It’s been over a decade since we got the last new 2D Mario game, but that dry spell has finally come to an end. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has appeared and will give us a brand new side-scrolling adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom. While 3D Mario titles tend to get most of the excitement and praise from fans, there’s no denying that the 2D games are just as creative and fun in their own ways. Even though they all follow the same basic formula of running through a stage in an attempt to reach the flagpole at the end, they all put fun and creative twists on how you get there that keep each title fresh. If you’ve been wondering what Mario’s next 2D adventure will hold, here’s everything we know about Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Release date
We have waited long enough for a new 2D Mario, and Nintendo seems to agree. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will arrive this fall on October 20.
Platforms
Try and act surprised, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Trailers
The reveal of Super Mario Bros. Wonder came during the June Nintendo Direct as the “one last thing” announcement.
In terms of story, which is typically light in a 2D Mario game anyway, essentially nothing is shown off from the trailer. Instead, the trailer mainly showcases the new art style and gameplay mechanics.
The new “character” we suspect to be part of the story is the flowers that speak to Mario during the trailer. These little blooms show up all across the stages and give small greetings to Mario as he passes by. This is backed up by the main new item called Wonder Flowers which suddenly shifts the level in different ways.
Gameplay
This is where the meat of Super Mario Bros. Wonder really is. First off, it is indeed a 2D platformer where you will be mainly running and jumping through obstacle courses filled with hazards and enemies to reach the flagpole at the end. The first, and probably most prominent, shakeup to the formula is the Wonder Flowers. Collecting these changed the levels in a bunch of unexpected ways, such as changing your character into a spiked ball, bringing the pipes to life, and Mario even stretching and squashing in odd ways. We see Mario collect what is called a Wonder Seed that seemed to turn the world back to normal.
As for traditional power-ups, we’ve really only seen the Mushroom and Fire Flower, but the new addition of an apple with an elephant’s trunk that turns Mario into an elephant is the most exciting. We don’t know all the new mechanics of this form, aside from punting a poor Goomba, but the possibilities are endless.
Other forms of play we see are grinding by hand and foot on rails, swimming up rainclouds dumping water, and at least a little movement between the foreground and background. We also get a glimpse of Mario and Peach using their hats to glide, meaning this isn’t a move exclusive to the princess anymore. This appears to be a universal ability and not a powerup since neither character’s appearance was changed at all when they did this.
There will be a traditional overworld where you can move around a map to select levels. Each level shows two collectibles to find as well as a star rating for difficulty.
Confirmed playable characters include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and even Daisy, but multiplayer appears to be limited to four players at a time.
Preorder
With the game’s release in sight, Super Mario Bros. Wonder preorders are up on Nintendo’s official store and major retailers. There is only a single, standard version of the game selling for $60, but it is eligible for a Nintendo Switch Game Voucher if you happen to have one of those. There are no preorder bonuses except the ability to preload the game before launch.
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