Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a standout game that mixes the tried and true formula of Mario with some of the most creative additions we’ve seen in a long time in the 2D games of this series.
Instead of once again kidnapping the Princess, Bowser instead invades the Flower Kingdom while our heroes our visiting and steals a Wonder Flower which combines him and Prince Florin’s Castle. It’s up to our heroes to find the Royal Seeds and strip Bowser of his new powers before he enacts a big, bad Wonder.
Story has never been the Mario series’ strong point, but it’s a good enough setup to get you into the meat of the game. Mario Wonder like other 2D games in the series, features an overworld with multiple worlds each containing levels pertaining to a theme such as lava, desert, ice, etc. This time though all the levels have Wonder Flowers that change the level, and sometimes even Mario and friends, in drastic ways. These are always a treat, and while some shined more than others, every Wonder was fun to find in a level and trigger to see what would happen. You get a Wonder Seed for completing it, and then you usually get a second one for completing the level regardless.
Controls are tight as expected from a Mario game. It pretty much follows the same control scheme as other 2D Mario platformers, but adds a couple twists. Mainly, you have the badges which do a number of different things from altering moves, enhancing moves, turning you invisible, making the game easier in a couple different ways and more. Some badges are way better for certain stages (the Dolphin Kick is vital for any underwater level for example) while others offer helpful buffs or completely change how you play. You can only have one equipped at a time, and while this made for some fun, I found myself mostly sticking to my favorite for any given level. Collecting them is fun though as some are unlocked by completing challenges while others are bought in shops, some of which are well hidden.
I did like too that you could also play as other characters, each with their own unique attributes. I’ll admit though, I’m basic as hell and just had fun playing as Mario.
There’s also some new power ups, and while I’ll try not to spoil any that aren’t frequently talked about, the new Elephant power up is awesome! No clue how they thought it up, but it’s consistently fun and the unique animations are cute and hilarious. Overall, the powerups are pretty useful, though one in particular isn’t as good as the rest.
As a whole, there’s not much else for me to talk about gameplay-wise. It’s fun Mario, and while I did get frustrated at times, some of that can be chalked up to my usual frustrations with 2D platformers (we don’t always get along). At times, there were some questionable hitboxes, jump arcs, etc. but nothing awful as a whole outside of one badge that was annoying to control (thankfully I only had to use it for its challenge levels). The game is pretty easy too though my general lack of experience with 2D Mario games made it a bit more challenging for me. For those really looking for a challenge, there’s a Special World with crazy hard levels, though I found them more frustrating than fun (not everyone is me though).
Visually, the game is cute with its usual Mario charm. While well done, I found that most of the art design doesn’t really go too far outside the usual for Mario. There are some exceptions, like the cool pyramid looking level with a bunch of trials and the Fungi Mines, but otherwise it’s what you’d expect. The animations however, have gotten a boost. They’re super expressive and add some flair to otherwise familiar moves by the gang.
As for sound, I think the team did a really standout job here. Not only is the soundtrack really good, it’s used for some of the gameplay during Wonders and levels too. These were some of my favorites, such as the oft talked about singing Pirhana Plants level. The overall sound design is a good mix of classic and new as well, and I thought the new Mario voice actor did a great job. It feels pretty much the same, but there’s some new zip to some of his lines.
Overall, if you’re looking for 2D Mario, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a great package to check out! It puts a lot more effort and innovation into the formula than what we saw with the New! Super Mario Bros. Series, and breathes some life back into the famous plumber’s original format. Definitely a game worth checking out both for long-time fans and new ones!
Instead of once again kidnapping the Princess, Bowser instead invades the Flower Kingdom while our heroes our visiting and steals a Wonder Flower which combines him and Prince Florin’s Castle. It’s up to our heroes to find the Royal Seeds and strip Bowser of his new powers before he enacts a big, bad Wonder.
Story has never been the Mario series’ strong point, but it’s a good enough setup to get you into the meat of the game. Mario Wonder like other 2D games in the series, features an overworld with multiple worlds each containing levels pertaining to a theme such as lava, desert, ice, etc. This time though all the levels have Wonder Flowers that change the level, and sometimes even Mario and friends, in drastic ways. These are always a treat, and while some shined more than others, every Wonder was fun to find in a level and trigger to see what would happen. You get a Wonder Seed for completing it, and then you usually get a second one for completing the level regardless.
Controls are tight as expected from a Mario game. It pretty much follows the same control scheme as other 2D Mario platformers, but adds a couple twists. Mainly, you have the badges which do a number of different things from altering moves, enhancing moves, turning you invisible, making the game easier in a couple different ways and more. Some badges are way better for certain stages (the Dolphin Kick is vital for any underwater level for example) while others offer helpful buffs or completely change how you play. You can only have one equipped at a time, and while this made for some fun, I found myself mostly sticking to my favorite for any given level. Collecting them is fun though as some are unlocked by completing challenges while others are bought in shops, some of which are well hidden.
I did like too that you could also play as other characters, each with their own unique attributes. I’ll admit though, I’m basic as hell and just had fun playing as Mario.
There’s also some new power ups, and while I’ll try not to spoil any that aren’t frequently talked about, the new Elephant power up is awesome! No clue how they thought it up, but it’s consistently fun and the unique animations are cute and hilarious. Overall, the powerups are pretty useful, though one in particular isn’t as good as the rest.
As a whole, there’s not much else for me to talk about gameplay-wise. It’s fun Mario, and while I did get frustrated at times, some of that can be chalked up to my usual frustrations with 2D platformers (we don’t always get along). At times, there were some questionable hitboxes, jump arcs, etc. but nothing awful as a whole outside of one badge that was annoying to control (thankfully I only had to use it for its challenge levels). The game is pretty easy too though my general lack of experience with 2D Mario games made it a bit more challenging for me. For those really looking for a challenge, there’s a Special World with crazy hard levels, though I found them more frustrating than fun (not everyone is me though).
Visually, the game is cute with its usual Mario charm. While well done, I found that most of the art design doesn’t really go too far outside the usual for Mario. There are some exceptions, like the cool pyramid looking level with a bunch of trials and the Fungi Mines, but otherwise it’s what you’d expect. The animations however, have gotten a boost. They’re super expressive and add some flair to otherwise familiar moves by the gang.
As for sound, I think the team did a really standout job here. Not only is the soundtrack really good, it’s used for some of the gameplay during Wonders and levels too. These were some of my favorites, such as the oft talked about singing Pirhana Plants level. The overall sound design is a good mix of classic and new as well, and I thought the new Mario voice actor did a great job. It feels pretty much the same, but there’s some new zip to some of his lines.
Overall, if you’re looking for 2D Mario, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a great package to check out! It puts a lot more effort and innovation into the formula than what we saw with the New! Super Mario Bros. Series, and breathes some life back into the famous plumber’s original format. Definitely a game worth checking out both for long-time fans and new ones!