It is been over half a decade since the latest mainline Super Mario game released on the Nintendo Switch in 2017, Super Mario Odyssey. From that time till now, the iconic franchise has only released spinoff games like Mario tennis, golf, soccer and all sorts of party games. None of these games had been the big new addition to the Mario games library that was going to blow people away though. As the new Nintendo console is rumored to arrive in late 2024, it seemed as if time might have been running out for the series’ next big debut on the Switch. Or at least, that is what everyone thought until this past June, when Nintendo announced the next big Mario game: Super Mario Bros. Wonder, slated for release on Oct. 20. This review will cover gameplay experience, players thoughts, and an overview of the game and story as a whole.

It was a few hours before my morning shift when I first laid my eyes on the new Mario game announced on YouTube showcasing the game for the first time to the world. I was stunned, to say the least after what I saw. There was a complete art style rehaul from facial expressions on characters to the environment the characters ran around in. No wonder this game took over a decade to release, I thought as I saw the video. I was not the only one who thought the art style was good though.

“It looks similar to previous games, but with a fresh new look, and a claymation-like art style reminiscent of the first ever Nintendo Power Cover back in 1988,” junior Carter Epley said.

The graphics looked amazing as well! The world the game took place in looked so much more lively than the past games from the last decade and featured a much less fake and plastic look to everything I saw compared to previous games. This was only further confirmed when I finally got my hands on the game four months later and finally played through the whole game within a single weekend.

When I first entered Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I had already set low expectations for the story of the game, as Super Mario game stories tend to be barebones for the sake of simplicity for the younger audience. My expectations were exactly right when I booted up the game, just to see Bowser, the main antagonist from the Mario franchise, causing havoc for the millionth time to Mario and his friends.

“As always the story is paper Mario thin, and you know you’re going to fight Bowser’s junior along the way.,” IGN said in their review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

As a long-time Mario fan myself, the story feels quite basic, but if this is players first Mario game, or their first time playing a Mario game in a long time, I think this may be one of the most refreshing experiences to arrive in the series. Bowser follows Mario and his friends to the Flower Kingdom, a not-so-distant land from where Princess Peach and the Mario bros live. From there, Bowser uses one of the kingdom’s many wonder flowers to merge with the kingdom’s castle to cause destruction on the land from a safe vantage point. Bowser sends out his son Bowser. Jr to rule the many palaces across the kingdom to keep the Mario Bros. busy while he prepares his mass invasion. This premise is just interesting enough to keep fans engaged across the whole game to see Bowser grow stronger as the game goes on and watch the world turn upside down.

A common compliment I hear about this game from reviewers is that the level design of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is amazing. Before every level I played, I could not wait to see what kind of new mechanic I would have to learn, what new enemy to deal with, or even what kind of bizarre puzzle I would have to solve. “Constantly reinventing the mechanics and subverting expectations, the result once again is a game filled to the brim with delightful little surprises,” GameSpot said in their review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

All of those little surprises mentioned come from the game’s main new mechanic: the wonder flower. If Mario and his friends touch a wonder flower in a given level, a crazy number of events can happen to shake up gameplay, giving this game amazing replay value. From swimming in lava to transforming into a goomba, who is one of the enemies the Mario Bros encounter throughout the game, players never know what will be in store for them when using the wonder flower’s abilities. Playing through the base game without the wonder flower can still be a joy, however, thanks to the new badge system in the game. With badges, Mario and friends can gain special abilities when using certain badges, like being able to fly in the air with their hat, grappling onto walls with vines, turning invisible, and so much more!

“Even without badges, the game is a joy to play. The controls and physics are greatly improved over the slippery momentum characterized in the previous Mario games,” GamingBolt said in their review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the grand successor to Super Mario Odyssey that every Mario fan has dreamed of and is receiving stellar reviews across the board to this day. Mario Wonder is bringing in new Mario fans and keeping older ones more engaged with the amazing wonder mechanic, keeping gameplay fresh and keeping replayability even fresher than all the previous installments in the franchise. While held back by a lack of an engaging story, gameplay and visual art style keep players interested and asking for more every time they play. I would highly recommend picking up the game if a fan of platformers, fun and engaging gameplay, or looking for a fun family game to all play together.