Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch review

Developed by Nintendo
Published by Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch

The latest Super Mario outing proves that the homage to the oldest way of playing Mario Bros is still the best.

When Mario, Luigi and the gang are invited to the Flower Kingdom to see a demonstration of a Wonder Flower, a MacGuffin that can warp reality, things go awry when Bowser interrupts.

Imprisoning the inhabitants of the Flower Kingdom, Mario's called in to save the day and free them from Bowser's grip.

Super Mario Bros Wonder feels like a Super Mario game in that it embraces its history as well as creating a 2D platformer that feels fresh, exciting and is overall just fun to play.

Travelling across different worlds works wonder too, with each level bursting with colour and life as well as classic Mario challenges - old and new enemies mix together in short levels that offer challenges for perfectionists but also proffer simplicity for newcomers.

It's here the developers have managed to make the best of both worlds given how a Mario title in 2023 could have simply tried to move forward and be new. Though turning Mario into an elephant via a power up feels different and also somehow in keeping with the gaming world that's been set up before.

There are perhaps elements of Little Big Planet and Bubble Bobble's gaming sensibilities here with the creativity ramped up to beyond what you'd expect. It may be a traditionally side-scrolling kind of game, but various levels shake things up with battle-focused ones sitting alongside speed games. 

Perhaps the best thing about Super Mario Bros. Wonder is just the amount of creativity it mixes with actual wonder itself - it's a deeply enjoyable experience that reminds you that simplicity makes Mario soar.