I am a huge Nintendo fan, and I am a huge Mario fan. Platformers are my bread and butter. While I'd say I'm at least competent or decent at most genres, platformers are the one genre I'd confidently say I'm really damn good at. So whenever a new main series, 3D Mario game comes out I am hyped as hell. But when it's a 2D game? I honestly haven't been excited for a 2D Mario game since Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS. Yes I'm considering it a 2D Mario game in this case. If you want to be a stickler and say it has to be in 2D then the last one was New Super Mario Bros. Wii back in 2009. (And that only wins by default since the last 2D Mario game that came out before then was in 1992 when I was 8 years old and wasn’t even aware of it.) The reason being that 2D Mario games after the original Golden age of NES and SNES have just been really forgetful in my opinion. The only one that felt memorable and standout was Super Mario 3D World (SM3DW). There were three (true) 2D Mario games released between 2009 and 2012 and if you took a screenshot of any of them, made them the same resolution, removed the token new power up it had, and it wasn't from the "unique" World 1, you wouldn’t even be able to tell which game it was from. They're all the same and have no substantial identity. Because of all this, any announcements from Nintendo about a new 2D Mario basically went in one of my ears and out the other. Mario Wonder had a very difficult hill to climb with me.
The new art style was a welcome breath of fresh air even if I wasn't the biggest fan of it. (I still think Yoshi looks terrible in this game) It still was new and unique and it gave the game a sense of visual identity. While most 2D Mario games put a huge emphasis on the game's identity with the new power up it added like Wii U's Acorn or New Super Mario Bros. 2's Gold Fire Flower, wonder instead decided to showcase a new mechanic the levels all had. The Wonder flower would take a level and "remix" a segment of it in ways that I just could not imagine no matter how hard I tried to predict. They would be wonderful musical showcases (ones that managed to nail it perfectly, as opposed to Origami King for example) or sections where the physics are completely upended, or small obstacle courses in their own independent vacuum. There really aren’t any rules to what could happen or where it would happen, the only constant was when you got to the end and touched a wonder seed, the effects ended. It really can't be emphasized how unique these experiences were. And every single level with a flag poll has one. It makes sense to make this mechanic the focal point of the game's focus, image, and advertising because not only is it damn fun, but it's the only way to truly encapsulate all the extremely varied experiences it can offer.
While the Wonder flower is the face of the game, the thing that stood out to me personally as this game’s crown jewel and sign of 2D Mario actually evolving is the enemy/NPC designs. Most 2D Mario games follow a similar formula. Create a stage gimmick, introduce it in a safe environment, put it in different scenarios of increasing risk (add pits or enemies), complete the level, and more or less ditch the gimmick unless it's used as a tool in the "increasing risk" step for a different new mechanic that’s introduced later. Maybe bring it back later in a bonus world as an extra hard challenge. But the worlds are usually the same you expect from a Mario game. (Grassland, desert, oceans, etc.) The enemies are what you expect from a Mario game (goomba, koopa, boo, etc.) with a small handful of new creations thrown in per game. But Mario Wonder? They not only go all in on new enemy types and designs, but they also serve as the stage gimmick as well. The Skeddaddlers run away carrying goodies and collectables and hopping over obstacles while firing off acorn projectiles that attack you, but they also break the environment. Outmaways kick ice blocks that push you around, kill enemies, offer you rides, and in later levels reappear to show you they can kick not just ice blocks but other objects like shells too. Hoppycats mirror your jumps making them difficult to get by normally, but also trip you up as you find out they can defy gravity and cling to a ceiling and jump upside down. But they can be used to break through the environment to reveal secret collectables and new paths. That's just three new enemies out of dozens, but that's also just enemies because there's friendly NPCs you'll find in levels you have to make use of too. Bloomps shove enemies aside and give you multiple high bounces across gaps. Blewbirds shoot massive bubbles that allow you to climb up to high places. Hoppos roll sideways, knocking over enemies, an continue rolling until they reach a bottomless pit and cover it up to protect you from falling in while also offering you a new bouncy platform to bounce off of. Again just 3 new characters to help you out of dozens. In an IP that's kind of expected to be a bit stale by falling back on its “tried and true” cast of Goombas and Koopas, this was such a standout change for me. Not only were there nearly a hundred new characters designed with great mechanics and appearance, but they also didn't just simply function as an enemy or obstacle but a tool or puzzle piece of the environment. (Oh and on the topic of familiar enemies, they did also breathe some extra personality into them by doing extra little details like having Koopas/Goombas/Dry Bones playfully bump shells/butts when they walk into each other. Or have them look up angrily at Mario as he enters their cone of vision. Or having them very clearly panic when they see a fireball/bubble get close or witness one of their comrades be murdered right in front of them.) The levels are beautiful and fun and unpredicting, but for me the most standout thing was the beautiful multi-functionality of nearly every new NPC you found in a level.
