We've been waiting literal years for a new Mario game and now that the movie's out, now was the perfect time. And the game we got is, well, WONDERFUL! Really this is a game you have to experience for yourself. Words don't do it justice but I guess I'll try.
Wonder's greatest strength is innovation. Unlike the "New" games which often re-used level concepts (although NSMB U felt a little different at least), every level in Wonder feels like a unique experience, whether by gameplay gimmick, Wonder effect or enemy type. I'm sure every single level is somebody's favourite, which is saying something.
The enemies are the real highlight. This game introduces a huge variety of new creatures (take notes, modern Paper Mario...) that not only look unique, but have clearly-defined, and FUN, game mechanics. Levels are typically built around one of these enemies.
The world also experiments with non-linearity, with multiple levels accessible at the same time, each graded on a difficulty scale from 1 to 5 stars. There are 4-star levels even in the first world so you're always on your toes, though I never came close to running out of lives. The game struck a good balance between satisfying challenge and not feeling frustrating, with... one exception I'll get to later.
While not an essentially part of a Mario game imo, the soundtrack is also excellent, with very few repeated tunes, making each level even MORE unique.
Speaking of unique, every level has a Wonder Flower effect. Some are worked into the main path while others are more hidden, and they're typically an exaggeration of or twist on the level's core gimmick. (The "ten" in the "ki-sho-ten-ketsu" structure) Outside of the Special World they're all optional, ensuring they don't bog down replays of the level if you missed a collectible.
My criticisms are mostly nitpicks, but there's a few. Firstly, despite letting you tackle a few levels out of order, the game only opens into true non-linearity for Worlds 4 through 6, while the Petal Isles could've easily served as a hub granting access to ALL worlds after the first.
Despite all the crazy Wonder effects, every boss besides the final one is Bowser Jr, and while each fight is completely unique, it would've been nice to see more characters. Not every world has a boss, either. The final fight with Bowser was a cool setpiece but am I the only one who found it disappointingly easy?
And speaking of difficulty, the Special World, while meant to be super-hard optional challenges, places one of their hardest levels FAR too early. "Climb to the Beat" is only World 2's Special level, and it's so brutal my first attempt (which capped off my very first play session of Wonder) made me take a week-long break from the game for the sake of my actual health. None of the later Special World stages caused this much pain, so I feel this one should've come later.
Overall, Wonder is an excellent return for 2D Mario, and I hope its new enemies set a precedent for future entries.
Wonder's greatest strength is innovation. Unlike the "New" games which often re-used level concepts (although NSMB U felt a little different at least), every level in Wonder feels like a unique experience, whether by gameplay gimmick, Wonder effect or enemy type. I'm sure every single level is somebody's favourite, which is saying something.
The enemies are the real highlight. This game introduces a huge variety of new creatures (take notes, modern Paper Mario...) that not only look unique, but have clearly-defined, and FUN, game mechanics. Levels are typically built around one of these enemies.
The world also experiments with non-linearity, with multiple levels accessible at the same time, each graded on a difficulty scale from 1 to 5 stars. There are 4-star levels even in the first world so you're always on your toes, though I never came close to running out of lives. The game struck a good balance between satisfying challenge and not feeling frustrating, with... one exception I'll get to later.
While not an essentially part of a Mario game imo, the soundtrack is also excellent, with very few repeated tunes, making each level even MORE unique.
Speaking of unique, every level has a Wonder Flower effect. Some are worked into the main path while others are more hidden, and they're typically an exaggeration of or twist on the level's core gimmick. (The "ten" in the "ki-sho-ten-ketsu" structure) Outside of the Special World they're all optional, ensuring they don't bog down replays of the level if you missed a collectible.
My criticisms are mostly nitpicks, but there's a few. Firstly, despite letting you tackle a few levels out of order, the game only opens into true non-linearity for Worlds 4 through 6, while the Petal Isles could've easily served as a hub granting access to ALL worlds after the first.
Despite all the crazy Wonder effects, every boss besides the final one is Bowser Jr, and while each fight is completely unique, it would've been nice to see more characters. Not every world has a boss, either. The final fight with Bowser was a cool setpiece but am I the only one who found it disappointingly easy?
And speaking of difficulty, the Special World, while meant to be super-hard optional challenges, places one of their hardest levels FAR too early. "Climb to the Beat" is only World 2's Special level, and it's so brutal my first attempt (which capped off my very first play session of Wonder) made me take a week-long break from the game for the sake of my actual health. None of the later Special World stages caused this much pain, so I feel this one should've come later.
Overall, Wonder is an excellent return for 2D Mario, and I hope its new enemies set a precedent for future entries.
KENAUEVI
6 months ago