Summary

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wondrous and magical addition to the franchise, appealing to both series veterans and new fans.
• The gameplay of Wonder is beautiful and offers replayability with its variety of power-ups and badges.
• The level design in Wonder is fun, challenging, and brings the game to life with its unique themes, hidden secrets, and exceptional music.

Nintendo's newest addition to the Super Mario Bros. series, Super Mario Bros. Wonder certainly has the name right, as the game is a truly wondrous and magical experience for both series veterans and new fans. Launching on Nintendo Switch on October 20, Wonder is an absolute treasure that no-one should sleep on.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder was revealed earlier this year to much excitement. The side-scrolling Mario games may not be as highly-regarded as the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey, but they serve as a nostalgic reminder of the franchise's roots and still continue to pioneer the genre. Wonder immediately drew interest thanks to its unique power-ups, with the notable elephant transformation for Mario and his friends catching the eye of many a fan. But how does Wonder live up to previous Mario games?

Story & Characters

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - like almost all Mario games before it - doesn't particularly shine with its story. As expected, the player is tasked with defeating Bowser, traveling through various mini-worlds, this time collecting Wonder Seeds and Royal Seeds. Also like almost all Mario games before it, the story doesn't really matter in Wonder, as the gameplay is what's core to this adventure.

As for characters, Wonder has a great selection of playable heroes, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Daisy. Players can also select one of a range of colorful Yoshis or Nabbit, but doing so gives the very generous buff of these characters not taking damage. Those looking forward to seeing Elephant Yoshi are out of luck, as power-ups also won't work on these characters. In co-op though, Yoshi is rideable, though veteran fans who want to test their skills should probably opt for a non-buffed character.

While having characters who don't take damage is a nice way to change the difficulty for harder levels (and makes a nice option for younger children), if you're used to playing as Yoshi in your Mario games, you definitely lose out by doing so in Wonder. Perhaps the better option would have been letting the player toggle this buff on or off for each character, meaning everyone could play as their favorite hero regardless of their skill level.

Gameplay

Wonder's gameplay is simply beautiful, leaving lots for the seasoned player while still being approachable enough for younger fans. Deciding whether to speed through each level to test your skills, or take it slow and explore every nook and cranny for hidden secrets, offers a lot of replayability. This is especially true of the game's mini-buffs like power-ups and Badges, which give the player different ways to approach each level - and plenty of reasons to replay them.

Power-ups in Wonder offer a nice variety to suit different levels and playstyles. Of course, the Elephant power-up is likely to be a fan-favorite because of its cute design and unique animations (such as Elephant characters trying to squeeze themselves into Warp Pipes and doors). The classic Super Mushroom and Fire Flower make their return, along with a bubble variant of the latter (Bubble Flower) and Drill Mushroom, which allows the player to turn into a drill form. The most exciting power-up by far is the Wonder Flower, which appears in set areas to overhaul the level with a splash of whimsy and magic best left experienced for oneself.

Along with power-ups are Badges. Badges are unlocked through mini-game levels or purchased at Poplin Shops, and grant the a buff like the ability to earn more coins, or even physical buffs like being able to float longer while jumping, or use a grappling vine. These options give more reasons to revisit past levels - especially as other characters - as different heroes can see hidden blocks that others can't.

Level Design

Mario games have perfected the art of a fun yet challenging side-scrolling platformer level, and Wonder doesn't disappoint. Each world and level feels unique and incredibly fun, with more depth than ever thanks to fun and silly enemy animations and designs, hidden secrets, and generally beautiful set pieces.

As is typical of Mario, there are multiple worlds to explore in the game, each with its own theme that stretches into each level. The worlds themselves offer their own level of exploration, with lots of hidden levels and secrets to be found in the overworld itself.

Replaying levels to find missing secrets or extra coins isn't a chore in Wonder because each level is carefully crafted and lovingly brought to life. Each level feels alive in its own way, packed with color, charm, and excitement. The music in Wonder is also exceptional, perfectly complimenting each stage and always pleasant to listen to, even when a particularly tough challenge means it's on repeat for a while. Music is a major theme in Wonder, extending out past the sound itself and into the gameplay, the timing of jumps, and even some enemy encounters, all of which are masterfully executed.

Wonder's level design walks the line between new and nostalgic, familiar yet extraordinary, and often left this reviewer with a big smile and a true feeling of, well, wonder.

Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder A Good Game For Kids (And Adults)?

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a prime candidate to be a top-seller this Holiday season, and thanks to its approachable features like Yoshis and Nabbit not taking damage, the game is a great choice for those with younger children or those who don't enjoy difficult platformers.

It's very easy to switch characters or add additional players (up to four) into a game at almost any time, meaning parents can jump in and help out a struggling player at any point, or particularly challenging levels can be tried again as Yoshi or Nabbit. A Game Over (running out of 1-UP Mushrooms) doesn't have much consequence, encouraging those struggling to simply try again. It's also possible to beat the game without completing every level, as long as the player has enough Wonder Seeds, meaning particularly troublesome levels can be skipped altogether. As such, Wonder is very approachable for newer players.

With that said, there's still enough here to challenge veteran Mario fans, though most levels do lean on the easier side. Being a Mario game, one can make the game much more difficult just by choosing to speedrun every level, or aim for 100% completion of all secrets and hidden treasures. Super Mario Bros. Wonder does an excellent job of appealing to audiences of all skill levels.

Should You Buy Super Mario Bros. Wonder?

Super Mario has never shied away from bringing some magic and playfulness to its worlds, but Wonder takes this to new heights. The game could definitely have been longer, taking just a handful of hours to reach the credits on a first run, but those looking to fully 100% the game will have a much more robust experience as there's still plenty to revisit after beating the game.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be Mario's most magical adventure, offering up an enchanting experience that shines among the best of the side-scrolling Mario games.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder releases on Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023. Screen Rant was provided with a game code for this review.