Get ready to feel the nostalgia of warm summer afternoons playing games and sipping on juice packs after school, because it’s time for a Super Mario Bros. Wonder review. The Italian plumber is set to return to the Nintendo Switch (it’s like he never left) with a renewal of the side-scrolling style that we haven’t seen in the game since 2012 when New Super Mario Bros.. U. was released. With the Super Mario Bros. Wonder release date knocking at your doorstep, you might find yourself considering getting your hands on the game. We’re here to help you decide if the new Mario experience holds anything new in store for you. Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder worth it? Let’s find out.
(Image Credit – Nintendo)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review: Release Date and Other Updates
The Super Mario Bros. Wonder release date is set for 20 October 2023 for digital access. The game can be pre-purchased from the official Nintendo website for those who want to have instant access to the game on its availability. The Super Mario Bros. Wonder game is priced at $59.99 and has a variety of challenges in the new Flower Kingdom where Bowser is wreaking havoc again.
Playing any version of the Mario games is always better with friends and the Super Mario Bros. reviews tell us this is set to be no different. Up to 4 players can play together locally, choosing their favorite characters to lead the game. A Nintendo Switch Online membership will also allow users to embrace the online multiplayer format with up to 12 friends in a room or more specifically, 4 players per course. The ghost-like presence of other teammates does not detract at all from the joy of playing together, with the additional opportunity to revive each other if you’re quick enough. This marks how far the game has come since the first co-op Mario game, the New Super Mario Bros., was released in 2009 for the Wii.
In other news, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the first to allow Kevin Afghani to take over voicing the unforgettable lines Mario has in store for us from here on out. From 1992 to 2023, Charles Martinet held the responsibility of voicing Mario, one of the longest runs for voicing the same character in a videogame according to Guinness World Records. It’s undeniable that the iconic “It’s-a me, Mario” line has helped mold the familiar character with just as much impact as his mustache and monogrammed red hat. The shift marks the end of an era but Marinet is not leaving the character behind permanently, continuing instead as a Mario Ambassador.
The Story: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
It’s a new day with a new way for Mario and his friends to save the world again. The story moves away from the all-too-familiar Mushroom Kingdom, to the new lands of the Flower Kingdom. Having accepted Prince Florian’s generous invitation to visit him at his palace, Mario and the team appear delighted to arrive at their destination when Bowser, or the more ominous King Koopa, enters the realm. With the help of the Wonder Flower, Bowser merges with the prince’s castle and sets off to destroy the Flower Kingdom.
With 7 map areas to explore, the adventure begins in Pipe-Rock Plateau and lets you explore a range of unique terrains from high up in the clouds to areas deep underwater. It also features a selection of open-world areas that allow you to walk around and choose your course, but we have to admit the choices and freedom appear limited. Still, it does allow an element of choice rather than taking the fixed path forward.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review: What We Like So Far
It’s obvious that we’d still love the game even if it didn’t bring anything new to the table, but the Nintendo game does try to bring new innovative elements, animations, and gameplay into action with the upcoming release. We’ll let this Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review show you what we love so much about the game.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Playable Characters
Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings back characters that have been a part of the historic Mario franchise and you have the option of selecting who you’d like to play as. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, and Toadette all have similar in-game playability. Beginners can find an easier time playing as Yoshis or Nabbit, who do not take damage and have additional powers that can help the game feel more fun. For those taking the multiplayer route, the interactions between these characters are an added element of fun with Yoshi being able to carry teammates around. The character detail has to be our favorite part in this Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review.
The Design of Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Designing a 2D game in 2023 is a dangerous move as it needs to do two things: Appeal to the nostalgic hearts of those who miss the world of Mario and also appeal to the tastes of players who are used to graphics and tech of the highest quality. The Super Mario Bros. Wonder game does both successfully.
It retains the design elements of characters, the bright colors, the coins, the pipes, and the bricks, and the sound effects are as appealing as the original games. However, the quality of the backgrounds, the added animations when interacting with enemies, the details of the power-ups, and every element on the screen is just as good as any other game being released today. If you love messing with the goombas, spines, and koopa troopas, you’ll find plenty in-game, but if you want to learn to take down some new opponents, then the blewbirds, bulrushes, and gnawshers patiently await you. There is no shortage of new details to pay attention to.
Powering Up with Super Mario Bros. Wonder
A Super Mario Bros. Wonder review will remain incomplete without exploring what you can actually do in the game other than jumping and moving to your left or right. The game features amazing game elements and power-ups. The elephant version of your character opens up fun interaction and abilities, from smashing things with your trunk to shooting water at enemies. Other power-up forms include the bubble form, drill form, and fire form, which allows you to explore in-game mechanics and interact with the terrain in a lot of exciting and wonderful ways.
The Super Mario Bros. Wonder review also has to include the in-game badges that allow you to change how you play and interact with the game. These badges have to be found as you progress, adding the component of collectibles for those who love hunting for them. Some of these can be bought in the store while others require you to complete specific courses.
Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder Worth It? The Wonder Flower Sure Is
The element of the Wonder flower is what sets the game apart, with innumerable features and experiences to look forward to. Touching the mysterious floating Wonder flower unleashes a delectable assortment of effects that temporarily change the dynamics of the game. While some effects might introduce new dangers and enemies into the game, others might help your character move around more easily, from shifting pipes to character transformations. Touching a wonder seed returns the world back to normal. There is no end to the exciting changes you will get to witness with the game.
If you still find yourself wondering, “Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder worth it?” Then let us decide for you—yes it is! Let this and every other Super Mario Bros. Wonder review convince you to explore the magic of the Mario franchise anew via the Nintendo Switch. With only hours left to go for the Super Mario Bros. Wonder release date to bring the game to devices globally, we’re certain the game will be just as loved as its predecessors.