Years of research and experimentation have led to this, to this very moment: the key of greatness, of peak 2D Funny Plumber doesn’t lie on the level design, power-ups or enemies, no, all along, what Mario needed was… A GRAPLING HOOK!
I say it back in my Super Mario World, and I’ll say it once again; despite my enormous love for the 2D Platforming genre, and despite my love for the Mario franchise as a whole, one which holds some of the most fun experiences I’ve had in the medium and has games that would easily place in my hypothetical favorites of all time list… I don’t really care about 2D Mario. Playing SMW this year, as well as the original Super Mario Bros., has helped a lot putting things into perspective for me; they are very good and sound games, they are well designed and each of them has a different interesting overarching idea and even sense of style (at least until the beginning of the New series that is), hell, three of its original outings are to this day considered pieces of media that shaped the industry and the way videogames as whole are made. Yet, while I find myself enjoying them, I hardly am able to actively care for them, they are competent experiences throughout but they never ‘’Wow!’’ me, they are more of a blueprint, an entry point of newcomers, which hey, I am a Kirby fan, being simple and easy isn’t a bother to me at all, but 2D Mario games, to me, never felt like they strived beyond that simple feeling of pick up and play, and even if it doesn’t harm them as experiences, I can’t say they are memorable; levels blend together and themings can get a bit repetitive, and with the modern New Super Mario Bros series this problems accentuate and even more arise. For me, the ‘’really good’’ Mario was found on the 3D experiences, the more creative, inspired and jaw-dropping adventures that surprise you with each entry and each new step taken within them, and I just kinda wished that Mario would eventually try to be more like others 2D-Platforming series like Kirby or Rayman, that had the courage to break the mold and be completely differet. And now you may be thinking that I got exactly what I was asking for, that Super Mario Bros Wonder is basically all of this, and that would be… wrong, partially at least, because you see… I was wrong.
The very fundamental core of each past 2D Mario is present here and more alive than ever, specially from the previous series; Mario and the gang feel as precise and fun as ever, but they pretty much feel like the one you would control in World moveset wise, the levels follow very similar beats to the New series with your usual suspects like the collectables and the secret exists and the overworld is an amalgam of what you would find both in SMW and 3D World. Nothing has actually changed, what you would expect from Mario is what you’ll find here, you even have a new collection of whacky power-ups, new mini-challenges and secretes galore! Mario Wonder is Mario… but it is as it’s absolute most creative, inspired, unhinged and fun, and that’s precisely what sets it apart, not that it’s a brand new spin on the formula, but that it feels like the best possible result you could get out of it.
The second level in this game would have been one of the last ones or a secret special stage in any of the previous games in the New series , but here it is, the second fucking level, one that goes absolutely whack, it’s hilarious and even has already some secrets, and that’s not Wonder only wanting to make a good first impression, no, it’s setting a precedent for the rest of the game. No two levels feel even close at being the same, your are constantly jumping between ideas, between the possibilities that the ‘’Wonder Flowers’’ can give, and the few times these are repeated is to get even more out of them. Wonder will only return to a precious concept if it can be even more wild with it or propose more interesting challenges, like those in the special world or the colosseums. It’s like a never-ending jovial carnival that has a different attraction at every corner: one moment you’ll be having a stroll through a park while collection coins, the next you’ll be jumping to the rhythm after entering a ninja party in a secret corner of a desert, all with such beautiful presentation I’m still in awe at it, the expressiveness and fluidity of every single element in this god-forsaken game is almost maddening, it’s so vibrant and colorful in all the right ways and I adore it; nothing is confusing, everything is immediately understandable and works to a tea, and the music… OH THE MUSIC! These games always manage to produce auditive dopamine and Wonder is yet another perfect example of it, such a varied and perfectly fitting soundtrack.
It's just so magical to see Mario this full of life, the Flower Kingdom’s locations are a sight to behold, both inside and out; they follow the usual themes that 2D-Mario has, but they make it look and work so different it’s hard to notice, half way through the game even opens up a bit which I really didn’t expect but that coupled with the open areas and the collectables makes for the most rewarding feeling of progression I’ve ever gotten out any of these experiences. The quantity of new enemies is titanic, each presenting a new idea, a new puzzle that depends entirely on themselves or around the mechanic the level itself introduces, and I really want to see theses faces again in the future, I love the new pack of goofballs so very much. The badges are really fun to get and while none of the main levels are really design around you using them, they are at times completely game-changing add-ons that invite you to experiment and let me tell ya, when you use the right badge at the right time and skip or even break the level, that is where the magic happens, and I wished it happened even more, even if letting the level do its thing with the wonder sections was always absolutely enough. I mean for criying out loud, Bowser, BOWSER has a ton pf personality on this one, moreso than in any previous 2D adventure and even some of the 3D games, and you know a Mario game is good when Bowser spits some facts.
