Blair Loveday
I don’t get it. How does Nintendo keep hitting it out of the park?
Seriously, my Switch has gotten an absurd amount of playtime that makes my PlayStation and Xbox weep on the cabinet. I mean sure, it helps that I can play Switch games on the train, but it’s no surprise I do, given the quality games that keep coming out.
And here we go again, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Going into Wonder I knew it was a 2D side-scroller. So with that in mind I was expecting the game to be more of a throwback to the good old times. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead this is just an excellent current 2D platformer that stands up to today’s standards.
The game kicks off with our heroes visiting the flower kingdom when you know who attacks. Bowser merges with a castle and we are on. That’s about the extent of the story, which is good. I want to platform, not read text boxes.
Speaking of the platforming, unsurprisingly it is absolutely on point. Everything works so well and feels so damn satisfying. It’s a Mario game after all. As usual you have a bunch of power ups you can grab from question boxes. The classics are back and some new entries. I won’t spoil them all but one new one you will encounter early is the ability to turn into an elephant making you bigger, heavier, and able to shoot water. It’s amazing.
Another cool new quirk is that you can play as any of the main Mario hero cast.
The bulk of them make no difference to gameplay but Yoshi for instance can use its tongue, and Nabbit doesn’t take damage from a lot of enemies. The flip side is they don’t get to use power ups. I mostly stuck to Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy and had a blast. The different designed power ups on each character was always fun to discover.
There are also abilities you unlock throughout the game.
A couple of early ones are the ability to glide with your hat, or jump higher. It’s a simple mechanic, but the kicker is you can only use one at a time in a level. So you can be knee deep in a level and realise getting something would be easier (or only possible) with a specific ability. It’s a cool way to let you adapt to your preferred way to play. And encourages going back and trying with another ability.
Though to be honest, I would have preferred to be able to change them on the fly inside a level.
Exploring the worlds and the crazy different environments is always fun. The levels generally start with 2D side scrolling, but most of the time there is a secret flower that will unlock a crazy part of the level. This might make Mario a tall shadow that’s a pain in the ass, or let you play a chunk of the level from the top down perspective. It’s absolutely bonkers and I am here for it. There are also a series of mini challenges that are nice, short, and fun.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is how you do a 2D side scroller.
Getting through levels isn’t that hard, but there are so many challenges that can make it so much harder. That means it gives you the sweet satisfaction of kicking ass, and the brutal torment of trying to get that one extra collectable. The balance just makes it a treat to play, from start to finish. Oh and it looks bloody amazing.
Released: October 2023
Rating: G
Platforms reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo