Personally, my idea of what games I would call a "masterpiece" is simple: Have stellar game design, but also make the player feel something. Mario games all too often qualify for the former, but fail at the latter. They're great platformers, but not individually memorable experiences.

There are, in my opinion, three exceptions. Galaxy 1 absorbs me in its melancholy atmosphere and cinematic presentation. Odyssey makes me feel like I'm going on a huge quest never knowing what's around the corner. And now, Wonder makes me feel an emotion that not many games manage to elicit, all things considered: Pure unadulterated JOY. It really wouldn't be a stretch to call this the most joyful video game ever made.

I went into this knowing this would be the best 2D Mario by a wide margin (not that that's a high bar), but I was not prepared for just how much I would enjoy this game. The game takes clear inspiration from platformers of the past but manages to craft something totally new out of it. It's endlessly creative but manages to almost never cross the line into pure gimmickry. And then there's the simply unrivaled level of personality, a carefree happiness that persists throughout the whole game. From the moment the wonder effect in the second level happened (not gonna spoil it), I was smitten. An instant classic and one of the best sidescrollers ever made.



PS. I will fight anyone who says this is the "best 2D Mario since the SNES". Get over yourselves