This game was just a pure joy to play. I don't know how a series as old as Mario keeps finding fresh ways to surprise and delight you but Nintendo keep pulling it off. It had been quite a while since a new 2D Mario game (and even the last 3D game is over half a decade old at this point) and the New series wasn't particularly inventive but they came out swinging with Wonder.
The game is constantly throwing new ideas at you in every level. They'll introduce a mechanic or enemy at the start of a level that will will provide the platforming challenge and explore it well in a short amount of time. Then you're onto the next level which serves you up something new. This is eccentuated by the Wonder Effects. You trigger these by finding the Wonder Flower in a level and it changes the level in a weird and often surprising way. There's plenty of unique ideas with the effects and pretty much every level has one. I'm not going to say every level and wonder effect is completely different from every other one in the game but they really do keep you guessing each level and it never feels repetitive. There are also badges that you can unlock that will give you different movement options such as a spin jump or a glide. It's probably the one portion of the game that feels a bit underbaked because it's easy to just stick with the one option the entire game. There are a few levels that require certain badges which are pretty fun.
The game is a bit too easy. The lack of challenge didn't hinder my enjoyment as I could easily flow from level to level having a great time but a bit more resistance could have made some levels more memorable. There is a hard level right at the end but it isn't as good as the final levels in 3D World or Galaxy 2. The game is great to look at with lots of nice details especially with some of Mario's animations. The music is nice too although perhaps not as catchy as some of ther series' greats. The game does feel a bit short with me getting 100% in less than 20 hours. If the old adage keep them wanting more is to be followed, I certainly did want more because I enjoyed almost every single level. I don't feel like the game was lacking in value with the quality of everything being so high. This is a must play for anyone who likes 2D platformers.
The game is constantly throwing new ideas at you in every level. They'll introduce a mechanic or enemy at the start of a level that will will provide the platforming challenge and explore it well in a short amount of time. Then you're onto the next level which serves you up something new. This is eccentuated by the Wonder Effects. You trigger these by finding the Wonder Flower in a level and it changes the level in a weird and often surprising way. There's plenty of unique ideas with the effects and pretty much every level has one. I'm not going to say every level and wonder effect is completely different from every other one in the game but they really do keep you guessing each level and it never feels repetitive. There are also badges that you can unlock that will give you different movement options such as a spin jump or a glide. It's probably the one portion of the game that feels a bit underbaked because it's easy to just stick with the one option the entire game. There are a few levels that require certain badges which are pretty fun.
The game is a bit too easy. The lack of challenge didn't hinder my enjoyment as I could easily flow from level to level having a great time but a bit more resistance could have made some levels more memorable. There is a hard level right at the end but it isn't as good as the final levels in 3D World or Galaxy 2. The game is great to look at with lots of nice details especially with some of Mario's animations. The music is nice too although perhaps not as catchy as some of ther series' greats. The game does feel a bit short with me getting 100% in less than 20 hours. If the old adage keep them wanting more is to be followed, I certainly did want more because I enjoyed almost every single level. I don't feel like the game was lacking in value with the quality of everything being so high. This is a must play for anyone who likes 2D platformers.