Wonder no more: the new voice of Mario has revealed himself

By Tomas Franzese October 13, 2023

Wiggly pipe in Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Nintendo

Genshin Impact voice actor Kevin Afghani revealed himself as the new voice for both Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Earlier this year, we learned that longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet would be taking a step back from the role and become a Mario Ambassador. At the time, Nintendo said that it would not reveal the voice actor before the game’s launch; instead, it encouraged people to check out the game’s credits when it dropped. That hasn’t stopped people from speculating, though. Many thought it would be frequent Iron Man voice actor Mick Wingert, but Wingert denied that was true. Now, Kevin Afghani has revealed himself as the new voice of Mario and Luigi one week before the launch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

“Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder,” Afghani wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!” Afghani is best-known as the voice of Arnold in Genshin Impact. This is certainly the most notable game role Afghani has had yet though, and he may be the new name that we associate with the Mario Bros. for years to come.

Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!
— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) October 13, 2023

IGN corroborated Afghan’s claim, and we’ve also reached out to Nintendo to confirm that Afghani is the new voice of Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. We will update this article when we get a response. Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on October 20.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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The best video games of October 2023: Mario, Spider-Man 2, and more

Spider-Man soars through the air in a biomechanical suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

October 2023 was one of the best months for video games in a long time. From the indie to the AAA space, there was a spectacular new game coming out every few days. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder arrived and improved upon their predecessors in almost every way, while indies like Jusant and Wargroove 2 hit the scene with fresh ideas. While the phrase “there’s something for everyone” is played out in the game industry, that truly felt like it was the case this month.
Having so much to play can also be overwhelming, though. Players are left to sift through which titles are worth checking out, which are fine, and which should be passed up entirely. To help you out on that search, I’ve rounded up our seven favorite games released during the blockbuster gaming month of October 2023.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo dropped a brand new 2D Mario game this month, and it's outstanding. Super Mario Bros. Wonder lives up to its namesake, eliciting a sense of wonder with its expertly designed levels that reward players who poke around in them and also feature Wonder Effects that can drastically change what players are doing on the stage. From singing Piranha Plants to a top-down perspective shift, Super Mario Bros. Wonder stays consistently fresh and creative the whole way through.
“With its wealth of unpredictable levels, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the series’ best 2D entry since its SNES days,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a four-star review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. “It’s still the same familiar platformer, but one that’s been given a new lease on life thanks to a fantastic new art style, delightfully absurd transformations, and flexible difficulty. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to recapturing those magic moments with the original platformers, even if there’s still room for Mario to grow into his new overalls.”
Personally, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is my favorite game of the year and one that I know will appeal to gamers of all ages and skill levels. If you only play one game on this list, I urge you to make it this one. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
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Our 10 favorite Wonder Effects in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Wonder Flower in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder's defining gimmick is its series of Wonder Effects. A Wonder Flower is hidden somewhere on almost every level and, once found, radically switches up what is going on within that stage. Some expand on ideas the stage was already exploring, while others are wildly unpredictable, giving players something they were not expecting at all.

There are over 69 stages with Wonder Effects that players can see while playing through the story of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but 10 of those Wonder Effects effects stood out the most during my playthrough. By order of appearance, these are my 10 favorite Wonder Effects in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which showcase just how inventive and unpredictable the platformer is.
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It’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s subtle changes that make it special

The flagpole is knocked away in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

While I’m only partway through Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I’m already utterly in love with the game.

As our glowing review outlined, it’s a highly polished 2D platformer that’s approachable for anyone to play and elicits a joyous and vibrant sense of wonder. But for me, what makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder special aren't so much the wild Wonder effects or elephant transformations. It's the subtle touches. These elements might not be immediately noticeable or relevant to most, but they all work together to create an experience that’s a step above most other platformers.
Changes enhance enjoyment
Super Mario Bros. Wonder isn’t afraid to show that it’s different from previous Mario games through small moments and changes. One instance that illustrates this early on is in one of the first Bowser Jr. fights. It starts like all his New Super Mario Bros. boss fights do, with him getting in his shell and spinning toward Mario. At first, I was disappointed that Nintendo was just doing the same thing again, but after the first hit, that changed. Bowser Jr. activates a Wonder effect and changes in size for the following two stages of his fight. It's a moment of surprise that subverts my expectations, which are based on decades of Mario games. This is a small moment and reference that many Super Mario Bros. Wonder players probably won’t even internalize. Still, it is a smart way to show how the platformer differs from what came before.