I spent my weekend wholly immersed in the colorful, chaotic world of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and I simply can’t say enough good things about it. Literally, there are things I can’t say about it, but what I can impart is my newfound love for this refreshing take on Mario canon.
Shifting the adventure from the Mushroom Kingdom to the neighboring Flower Kingdom, Wonder is… well, a wonder to behold. It takes all the classic conventions of the 2D Super Mario Bros. franchise — -tight platforming, memorable melodies, picture-perfect character and level design — -and flips the script with a little help from the new Wonder Flower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljx3QQ4uApg
These hidden super-power-ups literally transform already gorgeous and well-constructed platforming environments in unexpected and amazing ways. And not knowing exactly what is going to happen when you stumble upon one only ramps up the already considerable fun of the finely polished gameplay.
With a massive roster of playable characters — -Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, and Toadette for standard play and the beginner-friendly Nabbit and Yoshi for a reduced challenge — -and well-conceived new power-ups like the Bubble Flower, Drill Mushroom, and the (already internet famous) Elephant Fruit, Super Mario Bros. Wonder does the iterative update thing that Mario fans have come to expect. But the thought that I kept having again and again as I made my way through this unique kingdom was that every addition, every Mario modification, went slightly further than I anticipated.
From Elephant Luigi squeezing himself through warp pipes to the game-altering Badge system to the clever way it toys with the convention of traditional online play, Wonder is always a little extra — -it always offers more than expected. In the same way that Super Mario Bros. 3 felt like a massive upgrade from the NES original or how Super Mario World seemed like a veritable seismic shift for platformers in general, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a game-changer for Nintendo’s stalwart Italian plumbers.
It’s dangerous to go alone. image: NOA
Yes, you’re still ultimately looking to defeat Bowser and re-establish order, but the addition of new enemy types, mini-boss battles, and even a handful of unexpected Easter eggs make this seem like a different kind of adventure.
Sure, your chosen character runs and jumps and stomps and fights, but everything from Badge selection to charting your own course through branching levels (with ample secret paths and hidden destinations) makes your adventure seem like one of your very own — -a unique experience tailored to what you love about Mario and his compatriots.
Yeah, the world map is composed of individual themed areas representing familiar SMB environs, but even those take sharp turns at the whims of Bowser’s corrupting influence, not to mention the world-bending might of the Wonder Flowers.
Could I be more specific? Certainly. Will I be more specific? Absolutely not.
I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite badge at this point, but I’m continually surprised by their utility. image: NOA
Okay, I may spill a few beans when I begin my proper game review in the coming days, but so much of what makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder such a wholly enjoyable experience is its sense of discovery. The titular Wonder Flowers are clearly designed to surprise and delight and, yes, occasionally to shock, but they are far from the game’s only clever trick.
Enemies, environmental elements, and even the plot itself tend to move in surprising ways, which only further drives home the undeniable truth that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is wonderfully clever, wonderfully inviting, and wonderfully unexpected.
Nintendo of America provided a pre-release copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the purposes of this preview. This post contains affiliate links. Luigi was here.
