Nintendo Offers Whimsical Glimpse Into Upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder; Launching This October
Floral whimsy and aromatic delight await in Super Mario Bros. Wonder – the newest 2D side-scrolling adventure releasing exclusively for Nintendo Switch consoles. Players were provided with an extended glimpse at the upcoming game on August 31st, 2023 during a Direct presentation with approximately 15 minutes of new gameplay footage being shown. And although dialogue was not particularly focused upon during the broadcast, Nintendo has previously stated that Charles Martinet is not be providing any voices the characters – Mario included – within the game. Super Mario Bros. Wonder sees a return to classic Super Mario mechanics paired with a few surprises to keep things fun and exhilarating.
The story takes place in the neighboring Flower Kingdom where Mario and his friends have accepted invitations from the benevolent Prince Florian to visit the not-so-distant land. Things naturally go south as Bowser arrives to disrupt the festivities – grabbing a Wonder Flower – and consequently merging himself with Florian’s beloved castle to become a dark and powerful entity, spreading chaos throughout the land and imprisoning its inhabitants. Mario must venture across seven worlds that compose the Flower Kingdom including Pipe-Rock Plateau, Fluff-Puff Peaks, and Shining Falls alongside three other locations which circles the aptly named Petal Isles at the heart of this wonderous kingdom.
Players can select their favourite character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad (Blue and Yellow), and Toadette – function exactly the same. Yoshi and Nabbit are available for those that might require help conquering a difficult level or simply want a relaxing experience with their friends as they will not take damage from enemies but are susceptible to level ending occurrences such as falling into lava pits. Yoshi – Red, Light Blue, Yellow, and Green – have the ability to perform their signature Flutter Jump and swallow up enemies to use as projectiles. The Flower Kingdom is also home to several undiscovered enemies including Hoppycats which synchronistically mimics a character jump pattern as well as Melon Piranha Plants which periodically expel seeds from their mouth.
Nintendo is bringing three new abilities to Super Mario Bros. Wonder including: Elephant Form which transforms players into a lovable heavyweight – allowing them to break through blocks, swipe enemies with their trunk, and water nearby objects, Bubble Form captures enemies and provides temporary platforms, and Drill Form which allows players to burrow underground (or on the ceiling) and eliminate certain enemies that have a tougher exterior. Players will also find Wonder Flowers in each course which unleashes a Wonder Effect causing pipes to come to life, terrain to tilt, and camera perspectives to shift for a brief period of time; lots more to discover within each region. Collecting Wonder Seeds returns the course back to normal and can subsequently be used to unlock additional courses.
Gameplay can be enhanced with Badges – a new feature in Super Mario Bros. Wonder that unlocks special abilities to assist players on their adventure; similar to Reality Augments which were added to Fortnite nearly two years ago. There are 24 Badges to collect which are divided into three categories including Action Badges and Boost Badges with a third currently unknown. Nintendo showcased a few during the Direct presentation: Parachute Cap floats characters slowly downward, Dolphin Kick offers an underwater boost, and Coin Magnet draws items closer to collect. Only one Badge can be equipped per course and players can earn them by completing Badge Challenges or by purchasing them from Poplin Shops found on the world map – exchange with Flower Coins collected from each course.
The Flower Kingdom can also be explored with friends via four player local co-op. Players defeated by enemies will transform into a ghost with a five second timer above their head – teammates simply have to run into them in order to bring them back into the game. Online play is very interactive with players able to see other players running around in real time as Live Player Shadows which serve a similar purpose to local co-op players; can be revived by them, share in-game items, and send emoji messages to each other. Co-operation and fair play amongst other players is highly encouraged by Nintendo as Heart Points can be earned by offering assistance and clearing courses together.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches on October 20th, 2023 exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
