The original Super Mario games stand amongst the most important and influential video games ever created, but after the series shifted to the third dimension, Mario’s side-scrolling adventures never quite reached the same heights. Now, for the first time since 1995, at least in my opinion, the magic of 2D Mario lives again in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
This magical adventure perfectly encapsulates everything that makes Mario great – top-tier platforming gameplay with exceptionally creative level design paired with beautiful visuals and a catchy soundtrack. It looks, sounds and plays like a dream – but you could arguably offer similar endorsements of Nintendo’s successful New Super Mario Bros series, which enjoyed four entries across multiple platforms and sold millions. These are good games, but for some of us they never fully clicked.
Therefore, today I’d like to explore Super Mario Wonder, both on its own merits and in contrast to what came before, to hopefully demonstrate why I think this is the best 2D Mario adventure since Yoshi’s Island. Of course, we’ll cover the technical landscape as well – this is Digital Foundry after all.
I’d consider myself a connoisseur of the platforming genre and, having bested hundreds of platformers over the years, I’ve developed my own criteria for describing the truly great side-scrollers. It comes down to these four elements:
- Core gameplay mechanics – this includes character movement and the satisfaction derived from engaging with said character. Level design – layouts and pacing of challenges. Visual design – while gameplay may be king, an attractive and well-animated experience draws you further into the game world. Music – a truly great platformer demands an enjoyable, catchy soundtrack.
How does Super Mario Wonder fit into these categories and stack up against other Mario titles? Let’s begin with the core gameplay mechanics. No two Mario games feel exactly alike but, for my money, I’ve always been partial to Super Mario World’s precise controls. The speed and precision possible in this game remains captivating even today.