Play Review of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," the latest in the 2D Mario series. This time Mario is full of surprises and excitement!

The latest 2D Mario game after an 11-year absence is finally here!　The adventure takes place in the Flower Kingdom!

Super Mario Bros. Wonder" is a completely new title in the side-scrolling action game series "Super Mario Bros. This is the first 2D Mario title since "New Super Mario Bros. For gamers who have played so-called 3D Mario titles such as "Super Mario Odyssey" and "Super Mario 3D World + Fury World" and have been thinking, "I want to play a new 2D Mario title soon," this title is exactly what they have been waiting for.

Super Mario Bros." is a well-known national game series, and it probably goes without saying that I don't need to explain what the game is about, but I would like to introduce the "playability" of the 2D "Super Mario Bros. Here, I would like to introduce the "play" of the 2D "Super Mario Bros.

The player controls Mario and other characters to advance through 2D side-scrolling stages, overcoming enemies and tricks as they move toward the goal. This is the basic "Super Mario Bros. Numerous actions such as jumping, dashing, stomping on enemies, and knocking blocks have become synonymous with the "Super Mario Bros. These lighthearted action elements are of course still present in "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," the latest title in the series.

The setting of this title is the Flower Kingdom, located a short distance away from the well-known Mushroom Kingdom of the series. Mario and his friends are invited by Prince Florian, the prince of the Flower Kingdom, but Bowser suddenly appears, and through the mysterious power of the "Wonder Flower," a flower that blooms in this land, Mario and his friends are combined with the Flower Castle. Can Mario and his friends stop Bowser's evil scheme and restore peace to the Flower Kingdom? ...... is the story of this title. The shocking combination of the castle and Bowser and the visuals alone should give you an idea of how surprising this title is.

In this title, players can control as many as 12 different characters, including the well-known Mario and Luigi. This is, by far, the most in the series. The game features two princesses, Peach, princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Daisy, princess of Sarasa Land, who first appeared in "Super Mario Land" for the Game Boy, as well as the Mushroom Kingdom's residents, Kinopio the Yellow, Kinopio the Blue, and Kinopiko, and Yoshi, Yoshi the Red, Yoshi the Yellow, Yoshi the Blue, Yoshi the Blue, Yoshi the Red, Yoshi the Blue, and Yoshi the Blue. Yoshi," "Red Yoshi," "Blue Yoshi," and "Blue Yoshi," as well as "Totten," who made his first appearance in "New Super Mario Bros.

Other than Totten and Yoshi, who do not take damage from enemies, there is no difference in character performance, so you can simply choose the character of your choice without worrying about how easy it is to defeat the enemies. You can switch between characters at any time from the menu on the world map screen, so you can try out different characters depending on your mood and discover your "favorites".

When you touch the Wonder Flower, various "wonders" occur!　The changes in the stages never cease to amaze me!

While this title basically allows players to enjoy the safe and stable "usual 2D Mario" action, a major feature and change in this title that has not been seen in previous titles in the series is the "Wonder," which is also mentioned in the title. The "Wonder" is triggered by touching the "Wonder Flower," a shining flower that blooms somewhere along the course, which changes the course and the traps. The course and its traps are transformed, and mysterious changes take place.

The variety of wonders is truly rich: normally motionless clay pipes begin to move like living creatures, hordes of enemies appear, enemies begin to sing, and so on. Each course is different in terms of what happens depending on the wonders, so you will always be excited to see what will happen next. What will happen next?" and you will always be excited to continue playing.

Some wonders change the fundamental rules of the game, such as changing the viewpoint and allowing the player to walk around walls, or transforming Mario and his friends into Cribbons, which the player then controls. However, the effects of the wonders are limited to that course, and once the "Wonder Seed" that appears on the course after the wonder is triggered is acquired, the wonder is over and can be enjoyed without worry.