Also I need to take just a brief minute to talk about the art and music in this game. Holy shit the music in this game is so god damned good. These remixes are incredible! (the remix they made for "Underground" has now become my favorite version of the song) And for those who played all the Mario games and are big fans and love when games reference older entries, this game is like a wet dream. It's just like absurd fan service but in the best way possible. Seriously every freaking second of music in this game in every way is a delight for the ears. And the visuals and art style for this game were so good I did something I’ve never done before. They were actually so damn good I went to the freaking credits to see who the Art Director of the game was. His name is Masanobu Sato and he BETTER have this roll in more games because holy fucking shit man, the visuals for this game were out of this world. The color schemes for enemies like the black and Green Piranha plants, Neon color outlines of the Piranha clouds around Bowser, the weird Inverted and glowy effect to Bowser Jr. when he was in "Wonder Mode," the implementation of "silhouette" levels, the visual effect of the "black hole tearing" on some levels, I could honestly go on and on with this game's visuals. They're fucking stunning. This is one of the best looking games I've ever seen to the extent I honestly died a couple times just because I got distracted by admiring the background or color patterns of levels. If one thing happens as a result of this game's release it's that Masanobu Sato gets the raise and recognition he deserves.
I've gushed about the game long enough so I want to talk about the few issues I have with the game. One minor thing being the wall jump was noticeably finicky. I thought maybe I was crazy but when I brought it up multiple people said they agreed. It works like 80% of the time but it's damned frustrating to fall to your death because the game just kinda let you fall. But the main issue I have with the game is kind of a combination of two things and I don't know which of the two it's more of. This game is $70 and I beat it, full 100% in under 14.5 hours. I beat every level, topped every flag poll, got every wonder seed, got every 10 Coin, found every secret exit, completed every challenge, got every badge, bought every standee, this game has no more content left to offer me in under 15 hours. I did say earlier that Platformers were the genre I was best at so I didn’t expect to struggle TOO much while playing but there were only 2 levels that I’d label as hard. I’m sure no one will be surprised that they are the 2 final levels in the optional Special world. Anything besides those two levels that were labeled as “hard” by the game were at max a 5/10 on the difficulty scale. That means most levels in the game overall were a 1-2/10. I can’t tell if I cruised through this game because the game itself really is short, or if it was that easy. I’m not naive, I know that Mario games are meant to be accessible to all ages. A large part of why 2D Mario games were brought back with New Super Mario Bros Wii was because elder folks were complaining about how they couldn’t bond over video games with their grand kids like they used to because they simply couldn’t grasp 3D movement in games like they could at least 2D games and were left in the dust. So I’m not trying to be that gatekeeping Souls fanboy who thinks all games should be hard, there’s nothing wrong with some games being made easier so they can be more accessible. But for example SM3DW had freaking 2.5 post game worlds of levels that were significantly harder than previous content. I think the “Special world” in Wonder was supposed to be the game’s equivalent to that but besides there being only 10 levels, all but 2 of the levels were a 5/10 difficulty.or less. I was having fun playing Wonder but a part of that was because while playing I was regularly thinking in the back of my head “god this game’s really easy. I can’t wait to get to the post game worlds for some fun challenge.” To then be met with 2 hard levels and the game just ending really took the wind out of my sails.
