Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo Switch)

One of the oldest and most stubborn criticisms of Nintendo is that they like to rehash and reheat old and stale (albeit commercially successful) formulas in each console generation. Anyone who is acquainted with the likes of Mario Galaxy will know this to be an unfair criticism, but it is a persistent one all the same.And when it comes to the 2D Mario platformer might there just be a grain of truth to this critique? Super Mario Bros Wonder's answer to this is a resounding no.It would have been so very easy for Nintendo to release another solid but perhaps unremarkable entry in their gloriously retro New Super Mario Bros series. But when it came to the Switch’s take on a 2D Mario platformer, we instead got a game that is both weird and wonderful in equal measure.Determined to be different in every way except the predictable paper thin plot (not a criticism- this is Mario after all) the game dispenses with the familiar Mushroom Kingdom with all its cliched biomes. In its place are a plethora of new enemy types intertwined with the usual Dry Bones and Piranha plants. It's a small addition in some ways but after more than forty years of Koopas and Chain Chomps it adds some much needed variety.Of much greater significance is the game's new signature mechanic in the form of collectible Wonder Seeds. These provide for innumerable, ingenious and entirely unpredictable changes in gameplay.Indeed some of the transformations are so gloriously random that they can best be described as akin to a psychedelic experience. Whilst playing the game my favourite pass time (when not stomping Goombas of course) was to try and predict what that particular level's transformation would be based off of its signature theme or mechanic. The fact that not once did I get it right is testament to Nintendo's enduring ingenuity and creativity in game design.If all of this was not enough we have the addition of not only three new power ups (of which the Elephant Fruit is quite possibly the coolest new entry to grace the series in years) but also innumerable "badges" that are unlocked in exchange for Purple Coin collectibles, another innovation that provide a much improved incentive and reward system on the traditional gold coins with all their surplus 1-Ups.The badges, only one of which may be used in each level, add a new sense of strategy, assistance or challenge depending on your mood. It not only caters for all ability levels but adds a much greater dimension of player freedom and choice.Super Mario Bros Wonder combines the best of 2D Mario platforming with a new sense of wonder. It is perhaps the most aptly named Mario Game in years and has yet again proved Nintendo's unsurpassed ability to reinvent, refresh and renew. Now that is a wonder.

A great game with so much creativity seen in each level with the crazy goings-on when collecting wonder seeds. It is lovely to play with a toddler as they can join in as Yoshi, not taking enemy damage. For us older ones that might have been playing mario games for some time, there are some very challenging levels to keep us occupied too.

Perfect twist to classic style

Great game, I love playing this with my 5 year old daughter as she can pick the character that doesn't die when they get hurt so she doesn't get scared like she does in other games. But at the same time, I can play as normal and enjoy the game as an adult. Otherwise so far, it seems like a very cookie-cutter Mario side scroller game, just with a few new enemies and power-ups, so if you like the other Mario side scroller games, you'll like this one too.

Currently I'm about halfway through the game and so far it's been fun. There are some refreshing new elements such as the wonder star which tranform the level and allows you to collect a wonder seed. But also there's plenty of nostalgia in the 2D platformer for those of you that have played mario as long as I have. Something I've found helpful is they've gotten rid of the timer that used to sit in the top right of a level, meaning you can spend as long as you like exploring a world. There are also a selection of characters you can choose from, and there's also essentially an easy mode, as by playing as some of the characters you can no longer take damage from enemies and can only die from falling. Overall I'd rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Bought this game for my nephew. He really loved it. Packaging is good. Price is reasonable. Delivery was quick.

Good game

Overall I find this game a bit easy, but there's enough hard levels to test your platforming skills amongst it.