Overview
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a 2D platformer developed by Nintendo and published by Nintendo, released in 2023. I played it on Nintendo Switch.
Story and world
Mario and his friends are invited by Prince Florian to the Flower Kingdom. There, Bowser steals a Wonder Flower, fuses with the prince's castle and threatens the whole kingdom.
Gameplay
You get the series' classic 2D platforming, playable with up to four players in co-op. The big new feature is the Wonder Flowers: touching one transforms the level in unpredictable ways (pipes that move, characters that change shape, the perspective that shifts, etc.).
New power-ups also make their appearance, including the elephant transformation.
It's always cool to have somewhat hidden collectibles to find, and the Badges add a little extra to help us during the adventure. You equip them before each level and they give you an additional ability, like a higher jump or a parachute.
As usual, my wife and I finished the game at 100%, including the final level, which is super hard, as is often the case in this franchise.
Graphics and music
The game is beautiful, and the art direction is truly sublime. You can feel the care given to the animations, for example when your character, transformed into an elephant, goes into a pipe.
Verdict
It's a gem, I loved it. The art direction is sublime, the animations are polished, the collectibles and Badges enrich the adventure, and the final level offers a real challenge for the 100%.