Back when you could count my age on a single hand, I played my very first video game. While house-sitting for a family member my parents turned on an NES, and my life changed forever. Beating the first level of Super Mario Bros 3 was the start of something huge in my life, and because of that I’ll always have a soft spot for a 2D Mario platformer. When Super Mario Bros Wonder released back in 2023 it reignited that spark and made me feel like a kid again, climbing up my personal GOTY list in the process. Now Switch 2 owners can play the definitive version of this modern jumping classic, thanks to Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park.
If you missed out on Super Mario Bros. Wonder a few years back, this is the perfect time to catch up with your favourite plumber. Wonder is a sort of soft reset for the 2D Mario games, casting off the shackles of the “New” games and instead shaking things up. Admittedly there are still lots of things that feel familiar like those classic powerups and the ability to play four player co-op, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is nothing more than a fresh coat of paint.
The exciting new hook of Wonder are the wonder seeds, which are a collectible that completely flip the game upside down while shaking it like a Polaroid picture. When you find a wonder seed some sort of level shifting event happens, be that bringing pipes to life, causing stars to rain down, or bringing forth a stampede of bulls that year the landscape to pieces. You find these in every single level of the game, and they never stop surprising and delighting you. One moment you’ll be playing a regular and fun platforming stage, the next it’ll be brought to life with music almost becoming a rhythm game in the process. It’s such a clever idea that shows off creativity in a delightful manner, and it makes the game so incredibly morish in the process.
While the seeds are the star of the show, the perfect controls of Mario (or your chosen buddy of his) cannot be understated. Moving around in Super Mario Bros Wonder is just incredible, with running, jumping and wall jumps that just feel right. When these are coupled with different power ups it’s a match made in heaven, and there are some crackers this time around.
The buzz before Super Mario Bros. Wonder launched was all around Elephant Mario, and for good reason. This particularly daft powerup is also rather powerful, granting you the ability to smash things with your trunk and spray water around. There’s also the Drill Mushroom which allows you to travel in floors and ceilings like a happy little mole. You also wouldn’t think that throwing bubbles would really provide much offense, but the Bubble Flower might surprise you.
The original release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder was stuffed full of content, in part thanks to all the wonderful collectibles. Purple coins and wonder seeds are stuffed in all sorts of devious crevices and behind hidden walls, and they’re well worth finding. Their main use is as a currency, especially when it comes to buying equippable badges. In a first for the series these grant you different abilities, be it gliding with your hat or sensing secrets nearby. There are dozens of these to experiment with, and they offer some fun options for replays.
If I’d reviewed Super Mario Bros. Wonder back in 2023 I’d have likely given it full marks, but I’m here today to talk about the upgraded Switch 2 version. Meetup in Bellabel Park adds some cool modes to the game, which are mainly centred around multiplayer minigames. Some of these are fairly basic like gathering the most coins or surviving in an arena, but are fun if you’ve got the friends or family to play them with. Others though are really interesting modes to try, such as playing stages with a total jump goal, or drawing platforms for your friends with the mouse. There are local and online options too, which is pretty damn convenient.
On the single player side there are seven new stages to complete, which see you fighting the seven Koopa kids in a fun throwback. These are all entertaining thanks to some cool wonder effects the kids use, and because of the addition of the new plant power up which lets you hover and send flowers soaring into the air to attack enemies above you. The stages are a nice addition to the game, but admittedly you’ll probably play through them all in a single sitting (and they’re kind of annoying to locate as they’re scattered across all the worlds).
There are also some challenge levels to complete, which all involve doing something within a time limit. Rushing to grab coins, defeat foes or get to a goal in time is entertaining enough, especially because you’ll be given badges to deal with that make you do things like constantly run or turn invisible. The only issue with these again is that you’ll probably complete them all in an afternoon, and having to go back and forth in menus between missions is a drag.
Super Mario Wonder. + Meetup in Bellabel Park is still fantastic, but for me that was mainly because of the base game. If you play a whole lot of multiplayer then you’ll likely get more out of it than I did, because the single player additions are fairly paltry. If you haven’t played Super Mario Wonder though this Switch 2 version will be an absolute treat, and you’ll Wonder why you didn’t play it sooner.