Does it feel like I’m rambling a bit here? Well, that’s probably because I am! It seems borderline impossible to fully digest Wonder, maybe it’s because I tried to discover as much of it as possible and the sensory overload is kicking in, but I’m still flabbergasted that this game even exist as the way it does, that it was allowed to be made the way it was done, that it was permitted to be so daring while still managing to maintain the Mario spirit.
If I have to point a flaw, and I do, because I otherwise I’d be ignoring it, it’s how, for all its creativeness and the sheer fun it provides, both the castle and airship levels feel a tad… lesser, in comparison. Not that they are bad, not at all, in fact they also put a spin in the usual Bowser army thematic and looks quite good, love me some toxic metallic madness, but still, with a game that’s just experimentation upon experimentation, hilarity and fun on top of more of it, having levels that repeat the same ideas and even bosses (at least visually) feels really off, like they had to find a way to connect all of the amazing levels and made these using mostly previous concepts. This doesn’t not apply to the final set of levels tho, in fact, the final level may just be one of my favorites in the entire game, the best possible send off to the experience, what a show…
Wonder is… fuck it, I’m gonna say it, it’s wonderful; for a game that’s all gameplay, talking in depth about its ideas and level-design would be a massive spoiler, and that’s what makes it so amazing for it. It refuses to change its DNA, it’s very core, what makes it Mario, and instead celebrates it, celebrates what Mario games can be, what should be, and what now are. It’s bonkers, crazy, bananas if you will, in a ways it can feel like a huge departure, but here’s the thing, it took me 30 minutes for Luigi Elephant to become normal for me, and yet it never lost the charm nor the magic, it’s Mario, but at it’s best, at it’s most fun and well designed. It’s Mario being both what you would expect of it and shattering it, and that, that’s what makes it wonderful.
Also, I really don’t wanna spoil anything, but I just wanna say REJOICE BOO FANS, RISE UP AND REJOICE, THIS IS TRULY PEAK BOO MATERIAL WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I say it back in my Super Mario World, and I’ll say it once again; despite my enormous love for the 2D Platforming genre, and despite my love for the Mario franchise as a whole, one which holds some of the most fun experiences I’ve had in the medium and has games that would easily place in my hypothetical favorites of all time list… I don’t really care about 2D Mario. Playing SMW this year, as well as the original Super Mario Bros., has helped a lot putting things into perspective for me; they are very good and sound games, they are well designed and each of them has a different interesting overarching idea and even sense of style (at least until the beginning of the New series that is), hell, three of its original outings are to this day considered pieces of media that shaped the industry and the way videogames as whole are made. Yet, while I find myself enjoying them, I hardly am able to actively care for them, they are competent experiences throughout but they never ‘’Wow!’’ me, they are more of a blueprint, an entry point of newcomers, which hey, I am a Kirby fan, being simple and easy isn’t a bother to me at all, but 2D Mario games, to me, never felt like they strived beyond that simple feeling of pick up and play, and even if it doesn’t harm them as experiences, I can’t say they are memorable; levels blend together and themings can get a bit repetitive, and with the modern New Super Mario Bros series this problems accentuate and even more arise. For me, the ‘’really good’’ Mario was found on the 3D experiences, the more creative, inspired and jaw-dropping adventures that surprise you with each entry and each new step taken within them, and I just kinda wished that Mario would eventually try to be more like others 2D-Platforming series like Kirby or Rayman, that had the courage to break the mold and be completely differet. And now you may be thinking that I got exactly what I was asking for, that Super Mario Bros Wonder is basically all of this, and that would be… wrong, partially at least, because you see… I was wrong.
The very fundamental core of each past 2D Mario is present here and more alive than ever, specially from the previous series; Mario and the gang feel as precise and fun as ever, but they pretty much feel like the one you would control in World moveset wise, the levels follow very similar beats to the New series with your usual suspects like the collectables and the secret exists and the overworld is an amalgam of what you would find both in SMW and 3D World. Nothing has actually changed, what you would expect from Mario is what you’ll find here, you even have a new collection of whacky power-ups, new mini-challenges and secretes galore! Mario Wonder is Mario… but it is as it’s absolute most creative, inspired, unhinged and fun, and that’s precisely what sets it apart, not that it’s a brand new spin on the formula, but that it feels like the best possible result you could get out of it.
