Highlights
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a fresh 2D Mario game with a new art style, abilities, and voice actors, making it a fitting farewell to the Nintendo Switch.
- The success of the Nintendo Switch's versatility is evident in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, providing a vibrant and fun experience that can be enjoyed anywhere.
- The release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder sets the stage for the upcoming announcement of the Switch 2, potentially launching with a 3D Mario title in the future.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder was released earlier this month, becoming the first new 2D Mario title to come out in over a decade. The game is a fresh start for Mario and his pals, as Wonder boasts a new art style, fresh abilities and power-ups, and the debut of brand-new voice actors for various Super Mario Bros. characters. While the title ushers in a new era for the Mario franchise, it also marks the final chapter in the plumber's adventures on the Switch. Rumors have been circulating about the Switch 2, with many putting its release sometime next year. If true, Nintendo could have chosen no better game to close out its current era. By encapsulating everything fans loved about the Switch, and paving the way for Mario's future, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a fitting farewell to the Nintendo Switch.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first original 2D Mario game since 2012's New Super Mario Bros. 2. The game sees Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and a few Mushroom Kingdom friends band together to save the neighboring Flower Kingdom. The Flower Kingdom is home to a special item, called Wonder Flowers, that bends reality and alters those who touch them. Bowser is the first to utilize a wonder flower, belonging to Flower Kingdom's Prince Florian, fusing himself with the Koopa Clown Car and Prince Florian's Castle, and becoming the Bowser Castle. Mario and his friends embark on a journey that takes them across the Flower Kingdom's many lands, as they attempt to stop Bowser from committing the ultimate wonder.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Perfectly Encapsulates the Switch
The Nintendo Switch stands out as the most unique of the last generation's gaming consoles. Placing versatility over technical specs, the Switch carried forward Nintendo's penchant for reinventing the concepts of mobile and console gaming. When the console was released in 2017, it stood as the ultimate experiment in on-the-go gaming. Essentially, Nintendo asked fans to accept a far less polished experience than that of its competitors in order to release a generation of titles that could be carried and played almost everywhere.
Five years later, Super Mario Bros. Wonder stands as a testament to the success of that endeavor, as it leverages the restricted capabilities of the Switch hardware to provide a vibrant, energetic, and fun multiplayer adventure that can be enjoyed at home or on the go. Wonder provides a simple experience that the full range of players can enjoy. Veteran fans get to relive the heyday of Mario and his friends' 2D adventures, with a fresh setting and brand-new power-ups. Younger fans can join in on the fun through the use of Yoshi and other invincible characters, as well as certain badges that negate fall and out-of-bounds deaths. Super Mario Bros. Wonder celebrates a turning point in the stories of both Nintendo and Mario, himself, before turning all eyes on their shared future.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Sets the Stage for a Brighter Future
Super Mario Bros. Wonder sends the Switch off with a simple and lighthearted adventure. In doing so, it readies fans for the upcoming announcement of the Switch 2. While Switch 2 rumors have circulated for quite some time, they have recently ramped up due to a number of apparent leaks. Perhaps the most interesting is one that reveals the Switch 2 will launch with a full-fledged 3D Mario title. With many insiders believing that the console will arrive sometime next year, Super Mario Bros. Wonder stands as a palate cleanser for what will likely be an extensive and equally ambitious take on Super Mario's more modern adventures.
It is not yet known when a Switch 2 announcement could arrive. With the holidays rapidly approaching, and Nintendo's highly-anticipated title having just been released, it is likely fans will have to wait for news until early 2024. Luckily, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is here to keep them company. As the title reminds them of why they love Nintendo in the first place, it bids a fond farewell to the company's most ambitious console while preparing for a new era to arrive.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is available now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
