levels used as currency for these, lives and badges you can buy from the shop. Lastly, medal challenges require dedication and skill, such as finding every Wonder seed, touching the top of every flag and collecting all 144 standees. As a consequence, it offers dozens of hours of gameplay.
As you’d expect, Super Mario Bros. Wonder proves a delightfully colourful adventure, boasting a technically proficient presentation and joyful aesthetics. Smooth performance (even during manic Wonder Flower segments) ensures crisp responsiveness. The varied worlds you explore are bright, attractively crafted and teeming with detail and feel like a genuine advancement over previous games, encompassing new styles and colour palettes. Animations feel livelier: crouching sees Mario pulling his hat over his face, while enemies react in horror as you dispatch a nearby foe. The aesthetics feel like a reinvention compared to previous entries, and the sound follows suit. Reworked effects refresh simple actions such as shooting a fireball, voicework is more plentiful including chatty flowers who offer hints and banter, while the music is excellent. The revamped instrumentation feels fresh yet familiar to classic Mario, and the way the tracks shift with the chaotic Wonder Flower effects (such as the pumping Stampede theme when riding the wave of Bulrushes) fits perfectly.
As you’d expect, Super Mario Bros. Wonder proves a delightfully colourful adventure, boasting a technically proficient presentation and joyful aesthetics. Smooth performance (even during manic Wonder Flower segments) ensures crisp responsiveness. The varied worlds you explore are bright, attractively crafted and teeming with detail and feel like a genuine advancement over previous games, encompassing new styles and colour palettes. Animations feel livelier: crouching sees Mario pulling his hat over his face, while enemies react in horror as you dispatch a nearby foe. The aesthetics feel like a reinvention compared to previous entries, and the sound follows suit. Reworked effects refresh simple actions such as shooting a fireball, voicework is more plentiful including chatty flowers who offer hints and banter, while the music is excellent. The revamped instrumentation feels fresh yet familiar to classic Mario, and the way the tracks shift with the chaotic Wonder Flower effects (such as the pumping Stampede theme when riding the wave of Bulrushes) fits perfectly.
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder ends up being the strongest 2D entry in close to two decades, a genuine breath of fresh air which revamps the setup, revitalises with compelling new mechanics and recaptures that sense of excitement missing from recent 2D efforts. Wonder Flowers keep you guessing what will happen next, airtight mechanics make it a joy to play and a stellar presentation is endlessly charming. While some repetition with flower effects and bosses can grate somewhat, they pale next to the sheer fun you’ll have with this one. Whether you’re a seasoned platform aficionado or new to the run-and-jump man, Wonder lives up to its name and then some.
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VERDICT
"Thanks to a revamped setup, compelling new mechanics and a stellar presentation, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the series' strongest 2D entry in decades, and offers sheer fun and endless charm." OVERALL: 9/10 |
OTHER GREAT GAMES STARRING MARIO REVIEWED
Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii)
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Mario Kart 8 (2014, Wii U)
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