One More Go

Whenever a new Mario game is released, I’m always taken back to playing Super Mario Land: 6 Golden Coins on the Game Boy. That was the first Mario game I ever played, and in comparison to most entries in the series it’s a little bit of an outlier. Instead of the Bowser clan, Wario is the main antagonist, and rather than the Mushroom Kingdom, stages take place in more relatable locations, a tree, a house, an enormous statue of Mario (OK, maybe not that last one). Back in the 90s I found 6 Golden Coins near impossible, but I kept coming back to discover what weird and wacky enemies Mario would have to contend with in the next stage.

Mario’s latest adventure, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Wonder from here on in, is a perfectly titled video game. At a glance, it may look pretty conventional, but as in 6 Golden Coins, we’re no longer in the Mushroom Kingdom, but in the Flower Kingdom, home to the Poplins and their Wonder Flowers. Items that when collected transform the stage or Mario himself into something entirely novel. I won’t list too many of the effects for fear of spoiling your own sense of discovery, but to give you an idea, Mario might find himself transformed into a slime that can cling to walls, or the stage might become a musical, relying on Mario to jump with the beat.

As in Mario’s latest 3D iterations (Galaxy, Odyssey, 3D World) the amount of ideas packed into one game is dazzling, it really is the kitchen sink approach. Where most games would cling on to a mechanic for a number of stages or even an entire game, in Wonder, ideas are discarded just as quickly as they’re introduced. When played for too long, it can be an overwhelming experience as each Wonder Flower challenges you to grapple with new perspectives or abilities, but in Switch sized chunks the game is a delight and the draw of seeing the next twist is more than enough to keep you dashing from stage to stage. The trade off for so many surprises is a smaller roster of powerups, though the addition of some new ones, particularly the elephant fruit which does exactly what you would expect, contributes positively to the chaos.

The world of Wonder has more character than ever, with talking flowers dotted throughout each stage acting as cheerleaders or adding rye commentary to absurd situations. “You don’t see that every day” they call as a musical number performed by piranha plants comes to a close, or “Do you feel like something’s… missing?” as they nudge the players toward hidden collectibles. Their small snippets of dialogue help punctuate memorable sequences or stages and despite a game jam packed with fun, they are without doubt my favourite part of Wonder. I hope their inclusion proves to be more than a one-off.

Other changes see the addition of a badge system. Effectively a loadout where you can select an additional ability to make a level easier (or more difficult, if that’s your thing). As examples, the Parachute Cap badge allows Mario to glide slowly back to the ground, while the Dolphin Kick badge gives Mario a burst of speed when underwater. Badges are sometimes useful on specific stages, but they’re often most helpful when trying to reach the top of the end stage flagpole, or when collecting the three giant purple coins scattered across each stage. How much you engage with that system is up to you, though there are stages where you’ll be challenged to display your mastery of each if you want to collect everything.

If i had to make a complaint of the game, it would be that it isn’t all that difficult. I was able to fly through 99% of the game, collecting almost everything on my first pass of each stage. There are some particularly difficult stages late in the game, but the jump in difficulty is so enormous, it almost feels like you’re playing a different game entirely. An unusual complaint for a Mario game where the experience is usually meticulously designed. That being said, when a game has so much going on and so much to discover, passing through the stages relatively hassle free probably works in its favour. If I was constantly tripped up by mechanics or gimmicks I think the whole endeavour would feel like less of a wonder and more of a grind.

Instead of nitpicking a few minor faults, i think instead it’s better to celebrate what’s been accomplished, and for the first time in a long time Nintendo have created a 2D Mario game that stands toe to toe with some of the more wild and ambitious 3D titles in the series. With rumours swirling around the impending Nintendo Switch successor, this may well be the final Mario game released for the Switch, and what better way to cap off one of the greatest consoles of all time than with an absolute tour de force of creativity.