Since "Wonder Seeds" are also necessary to liberate closed courses and advance to the next level of the world, it will be helpful to actively search for Wonder Flowers and activate Wonder on courses you are trying to challenge for the first time.

New transformations, such as ZoMario and Awamario, are surprising! Plus, customization through "badges"!

One of the most exciting aspects of the Super Mario series is the "transformations" of Mario and his friends that occur when they take items from the course. In addition to the familiar "Fire Flower" that allows Mario to throw Fireballs and "Super Star" that makes Mario invincible for a certain amount of time, "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" introduces three new transformations that make their first appearance in the series.

The first is " ZoMario," which can be transformed by taking "ZoFruit. The ZoMario character has been the talk of the town since before its release, not because of its costume or nose, but because of its striking visual impact, in which the character itself looks like an elephant. His ability to attack enemies by waving his long nose and destroy blocks in one fell swoop is a very reliable power-up. In addition, the elephant can use its nose to suck water and sprinkle it around, an action that is unique to elephants. There are also tricks that can be triggered by sprinkling water, so be proactive in watering various areas.

Next is " Awamario," which can be transformed by taking "Awaflower. At first glance, it looks like Fire Mario, but instead of fire, it produces a floating, soap-like flower. This awa can be used to wrap around and trap enemies to defeat them, and it also has a slight tracking function. It can also be used as a scaffold to go higher and further away by stepping on the awaits it has released. This combination of attack and scaffolding is quite a fresh power-up in the Mario series.

The third power-up is "Drill Mario," which transforms the character by taking a "Drill Mushroom. When this is taken, a drill is attached to the character's head, allowing him to defeat enemies that fall from the ceiling. In addition, by drilling downward, he can destroy slightly hard blocks. In addition, the character will be able to move by diving on the ground or ceiling. Mario moving through ceilings is quite a novel visual, and it is a sensation that is truly worthy of the word "wonder. However, he is not very good against attacks from the side, so be careful.

In addition to transforming himself with item power-ups, there is a unique new element in this title. It is the " badge.

These badges, which can be obtained as the adventure progresses, have special effects that alter the performance and actions of Mario and his friends. In addition to "Action Badges," such as the "Hat Parachute," which allows Mario to open his hat and glide, and the "Crouching Jump," which allows Mario to jump higher than usual by crouching down and gathering power, there are also "Power Up Badges," which help Mario in his adventures by attracting nearby coins and allowing him to jump back up if he falls into a hole. There are also three types of badges: "power-up badges," which help you in your adventures by attracting nearby coins, allowing you to jump back up after falling down a hole, and "master badges," which give you unique effects such as invisibility to both enemies and yourself, nonstop dashing, and more.

Since only one badge can be attached at a time, you can try attaching a "power-up badge" to a course you are not good at, or switch to a "master badge" if you want to challenge yourself on a course you are good at. This is an element that allows everyone from beginners to experts to customize the game to suit their skill level. Collecting badges that have never been seen before is also a fun and rewarding element of the game.

Multiplayer is a big draw!　Online, you can "loosely" connect with anyone in the world!

This title, "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," supports multiplayer in a variety of ways.

First, there is "Oshozowake Play. You can choose from 12 different characters to play with, so you can, for example, ride on the back of Yoshi while your friends are controlling him. For example, you can ride on the back of Yoshi when your friend is controlling the game, or you can ask someone who is good at action games to use Yoshi and ride on his back.

During Ouseware play, if a player makes a mistake, he or she becomes a "Tamashii" and can wander around for a short while. If another player touches the tamashii before the count reaches zero, the tamashii can be revived on the spot. This is a safe system that does not reduce the remaining count, so players who are not good at action games are encouraged to play this game with family and friends.

This title also supports online play. When connected online, players who are adventuring somewhere in the world at the same time will appear as translucent "live ghosts" on the world map and throughout the course. I personally found it very enjoyable and comforting to feel a loose connection with the players, knowing that someone else is playing in the same place as I am right now.

