Nintendo has officially revealed the long-rumored new 2D Super Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, launching for the Nintendo Switch later this year. A new 2D Super Mario game has been rumored for months, and now fans know exactly what to expect from it.
The vast majority of 2D Super Mario Bros. games have been met with widespread critical acclaim, though some of the more recent entries were not quite as well-received. New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 3DS is generally considered one of the weakest 2D Super Mario games, a distinction it shares with New Super Mario Bros. U. However, Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks like it's going to be moving the long-running franchise forward in some big ways. Based on the reveal trailer, it's retaining some of the more popular aspects of the New Super Mario Bros. series while also going off in some bold new directions.
The Super Mario Bros. Wonder reveal trailer is just over 2 minutes long, but is jam-packed with details, confirming its October 20 release date and much more. Boasting more detailed animation and more vibrant colors than its predecessors, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has Mario and company completing all kinds of platforming challenges, encountering new enemies and familiar foes along the way. Mario and gang can collect new power-ups to get an advantage, including one that warps the game world by bringing pipes to life, another that makes Mario extra tall, one that transforms him into a spike ball, and more.
Mario won't be alone on this journey. Like the New Super Mario Bros. series of games, Super Mario Bros. Wonder supports co-op play. Besides Mario, some of the other playable characters include Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach, and to the excitement of many hardcore Super Mario fans, the often-neglected Princess Daisy. Super Mario Bros. Wonder seems to be checking all the boxes, and it will be exciting to see if it lives up to the hype come launch.
The Super Mario Bros. Wonder trailer ends with a look at yet another new power-up Mario will be able to utilize in his latest adventure. It transforms him into a literal elephant that can kick away a goomba, but it's unclear what other powers it might possess. It's likely that the other playable characters in Super Mario Bros. Wonder have their own elephant forms as well, but fans will have to wait until a bit later on to find out for sure.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on October 20, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
