The Elephant Mario game, as it should have been called instead ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, is nearing its release date. Nintendo is adding features to make this new Mario title easier and more accessible, as it’s been doing in the latest games, but is also including an unexpected mode where you’re able to compete with friends as in a speedrunning race.
Here’s everything aboutSuper Mario Bros. Wonderrevealed so far, from its release date to its quirky new power-ups and stage gimmicks.
Super Mario Bros. Wonderrelease date
Super Mario Bros. Wonderreleaseson October 20, 2023on the Nintendo Switch. Buying the digital version will let you pre-load the game’s 3.5 GB so it’s ready to play on release day. If you’re eager to play the game as soon as possible, we recommend buying the digital version as it frees you from the hassle of waiting for your physical order to ship.
Since there’s no difference between both versions, the only plus of the physical one is saving up console space and and having a nice game box.
What’s Bowser up to this time?
Bowser wants to take over the world by literally turning into a giant floating castle. Yes, Bowser merges with Flower Kingdom’s castle and flies as a colossal creature spreading his evil minions around the world.
As usual, your job is to free the kingdom from Bowser’s influence and stop him from taking everything over. That means playing through a series of courses eliminating enemies and saving the people of the Flower Kingdom.
All playable characters inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder
Here’s the full list of playable characters inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
Yoshis and Nabbit are special characters that don’t take damage from enemies, making them ideal for beginners. They can still die by falling, though. All other characters offer you the standardSuper Mario Bros.experience and work the same, letting you choose whatever character you like the most.
All new power-ups
Super Mario Bros. Wonderwill feature three new power-ups:Elephant Fruit, Bubble Flower, and Drill Mushroom. All of them transform your character and give them a new ability, just like in older games with Fire Flower letting you throw fireballs and Super Leaf turning you into Racoon Mario.
Here’s the full list of new items and their effects:
Badges system
Badges inSuper Mario Wonderarepermanent power-ups you can only equip one of per course. You must unlock and select them before you start each stage to get their effects. Unlike regular power-ups, Badge effects aren’t lost when your character dies or is hit by an enemy.
There are 24 badges in the game but only 12 have been confirmed so far. Here’s the list of all badges revealed and their effects:
Wonder Flowers and Wonder Effects explained
The new feature inSuper Mario Wonderthat gives the game its name are Wonder Flowers. When you grab them in stages, theyadd a twist to the world that changes how you play it. Some examples shown in trailers are pipes gaining life and moving like worms or the entire stage tilting to one side. Here are all Wonder Effects shown so far:
Activating Wonder Flowers seems like a must if you want to playSuper Mario Wonderas a completionist. These effects only end when you collect a Wonder Seed, which seems to be the main collectible item in the game. So to collect all Wonder Seeds, it’s likely that you also have to play through all Wonder Effects.
Super Mario Wondertakes a shot at competitive running
You canrace against friendsinSuper Mario Wonderthrough some courses, both online and offline. This is the first time in a main series Mario game where a competitive running feature is built into the title, which can make it way more appealing to players who want a challenge bigger than what the base game might offer.
However, it doesn’t look likeWonderwill have any kind of online leaderboard feature likeSuper Mario Maker 2has. This racing mode is just Nintendo testing the waters of Mario speedrunning rather than going all-in on it.
Super Mario Bros. Wondergame editions differences
There isno difference between buyingSuper Mario Bros. Wonderphysical or digital versions, at least not as a Nintendo initiative. There’s no deluxe or premium version of the game, either. Some retailers may offer pre-order bonuses out of their pockets, but Nintendo hasn’t offered any benefit to early buyers or to people who buy the game physically or digitally. It turns your choice into a simple matter of preference.