Although you cannot directly touch the live ghosts, you can support each other in your adventures through actions such as helping others who have made mistakes or sharing items you have in stock. In addition, simple communication is possible using the pictogram greetings provided. The players can enjoy a loose connection with each other while still feeling that they are "adventuring" together.

Players can also set up "panels" at any desired location on the course at any time. When a player makes a mistake and is in a Tamashii state, he or she can be revived not only by the player, but also by touching this panel. In other words, by placing these panels in difficult spots where players are prone to make mistakes, they can help other players. The panels can also be used to communicate with other players by placing them in areas where hidden blocks or items are located. Even in a loose online environment, the feeling that one's play is helping someone else is very gratifying and motivates one to play.

In order to enjoy online play, you need to have an Internet connection and a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online.

If you have the right environment, we hope you will experience this "relaxed and comfortable" online play.

Here's what's great!　My 3 recommendations for "Super Mario Bros. Wonder

From here, I would like to introduce "my personal recommendation points" of this title.

1、Various expressions of enemy characters

One of the charms of the "Super Mario" series is the presence of unique enemy characters. In addition to familiar enemies such as Krivoh, Sawtooth, Hammer Bros. and Teresa, many new enemies also appear in this title. The author's favorite aspect of this work is the facial expressions of these enemy characters.

For example, when the Krivos collide with each other or get stuck in a ditch, they show special facial expressions. Some of the cribs even sleep comfortably without moving around, which is very soothing, even though they are enemies.

In addition, there are a wealth of new expressions of enemy characters in this title, such as Sawonoko, who glides down on roller skates, and Hana-chan, who races with the player. By paying attention to the evolution of these expressions, you will be able to immerse yourself more fully in the world of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

2、Flexibility to choose a strategy that suits your skill level

Many players may think of 2D Mario games in which players clear courses one by one in a predetermined order to reach the final stage. In this title, however, there is a map in the world that can be freely moved around, allowing players to challenge themselves on any course they like.

Furthermore, the "difficulty" of the course is indicated by the number of stars, so players can try to avoid difficult courses, or if they are confident in their skills, they can try challenging courses of higher difficulty. In addition to the aforementioned badge system, this course selectable system greatly expands the range of strategies in this title compared to the previous 2D Mario series, and I felt that it allows each player to play in his or her own unique way.

3、Chattering Flowers add a lively atmosphere to the adventure.

The "Talking Flower" is one of the new elements in this title. These cute characters appear at various locations throughout the course and speak to Mario and his friends in various languages to liven up the adventure. What's more, the characters are voiced in selectable languages. Characters that speak in real-life languages such as Japanese and English are quite unique in the "Super Mario Bros." series, and add a fresh sense of surprise and fun to the player's adventure.

Talking Flower's lines range from course hints to funny comments and reactions to events that occur during the course. It feels like a pseudo-game-playing experience, and it somehow makes you feel more excited. Incidentally, the talking flower voices can be turned off at any time in the settings, so players who prefer to enjoy the usual 2D Mario play experience can rest assured that they are in good hands. However, I would definitely recommend leaving it on.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder" is recommended for Mario beginners!

So, there you have it, my first impressions of "Super Mario Bros.

Wonder" is packed with many new features and experiences, from the "Wonder" that happens throughout the course, to new transformations such as Zoomario and Awamario, to customizable badges, to loosely connected online elements, to the freedom of course selection and the variety of character expressions. Super Mario Bros. The game is easy to play even for those who are not good at action games, with Yoshi and Totten taking no damage, and a revival element when playing with friends, so it can be recommended for beginners of the Mario series as well. If you are interested in this game, we hope you will play it and embark on a "Wonder" adventure with Mario and his friends.

• Title Information
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder " (Nintendo)
• Release date: October 20, 2023
• Price: Packaged version: 6,578 yen (tax included)
• Download version: 6,500 yen (including tax)