Super Mario Bros. Practical wonder – Mario 2D is thrilling again

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I had the opportunity to attend Nintendo Live in Seattle this past weekend, and my hands-on experience with Super Mario Bros. Wonder (released October 20 on Switch) definitely stood out as the highlight.

This is the first new 2D Mario platformer (not including the more creative-based Mario Maker 2) since the release of New Super Mario Bros. U on Wii U in 2012. These "new" games were fun side-scrollers, but they lacked heart and spirit. They were mechanically strong, but artistically bland.

Wonder does wonders to make Mario 2D exciting again.

Newer than new

It's the enhanced animation that stands out the most. Everything in new games always seemed a bit flat. Here, Mario and company emotive and bounce around the world with a whole lot more flair. Just watching a character go into a pipe is a lot of fun. At one point Mario made one and his hat fell off. His hand then came out of the pipe to grab and put the plug back in place.

In terms of gameplay, things are very similar to the new series. That's good, because it's something these games have done well. You still have access to wall jumps and that little spin move in the air that can give you a bit more distance.

You can watch off-camera footage from my first demo with Super Mario Bros. Wonder with my buddies from Giant Bomb.

But you also have a bunch of other moves you can use through badges. You can only equip one per level, and they will improve the game in different ways. One replaced the aforementioned spinning motion with a large parachute-like hood that lets you glide through the air. Another makes you magnetic for coins. At some point, I upgraded to a level that equipped a new badge, the one that caused the first wall to jump vertically. After completing this level, I unlocked this badge to use for the rest of the game.

You will also be able to take advantage of new bonuses. One of them turns you into an elephant, giving you the ability to absorb and shoot water with your trunk and, you know, just be a big beefy boy or girl.

Each level also contains a wonderful flower. These are perhaps the most interesting mechanics in the game, as each does something different. One of them made the world ripple and brought some objects to life, including a pipe that started to act more like a snake. Another caused the ceiling to collapse, forcing a desperate escape through breakable blocks in the floor.

Much of the fun in Wonder comes from seeing what each Wonder Flower will do.