Two words: ELEPHANT MARIO. Super Mario Bros Wonder is Nintendo’s latest title and is reinventing the classic series into a chaotic wonderland that also offers a balance for players of different skill levels. Set to release October 20th, we went hands-on with Super Mario Bros Wonder during Nintendo Live at PAX West 2023.
In our 15 minutes of play, we got the chance to explore multiple levels of the Flower Kingdom and the unique characteristics that add unexpected mechanics and surprises as you play. In addition to the new blue crystalline Wonder Flowers, players will also have the chance to use Elephant Fruit, which transforms your character into an adorable elephant version (which for our playthrough was Daisy and Luigi), Bubble Flowers, which allows you to blow bubbles to defeat enemies or to bounce your way past them, and finally, a drill mushroom that allows you to drill through surfaces to reach coins or power-ups, or just help you evade being hit by any number of enemies or falling platforms.
Another new addition to the game is the badge system. Before the start of a zone, you can equip any number of perk badges that exist to assist you in your playthrough. These badges help with everything from floating jumps and a parachute hat to help you float from platforms to badges that increase the number of coins you can pick up. While the badges were limited in the playthrough, it was easy to see the way in which they affected the replayability and speed running of each level as you changed out the badges to suit the different needs of everyone.
But the most astounding element of Super Mario Bros Wonder is the bevy of assistance options available to all players to help make the game more accessible without sacrificing challenges for more experienced players. This starts right at the character select screen. The characters you can play as include the expected with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy. But on top of that, you can be Toad, Toadette, or one of three different Yoshis and Nabbit.
The fun bit for those looking for an easier time playing is that if you play as one of the Yoshis or Nabbit, you’re able to play through each level without taking damage. While you sacrifice the ability to turn into an elephant, which is one of the more fun mechanics of Super Mario Bros Wonder, it’s a fantastic option to facilitate group play across ages and skill levels (or just vibe with the beauty of the Flower Kingdom).
In addition to that, you can also share powers with other characters as you collect them. For example, while I often missed the Elephant Fruit, my co-op partner got them all. By holding down one of the buttons, you can access your power and keep pushing forward with any number of abilities open to you.
Additionally, suppose you have a Yoshi in your party. In that case, they can carry you through to the flag pole, which, when added to the no-damage, is quite the assist to level the playing field and make sure that everyone can play Super Mario Bros Wonder, which from an accessibility standpoint regardless of ability or age, is a giant leap to ensure that the franchise can keep involving every player. Additionally, instead of losing a life automatically, you appear as a ghost with a timer to make it back to your co-op partner without losing a life. In the same vein, you can drop down a standee that allows other players to revive themselves.
But one of the most interesting elements of the game is that its four-player co-op extends past the couch with supported online play and while our hands-on time was local only, the possibility of online Super Mario Bros. play is a new series-defining moment for an iconic franchise.
Truly, though, Super Mario Bros Wonder moves quickly and with a variety of wonder. It can be an adorable and fantastically chaotic experience that prioritizes the player, their playstyle, and how they want to enjoy the game. The beautiful thing about Mario is that he is for everyone, and Nintendo has embraced that to the fullest with Super Mario Bros Wonder.
Super Mario Bros Wonder releases exclusively on the Nintendo Switch October 20, 2023.