Overall, this game is beautiful, inventive, creative, imaginative, unpredictable, fun, short, and easy. The music is incredible, the visuals and art direction are unmatched, and it’s the first 2D Mario I actually had fun with since I first played the original 4 classics as a kid. If you like Platformers there’s no question or doubt about it, you will have fun with this game. The only real issue is determining if the short and easy time is worth $70 to you.
The last thing I'll say about the game is, seriously Nintendo, give Masanobu Sato a raise.
The new art style was a welcome breath of fresh air even if I wasn't the biggest fan of it. (I still think Yoshi looks terrible in this game) It still was new and unique and it gave the game a sense of visual identity. While most 2D Mario games put a huge emphasis on the game's identity with the new power up it added like Wii U's Acorn or New Super Mario Bros. 2's Gold Fire Flower, wonder instead decided to showcase a new mechanic the levels all had. The Wonder flower would take a level and "remix" a segment of it in ways that I just could not imagine no matter how hard I tried to predict. They would be wonderful musical showcases (ones that managed to nail it perfectly, as opposed to Origami King for example) or sections where the physics are completely upended, or small obstacle courses in their own independent vacuum. There really aren’t any rules to what could happen or where it would happen, the only constant was when you got to the end and touched a wonder seed, the effects ended. It really can't be emphasized how unique these experiences were. And every single level with a flag poll has one. It makes sense to make this mechanic the focal point of the game's focus, image, and advertising because not only is it damn fun, but it's the only way to truly encapsulate all the extremely varied experiences it can offer.
While the Wonder flower is the face of the game, the thing that stood out to me personally as this game’s crown jewel and sign of 2D Mario actually evolving is the enemy/NPC designs. Most 2D Mario games follow a similar formula. Create a stage gimmick, introduce it in a safe environment, put it in different scenarios of increasing risk (add pits or enemies), complete the level, and more or less ditch the gimmick unless it's used as a tool in the "increasing risk" step for a different new mechanic that’s introduced later. Maybe bring it back later in a bonus world as an extra hard challenge. But the worlds are usually the same you expect from a Mario game. (Grassland, desert, oceans, etc.) The enemies are what you expect from a Mario game (goomba, koopa, boo, etc.) with a small handful of new creations thrown in per game. But Mario Wonder? They not only go all in on new enemy types and designs, but they also serve as the stage gimmick as well. The Skeddaddlers run away carrying goodies and collectables and hopping over obstacles while firing off acorn projectiles that attack you, but they also break the environment. Outmaways kick ice blocks that push you around, kill enemies, offer you rides, and in later levels reappear to show you they can kick not just ice blocks but other objects like shells too. Hoppycats mirror your jumps making them difficult to get by normally, but also trip you up as you find out they can defy gravity and cling to a ceiling and jump upside down. But they can be used to break through the environment to reveal secret collectables and new paths. That's just three new enemies out of dozens, but that's also just enemies because there's friendly NPCs you'll find in levels you have to make use of too. Bloomps shove enemies aside and give you multiple high bounces across gaps. Blewbirds shoot massive bubbles that allow you to climb up to high places. Hoppos roll sideways, knocking over enemies, an continue rolling until they reach a bottomless pit and cover it up to protect you from falling in while also offering you a new bouncy platform to bounce off of. Again just 3 new characters to help you out of dozens. In an IP that's kind of expected to be a bit stale by falling back on its “tried and true” cast of Goombas and Koopas, this was such a standout change for me. Not only were there nearly a hundred new characters designed with great mechanics and appearance, but they also didn't just simply function as an enemy or obstacle but a tool or puzzle piece of the environment. (Oh and on the topic of familiar enemies, they did also breathe some extra personality into them by doing extra little details like having Koopas/Goombas/Dry Bones playfully bump shells/butts when they walk into each other. Or have them look up angrily at Mario as he enters their cone of vision. Or having them very clearly panic when they see a fireball/bubble get close or witness one of their comrades be murdered right in front of them.) The levels are beautiful and fun and unpredicting, but for me the most standout thing was the beautiful multi-functionality of nearly every new NPC you found in a level.
