Highlights
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes place in the Flower Kingdom, offering a unique and colorful art style with new levels and regions to explore.
- Talking flowers in the game provide helpful hints and coins, adding an interactive element to the gameplay.
- The game introduces new power-ups, such as Elephant Mario and Bubble Mario, as well as a badge system that enhances the player’s abilities and provides new perks.
With 2023 close to wrapping up, the Nintendo Switch only has a handful more of noteworthy releases before the year is done. One of the biggest standouts is next month’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest in a long-running Nintendo series of colorful visuals and satisfying gameplay.
Just recently, a deep dive Nintendo Direct focused on Super Mario Bros. Wonder was presented to fans, digging into information regarding power-ups, gameplay modes and more. There was a lot to unpack, so below is a breakdown of all the key features confirmed for Super Mario Bros. Wonder in order to get a feel for what’s in store before it becomes available.
- New world and levels in the Flower Kingdom
- Explorable map with secrets
- New Flower NPCs that provide hints and guidance
- Elephant Mario and other new power-ups
- Tons of playable characters and multiplayer options
- New enemies to encounter
- Badges that grant special effects and abilities
- The level-warping Wonder Flower power-up
Brand New World and Levels
Nearly ever since video game starring Mario and company has taken place within the Mushroom Kingdom. Aiming to spice things up, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will instead take place in the Flower Kingdom. This new location boasts a unique, and colorful art style with a variety of levels spread across six regions that surround the central hub, Petal Isles.
Open Map to Explore
The world map itself for Super Mario Bros. Wonder has also received a fresh coat of paint. In most 2D Mario games, a world map is present to travel between levels. This time however, players are not restricted to move along a linear path and can instead walk around freely to discover hidden secrets and bonus areas. This provides a great sense of freedom as gamers can tackle levels in any order they choose.
Listen to the Flowers
As featured in the reveal trailer, there are numerous talking flowers sprinkled through the adventure in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. These chatty plants aren’t simply decoration or an odd gimmick to provide some humor, but are actually a helpful resource for Mario and friends. These flowers will provide hints and even coins when watered while in Elephant Mario form.
Elephant Mario and Other New Power-Ups
Speaking of which, Super Mario Bros. Wonder features wild new abilities for Mario to take advantage of. The most wacky of the bunch is Mario being able to transform into an elephant version of himself, endowing him with increased strength and the skill to shoot water from his trunk. Other noteworthy power-ups include Bubble Mario, which lets Mario blow bubbles to trap enemies and leap to new areas, as well as Drill Mario, which allows Mario to dig through obstacles.
Tons of Playable Characters and Multiplayer Options
Mario games are more fun when played with others, and Nintendo has pulled no punches in adding plenty of options for gamers. There are 12 playable characters to choose from, including mainstays like Mario, Luigi and Peach, plus newcomer Daisy. An important note from Nintendo is that all characters play the same, so there’s no floating with Peach or high jump with Luigi. Four players can partake in local multiplayer on the same Switch console, with the ability to revive downed partners as well as ride someone playing as Yoshi. Online play is a little different, with silhouettes of other players appearing in the levels and map in real-time, similar to the invader mechanic from Dark Souls.
New Enemies to Stomp On
A new Mario adventure means a new set of enemies for Mario and the gang to take down. The usual opposition such as Goombas, Koopas, and Lakitus is here, but a wide assortment of new baddies are in Bowser’s legion as well. Hoppycats can mimic the player’s moves, Melon Piranha Plants shoot seeds as opposed to fireballs, and Condarts are a bird like enemy that launch themselves at players like an arrow. This isn’t even mentioning Konks (which function similarly to Thwomps) or Maw-Maws, a tadpole-like enemy that eats everything in its path.
Badges Enhance the Gameplay Experience
Taking a page from Mario’s many RPG escapades such as Paper Mario, Super Mario Bros. Wonder implements a badge system that gives players added perks during gameplay. By purchasing these badges in-game or overcoming numerous badge challenges, gamers will unlock these exciting new powers to assist in the adventure. One badge allows a dolphin kick underwater, while another provides a safety bounce that can be helpful for players struggling to overcome a certain section.
The Wonder Flower Makes Things Insane
The Wonder Flower is the game’s namesake, a special object in the game that distorts reality in absurd and joyful ways. Bowser claims this at the start of the game and quite literally transforms himself into Bowser’s Castle. Mario can take advantage of the Wonder Flower as well and trigger different effects depending on the respective world the player is in. These effects can range from summoning swarms of enemies, blowing bubbles all over the level, or even turning Mario into a giant ball. Players will need to grab a Wonder Seed to revert everything back to normal.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be available October 20, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
