A new Mario game is always a big deal, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels different this time around. Not only is it the first new side-scrolling Mario game in over a decade (remasters and Mario Maker notwithstanding), but it comes half a year after the moustached plumber took the box office by storm, hitting new heights of multimedia dominance. Fortunately, I've had some time to spend with Super Mario Bros. Wonder for this preview, to see whether it takes advantage of Mario's resurgence - not that the beloved hero went away in the first place.
Not only that, but if rumours and hearsay are to be believed, the Nintendo Switch is slowly shutting its doors. With a successor all but confirmed, one last hurrah for Nintendo's tentpole character is a fitting way to start saying goodbye.
Fortunately, from what I've played of Super Mario Bros. Wonder so far, it's more than up to the task of slowly eeking the door closed for first-party Switch releases. Yes, there's still Super Mario RPG and a Donkey Kong spin-off to come, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like a swansong for the series.
If it wasn't already clear, that means the platforming in Super Mario Bros. Wonder is spectacular. With a bounty of characters to choose from the off, you'll then blitz through levels that are densely packed with obstacles, alternate routes, and scope for testing out Mario's new abilities.
These are enhanced via Badges; selectable perks you pick before the beginning of a level, which vastly alter Mario's traversal options. Some will let you float for a bit longer while jumping, others will let you grapple on walls to bounce upwards, or carry a spare mushroom to take one free hit. Some levels necessitate specific badges to complete challenges: there's one where you have to climb a behemoth of floating vertical pillars using just the wall-bounce ability, and it's one of the most rewarding and innovative levels in there.
Badges are the main new addition here, as elsewhere in Super Mario Bros. Wonder it's the usual platforming and colourful world design we've come to expect. That said, it's nice to go back to traditional Mario after so long, in an experience that feels far more purposeful and focused than the Maker series. It'll no doubt appeal more to the long-term fans who may have yearned for old-school Mario over those awaiting the next 3D behemoth, but as the unofficial start of the Switch's winding-down period, it more than fits the bill.
Fortunately, the game runs a dream on my Nintendo Switch OLED. Loading screens are slightly on the longer side, but on a visual level the colours of these magical worlds really pop. Mario games always tend to look good, and while this isn't quite as polished as the practically flawless Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it's still gorgeous. The levels themselves breeze by so smoothly, and with a nifty board-game approach to the overworld as you select your next adventure, it all oozes creativity and visual charm.
As a huge fan of the Crash Bandicoot games, I'm used to finnicky platforming and frustrating jumps, and while Super Mario Bros. Wonder is nowhere near as tricky or punishing, it's not entirely straightforward. Some levels can have alternate paths to find currency or even Wonder Flowers, the main resource Mario's out to collect, meaning you're rewarded for taking your time, searching around, and experimenting with abilities to find new areas.
More than anything, Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like a perfect parable to bookend the Switch. For so much of the console's six-year lifespan it's been pushing traditional Nintendo ideas forward: the first mainline Pokémon games for home consoles, the paradigm-shifting Super Mario Odyssey, and the ceaseless creativity of the two Legend of Zelda titles. Wonder is less revolutionary, but rather a refinement of what makes the Mario formula tick.
I've loved what I've played of Super Mario Bros. Wonder so far, and can't wait to dive into more. Platformers really don't get any better than this, and while it might not be the ground-breaking opus some were hoping for, it's the ultimate culmination of what makes 2D Mario tick.
With only a few weeks to go until it releases on October 20, it's bound to strike a chord with those who grew up on older Mario games, while also more than quenching the thirst of 3D aficionados ready for more of their favourite character. If this is the beginning of the Switch's long goodbye, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the perfect way to get started.