Super Mario Bros Wonder game a ‘notebook of chaos’, critics say

The Super Mario franchise is set to continue its domination of the Nintendo platform with the release of its new instalment, according to critics.

Super Mario Bros: Wonder is a psychedelic take on the traditional 2D platformer that jazzes up Mario’s usual Bowser-thwarting adventure with Wonder Effects that, as Polygon’s Chris Plante put it, sees “the levels themselves collapse and contort, disobeying the laws established by decades of Mario games”.

It’s as if developers unearthed the “stuffed notebook of chaos” of every wacky idea ever rejected from the series and turned it into a single game, Plante said.

The new story once again gives players the task of defeating Bowser, who is looking to exploit the new Flower Kingdom’s powers for his gain.

It’s a tale as old as virtual time, but the game offers “so many different looks and wild hooks that the typically forgettable story simply didn’t matter,” said IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey, who enthused: “Every frame oozes joy.”

The Wonder Effects were “like dessert in the middle of the main course of each stage, they were irresistible and always put a smile on my face,” McCaffrey said.

One of the challenges facing developers of a series spanning four decades is how to appeal to newcomers and veterans alike, but critics suggest this new instalment has hit the Goomba on the head perfectly.

The Guardian’s Keza McDonald says the game carries the sort of fun expected by Mario fans, “but with enough novelty and unexpected twists to prevent it from feeling over-familiar”, and at the same time for newcomers “is a wonderful introduction to the fizzy creativity and attention to detail that has made Mario a family staple”.

This is the first time the Mario developers have delved into online multiplayer in the traditional 2D space, where previously co-op play required players to share a console in person.

“It feels more like you’re working together,” McDonald said. “Characters can revive one another if someone falls foul of a Bullet Bill or flaming pit, making the game much easier to get through as a team.”

GamesRadar’s Sam Loveridge noted that there were also new details for players to look for in-game: “Whether it’s the snot bubble on a sleeping Goomba or the fact each character’s face changes when they start dashing.

“There’s also an attention to detail here that just heightens that magic playfulness,” she said.

These new details also offer an answer to a question long-plaguing the series: Why does Mario take damage when he collides with a Goomba? It’s because they bite him.

“Due to hardware limitations (in earlier games), the graphics weren’t capable of showing that much detail,” game director Shiro Mouri revealed.

“But now we are able to show those expressions,” said art director Masanobu Sato, adding that now: “When they bite you, they’ll do it with a smile on their face.”

The latest addition to the Super Mario Bros franchise has garnered a score of 93 on Metacritic, securing it a third-place spot among the best-rated Mario games on the Nintendo Switch platform.