Highlights
- Nintendo held a Super Mario Bros Wonder Direct, showcasing 15 minutes of new content with features, character details, and an online system.
- The new badge system in Super Mario Bros Wonder offers interesting modifiers and abilities that can change the way levels are played.
- Super Mario Bros Wonder includes badges like Dolphin Kick, Safety Bounce, Jet Run, and many more.
Nintendo's latest direct focused on the upcoming Super Mario Bros Wonder, revealing loads of new information and details ahead of it's October launch. Back in June, Nintendo surprised a lot of fans with its newest 2D Mario game, which included a lot of curious gameplay moments such as a flower that warped the levels, new powerups that turned Mario into an Elephant, and more. Better yet, fans wouldn't have to wait too long to check out the newest Mario game, which was confirmed for an October release.
As promised, Nintendo finally held its anticipated Super Mario Bros Wonder Direct, showcasing 15 minutes of new content including features, character details including Daisy, Yoshi, Nabbit, and much more. Surprisingly, Nintendo also revealed an online system that showcases player ghosts who are playing the level as well. What's more is that these ghosts can revive a player who needs it but also give power ups, and set down a standee to help revive players and earn heart points to show how helpful they are. In terms of game changing features, Nintendo also showcased a badge system.
While online mode and some of the new Super Mario Bros Wonder powerups will certainly assist player, the new badge system can offer a number of interesting modifiers or abilities that change the way levels are played. As detailed by Nintendo, badges can be earned through completing challenge levels, or offered as a reward. Once unlocked, players can equip one badge per level, though they can be changed if needed at the overworld screen or after a death.
Nintendo didn't reveal every Super Mario Bros Wonder badge, but it showcased a wide range of them including some helpful options like the Dolphin Kick, which allows the character to use a burst of speed and smash bricks underwater or Grappling Vine, which lets players grapple to far away points they wouldn't normally be able to reach. Wall Climb Jump, Timed High Jump, and Crouching, High Jump offer new movement options, while modifiers like Coin Magnet lets players pull in coins just out of their reach or Safety Bounce, which negates a typical run ending hazard like lava. The variety continues with the Invisibility badge, making the character invisible to enemies as well as the player while the Jet Run badge forces the player to dash at full speed no matter what, which could also add a bit of challenge to the level.
Super Mario Bros Wonder also represents a change in direction for the franchise as longtime voice actor Charles Martinet announced that he's transitioning away from voicing the various Nintendo characters and instead will become a Super Mario brand ambassador. Many fans noted that Mario sounded a little different in the first trailer for Super Mario Bros Wonder and this news seemingly confirmed it, though it'll be interesting to see how this evolves the franchise going beyond this release.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on October 20, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
