(Photo Courtesy of Nintendo)
Over the past few months, many people including myself, have been hyped up for the upcoming Mario 2D platformer published by Nintendo, Super Mario Bros Wonder. The game will release on the Nintendo Switch on October 20th. With an overview trailer being released for the game, I wish to summarize all the new content that was shared in the overview, as well as voice my thoughts about the content shared.
To overview the game’s plot, Mario and his friends are invited to a ceremony hosted by Prince Florian at the Flower Kingdom, where Bowser abruptly touches the prince’s sacred Wonder Flower. By merging with Prince Florian’s castle, Bowser acquires a great deal of power that poses a threat to the Flower Kingdom, and it’s up to Mario and his friends to stop him.
While it appears the game’s story follows a cookie-cutter plot like any other 2D Mario platformer, it opens the gate to a wide array of content.
(Bowser’s final form after touching the Wonder Seed, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
As Mario and his friends start their quest to defeat Bowser, there are seven different areas to explore within the Flower Kingdom. Some of these areas include Pipe-Rock Plateau, Fluff-Puff Peaks, Petal Isles, and much more. Seven playable areas seem like an underwhelming amount compared to the number of areas from older 2D platformers. However, I’m sure there will be some bonus areas after defeating Bowser or collecting a certain amount of Wonder Seeds.
(Official world map for Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
While progressing through levels in each area, the game introduces a new addition called Open Areas. Unlike the standard system of unlocking new levels after completing old ones, Open Areas allow players to play levels provided to them in any order they want. This offers players great opportunities to explore new worlds they might enjoy without being locked out by a level they’re stuck on.
(First look at the “Open Areas” section in Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
While completing levels, players can choose from a wide range of characters to play as. Some of the playable characters include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, one-of-two Toads, and Toadette. Two other playable characters offer unique abilities, which are Nabbit and one of four Yoshis. Playing as Yoshi allows a player to eat enemies that might get in the way and playing as Nabbit will let someone play through a level without taking damage. I think that allowing some characters to have abilities is a great concept, as it allows casual players to enjoy the experience without needing as much skill to play the game.
(Official character selection menu in Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
While going through levels as a desired character, people can sometimes play with the new Power-Ups that were introduced in this latest 2D Mario platformer. These new Power-Ups include the Elephant, Bubble, and Drill ability. Each of these abilities can destroy enemies and unlock secrets in their own unique way (see 2:11 from the overview trailer for further elaboration). These new abilities are definitely creative additions to the game’s selection of Power-Ups, no matter how freaky some may appear to be (I’m looking at you, Elephant).
(First look at the three new Power-Ups, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
While collecting various items in each level, players might accidentally run into a Wonder Flower. By touching a Wonder Flower, the format of a level transforms into a fantasy-like wonderland for a limited amount of time, creating many abnormalities during a playthrough (see 3:12 from the overview trailer to see what I mean). This feature is a nice breath of fresh air compared to the gameplay limitations of older 2D platformers, and I’m interested to see how many barriers can be broken through Wonder Flowers.
(The Wonder Flower in Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Aside from Wonder Flowers, there are also in-game badges that players can equip, where each badge gives a unique ability to your character. Some of the badge abilities that were previewed include a Parachute Cap for a smooth landing, a Grappling Vine for hard-to-reach places, and dozens more. The way that players can collect badges has not been mentioned, but I hope that it’s not a locked feature until Bowser is defeated. Let’s also hope that all the badge abilities are not unbalanced and overpowered, because that would ruin the challenge of the game.
(Official badge selection menu from Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Just like the old Mario 2D platformers, Super Mario Bros Wonder allows multiplayer through local co-op, but this latest installment now introduces the accessibility of online multiplayer. With online multiplayer in place, people can play through levels with other players from around the world. There’s also an online game mode where players can race each other to see who can reach the end of the level first. I never would have thought that a platformer series like Super Mario Bros could incorporate online play, but the way it was implemented seems very well done.
(Official online race game mode from Super Mario Bros Wonder, photo courtesy of Nintendo)
Overall, Super Mario Bros Wonder looks like an awesome game, and I’m very excited to play the new installment! Expect a follow-up article by next week, where I will talk about my thoughts on the game after playing it.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu