I have always been a Super Mario girl. I grew up playing Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros, and Super Mario Galaxy. So, when Super Mario Bros Wonder was announced, I was ready! I pre-ordered the minute I could, and I began counting down the days for the release.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is a new entry in the series that has the nostalgic feel of past classics, while introducing fun, refreshing, and new gameplay sequences. With new worlds to explore, a toad load of different characters to play as, and all new enemies to defeat (and a super cute talking flower along the way) – this game has definitely lived up to the hype!
The game takes place in the Flower Kingdom, where you meet Prince Florian who joins you on your journey in defeating Bowser. You also meet Poplins along the way, who are a race of little flowery humanoids who greet you at the end of levels and have multiple shops scattered around. Although I miss The Mushroom Kingdom, Poplins are just as adorable.
Let’s A Go!
Compared to past Super Mario Bros games, there are a toad load of new characters to play as! You can play as a yellow Toad, blue Toad (my favourite) and Toadette! I love how Nintendo brought back both yellow and blue Toad, (aka Ala-Gold and Bucken-Berry) as it’s a sweet reminder of New Super Mario Bros Wii. You can play as the classic Mario and Luigi – as well as different Yoshis, Daisy, and Nabbit. You can play with up to four people for a toadally fun shared experience (shoutout to my Mum for always playing with me).
The Flower Kingdom has different worlds to explore, and you can see Nintendo has taken inspiration from past Super Mario Bros games – and I love it! Nintendo has done a great job in taking elements fans loved in previous games and adding snippets of them in Super Mario Bros Wonder. All the worlds mimic past worlds in other games (for example, Shining Falls is the classic water-filled world from past games – usually world 3).
Super Mario Bros Wonder also comes with new wonderful power-ups for you to use. It has the classic Mushrooms, Fire Power, and the Super Star, alongside my personal favourite newcomer, the Bubble Flower. This allows you to shoot bubbles that cause enemies to float, at which point you can jump on them. Despite its funny appearance, the Elephant Fruit is great for letting you hit enemies out of the way and get rid of any blocks. Of course, I can’t forget the Wonder Flower. By getting this, your course will change in a variety of different ways. Pipes will move, flowers will sing, and you can also change into all sorts of different sizes and shapes.
I love the introduction of badges too. Throughout the game, you can collect badges, and, in some cases, buy them from a Poplin shop. By using a badge, you unlock its power permanently. For example, you can jump a little higher and hover in the air. Or, build blocks in the course to help you get to harder-to-reach places. You can get a boost while swimming, or use your hat to fly.
The Blue Shell Of The Game
There are a few things I have to throw a shell at….
On the topic of badges, the downside is you can only equip one badge at a time. Different badges do different things, so sometimes I have a badge equipped only for it to be toadally useless on that course. I either quit halfway through the level to change my badge, or I have to replay the level.
The biggest downside for me in the game is actually the lack of levels. Don’t get me wrong, the levels that are in the game are really creative. But there are definitely less than there used to be. Instead, there are stops in each world that can give you badges, race Wiggler, defeat enemies for prizes, or get given a Wonder Seed for not doing anything. I would have preferred more levels, and preferably some harder levels too.
Speaking of level difficulty, the game is pretty easy. Each level has stars indicating the difficulty, but even the ‘difficult’ ones are still easy. The boss fights are easy too. Past Super Mario Bros games had more hidden areas to explore… but all the ‘secrets’ in this game are easy to find. I miss having to re-play levels over and over again to find all the hidden areas.
Level Complete!
Overall, I really do love Super Mario Bros Wonder. It brings in classic elements of past games but sprinkles in a ton of new features to create something new. I love the variety of characters you can play as, and the variety of new items and power-ups. I’m a big fan of the badges and think they are really useful! Some levels and boss fights are easy compared to past games. I think they could have squeezed in a few more levels in each world too. It is a magical and vibrant experience for all ages! Not to mention, it has a super catchy soundtrack (Piranha Plants On Parade is a true masterpiece)