Also I need to take just a brief minute to talk about the art and music in this game. Holy shit the music in this game is so god damned good. These remixes are incredible! (the remix they made for "Underground" has now become my favorite version of the song) And for those who played all the Mario games and are big fans and love when games reference older entries, this game is like a wet dream. It's just like absurd fan service but in the best way possible. Seriously every freaking second of music in this game in every way is a delight for the ears. And the visuals and art style for this game were so good I did something I’ve never done before. They were actually so damn good I went to the freaking credits to see who the Art Director of the game was. His name is Masanobu Sato and he BETTER have this roll in more games because holy fucking shit man, the visuals for this game were out of this world. The color schemes for enemies like the black and Green Piranha plants, Neon color outlines of the Piranha clouds around Bowser, the weird Inverted and glowy effect to Bowser Jr. when he was in "Wonder Mode," the implementation of "silhouette" levels, the visual effect of the "black hole tearing" on some levels, I could honestly go on and on with this game's visuals. They're fucking stunning. This is one of the best looking games I've ever seen to the extent I honestly died a couple times just because I got distracted by admiring the background or color patterns of levels. If one thing happens as a result of this game's release it's that Masanobu Sato gets the raise and recognition he deserves.
I've gushed about the game long enough so I want to talk about the few issues I have with the game. One minor thing being the wall jump was noticeably finicky. I thought maybe I was crazy but when I brought it up multiple people said they agreed. It works like 80% of the time but it's damned frustrating to fall to your death because the game just kinda let you fall. But the main issue I have with the game is kind of a combination of two things and I don't know which of the two it's more of. This game is $70 and I beat it, full 100% in under 14.5 hours. I beat every level, topped every flag poll, got every wonder seed, got every 10 Coin, found every secret exit, completed every challenge, got every badge, bought every standee, this game has no more content left to offer me in under 15 hours. I did say earlier that Platformers were the genre I was best at so I didn’t expect to struggle TOO much while playing but there were only 2 levels that I’d label as hard. I’m sure no one will be surprised that they are the 2 final levels in the optional Special world. Anything besides those two levels that were labeled as “hard” by the game were at max a 5/10 on the difficulty scale. That means most levels in the game overall were a 1-2/10. I can’t tell if I cruised through this game because the game itself really is short, or if it was that easy. I’m not naive, I know that Mario games are meant to be accessible to all ages. A large part of why 2D Mario games were brought back with New Super Mario Bros Wii was because elder folks were complaining about how they couldn’t bond over video games with their grand kids like they used to because they simply couldn’t grasp 3D movement in games like they could at least 2D games and were left in the dust. So I’m not trying to be that gatekeeping Souls fanboy who thinks all games should be hard, there’s nothing wrong with some games being made easier so they can be more accessible. But for example SM3DW had freaking 2.5 post game worlds of levels that were significantly harder than previous content. I think the “Special world” in Wonder was supposed to be the game’s equivalent to that but besides there being only 10 levels, all but 2 of the levels were a 5/10 difficulty.or less. I was having fun playing Wonder but a part of that was because while playing I was regularly thinking in the back of my head “god this game’s really easy. I can’t wait to get to the post game worlds for some fun challenge.” To then be met with 2 hard levels and the game just ending really took the wind out of my sails.
Overall, this game is beautiful, inventive, creative, imaginative, unpredictable, fun, short, and easy. The music is incredible, the visuals and art direction are unmatched, and it’s the first 2D Mario I actually had fun with since I first played the original 4 classics as a kid. If you like Platformers there’s no question or doubt about it, you will have fun with this game. The only real issue is determining if the short and easy time is worth $70 to you.
The last thing I'll say about the game is, seriously Nintendo, give Masanobu Sato a raise.