The Super Mario Bros Wonder review embargo has lifted ahead of the game’s launch on Switch tomorrow, Friday, 20th October, and they are (as expected) rather glowing. As we always do, let’s see what the critics thought here in Australia, and then check in with outlets from around the world.
The Aussies
It’s 10s across the board from the judges. In Australia, we really liked Super Mario Bros Wonder, with nary a review below a full 10/10. Lets see what the local outlets had to say:
GamesHub gave Super Mario Bros Wonder its second five-star review in a week, saying, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder is pure joy, through and through. From its expressive aesthetic to its whimsical stage designs, it delights you at virtually every step.”
Player 2 gave it an A- (which Metacritic interprets as a 100), saying, “Feeling both familiar and fresh, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is exactly what was needed for the 2D Mario sub-genre.”
Press Start, another 10/10: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder is just that. A wonder. It leverages tight and concise platforming with a robust set of power-ups and skills to offer a degree of flexibility to players like never before. While it’s still slightly easier than I’d like, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an incredibly engaging Mario game and one of the best platformers available on the Switch, if not ever.”
From VOOKS, its five stars: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder will surprise you at every turn and is one of the best 2D Mario games alongside Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3. It’s the visual refresh, the exciting new ideas and the polish we’ve needed for a while. If only there were an adjective to describe it in one word.”
Stevivor came in only slightly lower at 9.5 out of 10, saying, “Super Mario Bros Wonder is a resounding success. It reboots a 2.5D reboot, with far more personality and the best balance and pacing in the modernised side-scrolling Super Mario Bros series.”
Checkpoint Gaming gave it a 9/10, saying “Super Mario Bros. Wonder is yet another magnificent showing from Nintendo. To take a concept that’s so well understood but still find new ways to impress is no easy feat. Yet Mario Wonder excels in this field thanks to incredibly dynamic gameplay, headlined by the imaginative amazement of the Wonder Flower. It’s hard not to fall in love with this new release, a game that’s packed to the brim with charm and zest.”
The rest of the world
Around the world, it was a similar story of surprise and delight. In review after review, international critics held Super Mario Bros Wonder in very high esteem.
VGC awarded Super Mario Bros Wonder five stars, saying “Inventive and full of heart, with a tight design and striking presentation, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is undoubtedly the plumber’s most memorable 2D outing since the 1990s.”
Eurogamer, another five-star review: “An endless cascade of ideas in a game that takes Mario to some wonderfully strange places.”
VG247, another five-star review: “Within the understood parameters of what 2D Mario can be, this has to be the single best entry since Super Mario World – and is the perfect first game to launch a new era of Mario games with his new-found elevation to movie star status.”
Destructoid gave it a 9/10, saying, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first game in literal decades to live up to the plumber’s legendary 2D platforming legacy.”
GamesRadar+ gave it 4.5 stars (which Metacritic interprets as a 100), saying “Move over Elephant Mario, the true star of Super Mario Bros. Wonder are the Wonder Flowers themselves, which continuously add the unexpected to an altogether brilliant 2D platformer. Okay, Elephant Mario’s pretty amazing too.”
PC Mag gave it 4.5 stars (which Metacritic interprets as a 90 — please make up your mind, Metacritic), saying: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the 2D side-scroller in a fresh direction thanks to reality-bending Wonder Flowers that add fun gameplay-changing effects.”
Screen Rant, another 4.5-star review: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be Mario’s most magical adventure, offering up an enchanting experience that shines among the best of the side-scrolling Mario games.”
Gamespot gave it a 9/10, saying, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a bold choice for a name. It plants a flag in the ground that suggests anything less than a constant sense of awe and delight will be a failure by its own terms. But then, surprisingly, Mario Wonder rises to the challenge and the result is a modern classic. The Wonder effects are the marquee feature, and for good reason, as they serve as a springboard for a cornucopia of creativity. But it’s the smart and thoughtful choices around new power-ups, badges, online multiplayer, and visual flair that cement it in Mario canon. This is the rightful successor to Super Mario World, and hopefully, will serve as a touchstone for 2D Mario going forward.”
IGN agreed, awarding a 9/10 as well: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks and plays like the true next step for 2D Mario platformers. Wonder effects change each stage in both surprising and delightful ways, the Flower Kingdom makes for a vibrant and refreshing change of pace, and Elephant Mario steals the show.”
Forbes gave it an 8.5/10, saying, “Overall though, Super Mario Wonder is an excellent 2D platformer. With excellent level design, polished visuals and mad Wonder Flower setpieces. It’s not my favorite Super Mario game in recent years, but it’s definitely worth checking out.”
Digital Trends gave it four stars, agreeing with Forbes: “With its wealth of unpredictable levels, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the series’ best 2D entry since its SNES days. It’s still the same familiar platformer, but one that’s been given a new lease on life thanks to a fantastic new art style, delightfully absurd transformations, and flexible difficulty. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to recapturing those magic moments with the original platformers, even if there’s still room for Mario to grow into his new overalls.”
Dexerto also agreed, awarding another four stars: “While Super Mario Bros. Wonder doesn’t revolutionize Nintendo’s beloved series, the charming 2D platformer successfully pays homage to its roots, paving the way forward with unique twists that keep the gameplay feeling fresh…Mario Bros. Wonder may not take the crown from Super Mario Bros. 3 or Odyssey, but the latest outing encapsulates the very essence of what a 2D Mario game should be. It’s silly, whacky, and most importantly great fun…The fact that Nintendo can still deliver a great 2D Mario game 42 years after the first title hit our screens back in 1981, really is a wonder in itself.”
TheGamer, another four stars: “The endgame hides a few new stages and some cool minigames, but you are more or less dropped onto the map and asked to scour the place for everything you missed. I’m excited about playing with friends and family to snoop out the remaining paths that alluded me, and it feels like a game of this ilk would really come alive as four friends are causing maximum chaos together. Alone, its whimsical spark is sadly only surface level, fading away much as the petals on a Wonder Flower wilt under Bowser’s influence. The magic is there, and very tangible in all the right places, Nintendo just needs to take a look at the foundations and reinvent them alongside this luscious new aesthetic. Do so, and we’d have a masterpiece.”
The Guardian, a final four-star review: “There’s no story to discover, no complex rules to learn; just instant, appealing fun. It’s fun you’ll have already experienced if you’re a Mario fan, but with enough novelty and unexpected twists to prevent it from feeling over-familiar. And for those new to Mario – kids just ageing into video games, friends or family members tempted into a multiplayer session – this is a wonderful introduction to the fizzy creativity and attention to detail that has made Mario a family staple for nearly 30 years.”
Digital Spy was the lone middle-of-the-road review, awarding 3.5 stars, saying “It is a game that tries to evoke a feeling of discovery at every possible turn, but in doing so loses the element of wonder fairly quickly. Instead, Wonder‘s strongest moments are when it takes a breather, taking the time to set the scene while letting the platforming do the talking.”
So, there you go. I think it’s fair to say based on any one review, that Super Mario Bros Wonder is, well, kind of a wonder. Are you picking it up tomorrow? Check in with our bargain guide to find all the cheapest copies in Aus.
Image: Nintendo
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