Rating: 4/5 stars

This fun and colorful new installment to the ever growing Super Mario franchise is a great blend of classic elements with new ideas. This new Flower Kingdom in Super Mario Bros. Wonder introduces us to new friends and enemies, but of course, the main source of trouble is once again the infamous Bowser.

This game makes sure to show that developers paid attention to what players liked in previous games, such as Super Mario 3D World where you see little staged examples of what a level will look like before entering the game. Even those who have not played recent games may recognize older elements in the latest release. 

During the game the players can often see flower friends encouraging them on their journey through the different levels, including “Prince Florian,” who seems to be in our pocket as we go through. The objective for most levels is to free the residents of the Flower Kingdom, called “Poplins,” from their homes which have been taken over by Bowser.

One of the new powers introduced into this game, which transforms our characters into a fun elephant version of themselves, is a fun new addition. This new power was heavily highlighted by Nintendo when they showed trailers and footage of the gameplay. While there is not any real reason as to why this new power was included, it sure is fun to see our classic characters hit foes with their trunks. 

One of the new enemies from this game are the “Maw-Maws,” a cute and goofy tadpole-looking enemy that are not afraid to eat anything, even other enemies. Nintendo’s ability to ever expand the Super Mario universe allows for each game to feel fresh and funky.

 While Super Mario Bros. Wonder does not have the same in-depth story feel as Super Mario Odyssey or Super Mario Galaxy, with some confusing plot points, the game is still enjoyable and anyone who plays will be able to play for hours. 

Images from Nintendo via nintendo.com