1y ago

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Review Thread - (92/100 OpenCritic)

Game Information

Game Title: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Platforms:

Nintendo Switch (Oct 20, 2023)

Trailers:

Developer: Nintendo

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 92 average - 97% recommended - 40 reviews

Critic Reviews

CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 10 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a complete reinvention of everything that makes the franchise great, and the best 2D Mario game ever made.

Cerealkillerz - Julian Bieder - German - 8 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder evidently impresses with its creativity and innovation! The best jump 'n' run action paired with the colourful presentation of the flower kingdom including new enemy types and unpredictable spectacles of a wonder flower leave hardly anything to be desired! The implementation of a selectable badge before the levels rounds off the game experience; and the multiplayer has clearly been given some thought too. Only in terms of scope one can sense the short playing time and the small amount of power-ups that can be found.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Recommended

Super Mario Bros. Wonder delivers one of the best 2D Mario games in decades, providing an experience unquestionably tied to Nintendo’s identity.

Destructoid - Timothy Monbleau - 9 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first Mario game in literal decades to live up to the plumber’s legendary 2D platforming legacy. It is a return to levels overflowing with creativity, a world rich with secrets to uncover, and controls that make the mere act of movement fun. Whether Wonder exceeds or meets the quality of Super Mario Bros. 3 or World is for the fans to debate. But that aside, I’m confident in saying that Mario’s latest adventure is one of the best side-scrollers you’ll find on the Switch. Long live 2D Mario!

Dexerto - James Busby - 4 / 5

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 Oddysey, 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.

Digital Spy - Jess Lee - 3.5 / 5

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.

Digital Trends - Giovanni Colantonio - 4 / 5

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.

Eurogamer - Christian Donlan - 5 / 5

An endless cascade of ideas in a game that takes Mario to some wonderfully strange places.

GameSpot - Steve Watts - 9 / 10

This is the rightful successor to Super Mario World, and hopefully, will serve as a touchstone for 2D Mario going forward.

GamesRadar+ - Sam Loveridge - 4.5 / 5

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an excellent 2D Mario game with easily the most impressive world-building we've seen in this style. The trilogy of new power-ups are brilliant fun, and regularly humorous, with Nintendo's finishing touches adding extra personality at every turn.

IGN - Ryan McCaffrey - 9 / 10

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.

IGN Italy - Mattia Ravanelli - Italian - 9.5 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder paves a bold new road for the "classic" Mario experience. Never a 2D Mario has been so surprising and satisfying since Super Mario World.

Polygon - Chris Plante - Unscored

Like the Switch itself, Wonder is a collision between the traditional and the new. A game that’s the same as it ever was and nothing like Mario has ever been.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 8 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a very good 2D platformer, full of little innovations, but it doesn't feel like a major revolution. It plays very similarly to Super Mario Bros. 2, and that's a game that's already 35 years old.

TheSixthAxis - Stefan L - 9 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder puts a fresh new spin on the classic Mario side-scroller with wild and trippy level transformations. It's still Mario at its core, but it's fun not knowing what to expect from each level. This could be the start of a bright new era for 2D Mario games.

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5

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.

VGC - Andy Robinson - 5 / 5

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.

Wccftech - Nathan Birch - 9.5 / 10

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the plumber’s best platformer this generation. We haven’t been able to say that of a 2D Mario for a long time, but this game measures up to the best and most beloved side-scrollers Nintendo has ever made, delivering joyously-creative level design and rock-solid platforming in a gorgeous wrapper.