Super Mario Bros Wonder Review: Multiplayer Action
Super Mario Bros Wonder was added to our collection of multiplayer Nintendo Switch games. We just couldn’t resist getting another Mario game.
This version of Mario goes back to it’s roots as a classic side scrolling game. While I love all the 3D worlds to explore in most newer games. It’s refreshing to see Nintendo put out a side scroller.
In Super Mario Bros Wonder Bowser shows up uninvited and takes over a kingdom. Which seems to be a common theme with many Mario games. It’s up to you to take down Bowser’s defenses then defeat him to free the kingdom.
If you’ve played any Mario game then you’ll recognize much of the gameplay. Jumping, running, collecting coins, and reaching the goal pole are essential elements of most Mario games. A few new power ups are added. Some familiar enemies and many new ones are added too.
Mario is joined by Luigi, Toad, Toadette, Daisy, Peach, Yoshi, and ette. While he faces off against Bowser, Bowser jr, and many more enemies.
Super Mario Bros Wonder is a fresh face on a classic game. We enjoyed playing it from beginning to end. We’ll go over what we liked, what we didn’t, and whether we think it was worth it.
Why Super Mario Bros Wonder?
If you’re a fan of Mario Bros games then there’s no reason to pass on this game. It’s a fun game solo or multiplayer. There was plenty of content to keep us occupied.
If you like games with a lot of running and jumping then this is the game for you. It captures the gameplay from he original Super Mario Brothers and improves upon it.
There’s plenty of achievements and hidden content in this game. If you like checking off boxes or discovering hidden features, then Mario Wonder won’t disappoint.
Testing the Game
We tested Super Mario Bros Wonder with 1 player, 2 players, 3 players, and 4 players. In my experience, it’s a great game for playing solo or multiplayer.
It didn’t feel cluttered with 4 players. We couldn’t bump into or hit each other which I liked. It was easy to track your character and keep up since everyone had the same speed and jump height.
Going too far off screen resulted in a loss of life, unless your ghost could tag another player within 5 seconds. Most of the time we could respawn without losing a life. Still, I prefer the Mario 3d world method of respawning.
Playing with 3 characters wasn’t much different than 4 in our test results. It was slightly easier tracking our characters. Playing with 2 players seemed much better. We could easily track our character and help each other.
Playing solo was fun too. yet, my test revealed it’s much harder playing solo. There’s no second chance. If you get hit or miss a jump it’s a loss of a life. Whereas in multiplayer there’s always an opportunity to respawn.
Comparable Games
Super Mario Bros Wonder is similar to Sonic Superstars. They were released within a week of each other. Both games are great side scrollers.
Each game has it’s share of stages, bonus levels, and boss fights. Both have you running and jumping through stages while collecting items and fighting enemies.
The main difference between Super Mario Bros Wonder and Sonic Superstars is the difficulty. The levels are hard in Mario, while the boss fights are easier. Compared to Sonic where the levels are relatively easy compared to the boss fights.
I found myself struggling in many of the advanced levels in Mario. It took me several attempts to complete many levels. Once we made it to the final boss, we defeated Bowser on the fist try.
Sonic was the opposite. While the Sonic levels weren’t easy. They didn’t require the precise aim and excruciatingly timed jumps found in Mario. The boss fights with Dr Eggman did take some skill and patience.
My skills aren’t the greatest, so I found Mario Wonder the more challenging of the two. Both were great fun to play in my opinion. However, Mario Wonder is more appealing if a challenge is what you’re looking for.
Pros
The best parts about Super Mario Bros Wonder is the side scrolling gameplay. I liked that the side scrolling didn’t require aiming my jumps like in 3D Worlds. Nintendo definitely made the jumps in Mario Wonder precise. But I found gauging my distance is easier than aiming a jump in a 3d world.
The graphics and sounds are top notch. The snow course was everyone’s favorite. The piranha plants singing during their parade was especially good. Bowser dancing in the final fight was mesmerizing.
The new content was terrific. We loved the Wonder Flower power up transformations. Turning into a new character to play a portion of the stage was a great way to mix it up. Definitely a benefit.
The new power ups were awesome as well. We enjoyed the elephant’s ability to bash through walls and enemies. Shooting water with it’s trunk was a nice touch. I liked the drill’s ability to burrow and move along the floors and ceiling. Others liked the bubbles more.
The talking flower throughout the game was good too. It gave some clues and laughs everywhere it appeared.
Cons
The main drawback to Super Mario Bros Wonder is their method of respawning. If you go off screen or get killed then you have 5 seconds to reach another player to respawn. Otherwise you lose a life.
I didn’t like the potential loss of life for merely trailing off screen or bubbling to get to another player. It was particularly brutal during long falling or running sequences. Dashing barely kept up with a falling player.
When you respawned there was a cloud animation which was extremely confusing. Plus the character dropped in so I couldn’t run or jump if necessary. Many times I’d respawn only to immediately fall back into lava, a pit, or trail off screen.
While you can buy or earn extra lives, it’s capped at 99. Which was a tad annoying when buying 99 lives at the store. We had 35 lives, bought the 99 option and only got 64 lives for our purchase.
Coins and fruit are the currency of this game. There were no points to earn extra lives. Getting rid of the point system is another drawback.
Review Summary
Our Super Mario Bros. Wonder review gives it 9 out of 10 stars. It exceeded my expectations. We liked it more than Mario 3d World, which has remained high on our play list.
While I don’t think any new game should cost $60. This game offered a lot more than Mario Strikers so shelling out the money didn’t sting as much.
Overall, Mario Wonder delivers on the fun factor. We had a great time playing through to the end and I look forward to many more hours playing this game. If you enjoy other Mario Brothers games then Super Mario Bros Wonder is definitely worth getting in my opinion.
Super Mario Bros Wonder review brought to you by David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