The second level in this game would have been one of the last ones or a secret special stage in any of the previous games in the New series , but here it is, the second fucking level, one that goes absolutely whack, it’s hilarious and even has already some secrets, and that’s not Wonder only wanting to make a good first impression, no, it’s setting a precedent for the rest of the game. No two levels feel even close at being the same, your are constantly jumping between ideas, between the possibilities that the ‘’Wonder Flowers’’ can give, and the few times these are repeated is to get even more out of them. Wonder will only return to a precious concept if it can be even more wild with it or propose more interesting challenges, like those in the special world or the colosseums. It’s like a never-ending jovial carnival that has a different attraction at every corner: one moment you’ll be having a stroll through a park while collection coins, the next you’ll be jumping to the rhythm after entering a ninja party in a secret corner of a desert, all with such beautiful presentation I’m still in awe at it, the expressiveness and fluidity of every single element in this god-forsaken game is almost maddening, it’s so vibrant and colorful in all the right ways and I adore it; nothing is confusing, everything is immediately understandable and works to a tea, and the music… OH THE MUSIC! These games always manage to produce auditive dopamine and Wonder is yet another perfect example of it, such a varied and perfectly fitting soundtrack.
It's just so magical to see Mario this full of life, the Flower Kingdom’s locations are a sight to behold, both inside and out; they follow the usual themes that 2D-Mario has, but they make it look and work so different it’s hard to notice, half way through the game even opens up a bit which I really didn’t expect but that coupled with the open areas and the collectables makes for the most rewarding feeling of progression I’ve ever gotten out any of these experiences. The quantity of new enemies is titanic, each presenting a new idea, a new puzzle that depends entirely on themselves or around the mechanic the level itself introduces, and I really want to see theses faces again in the future, I love the new pack of goofballs so very much. The badges are really fun to get and while none of the main levels are really design around you using them, they are at times completely game-changing add-ons that invite you to experiment and let me tell ya, when you use the right badge at the right time and skip or even break the level, that is where the magic happens, and I wished it happened even more, even if letting the level do its thing with the wonder sections was always absolutely enough. I mean for criying out loud, Bowser, BOWSER has a ton pf personality on this one, moreso than in any previous 2D adventure and even some of the 3D games, and you know a Mario game is good when Bowser spits some facts.
Does it feel like I’m rambling a bit here? Well, that’s probably because I am! It seems borderline impossible to fully digest Wonder, maybe it’s because I tried to discover as much of it as possible and the sensory overload is kicking in, but I’m still flabbergasted that this game even exist as the way it does, that it was allowed to be made the way it was done, that it was permitted to be so daring while still managing to maintain the Mario spirit.
If I have to point a flaw, and I do, because I otherwise I’d be ignoring it, it’s how, for all its creativeness and the sheer fun it provides, both the castle and airship levels feel a tad… lesser, in comparison. Not that they are bad, not at all, in fact they also put a spin in the usual Bowser army thematic and looks quite good, love me some toxic metallic madness, but still, with a game that’s just experimentation upon experimentation, hilarity and fun on top of more of it, having levels that repeat the same ideas and even bosses (at least visually) feels really off, like they had to find a way to connect all of the amazing levels and made these using mostly previous concepts. This doesn’t not apply to the final set of levels tho, in fact, the final level may just be one of my favorites in the entire game, the best possible send off to the experience, what a show…
Wonder is… fuck it, I’m gonna say it, it’s wonderful; for a game that’s all gameplay, talking in depth about its ideas and level-design would be a massive spoiler, and that’s what makes it so amazing for it. It refuses to change its DNA, it’s very core, what makes it Mario, and instead celebrates it, celebrates what Mario games can be, what should be, and what now are. It’s bonkers, crazy, bananas if you will, in a ways it can feel like a huge departure, but here’s the thing, it took me 30 minutes for Luigi Elephant to become normal for me, and yet it never lost the charm nor the magic, it’s Mario, but at it’s best, at it’s most fun and well designed. It’s Mario being both what you would expect of it and shattering it, and that, that’s what makes it wonderful.
Also, I really don’t wanna spoil anything, but I just wanna say REJOICE BOO FANS, RISE UP AND REJOICE, THIS IS TRULY PEAK BOO MATERIAL WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO