Super Mario Bros. Wonder review in progress

I’ve been playing a lot of Super Mario Bros. Wonder over the last few weeks (in addition to the hands-on games I had as part of our current cover story), and the review embargo has officially been lifted. Due to restrictive embargo policies that do not allow us to review large portions of the game, we have decided to hold off on our final review until the game is available for purchase. With this in mind, I would like to share a few brief thoughts in the context of the embargo.

I enjoyed my time with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The game is aptly named with a title that evokes a strong sense of wonder at every turn. Each stage introduces new gimmicks with appropriate and well-designed ramps and then expands on them in fun and unique ways. I truly never knew what I was getting myself into every time I took a new course, and I was almost completely thrilled once I started working my way through it.

The Wonder Effects are the stars of the show and provide delightful surprises every time you experience one. Whether it was a change of course, your character, or a combination of both, it was always a fun and exciting occasion when I found a Miracle Flower. Director Shiro Mouri told me in my conversations with him that one of his main goals with Super Mario Bros. Wonder was to fill the game with secrets and mysteries, and he succeeded in this initiative very well. I never knew what would hit me next, and while that’s thanks in part to the new enemy types, power-ups, and stage conventions, the Wonder Effects kept me on my toes more than any other component of Super Mario Bros. Miracle package.

Even outside of this novel addition, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” plays extremely well. Not that Nintendo has ever given us reason to doubt their ability to create a well-crafted platformer, but Wonder continues the series’ excellent reputation. Since most of the characters play the same, I’m sure many people will find a character they enjoy playing based on their different facial expressions and animations. And whether it’s the new sound effects that accompany every action, the titles that pay homage to the series’ past, or the gorgeous, all-new compositions, I never once thought about it during my playthrough. to reduce the volume. The precise controls, great sound design and expressive art style combine to create an experience that appeals to every sense that video games can reach.

While I spent the majority of my time with Wonder in the single player mode, I also had a lot of fun with the multiplayer mode. Local options allow you to play through stages with a friend (or three) on the couch in traditional co-op mode, while online offerings include the ability to set up track races with friends. I’m disappointed that you can’t do a traditional co-op game online (especially when other recent games in the series have done it), but I enjoyed the track races I took part in.

You can also enable a passive, persistent online mode that populates ghosts in your course, including players who are currently playing in the level or have recently progressed through it. If this is activated and you lose a life, you can respawn by swimming to a nearby player or a standee they left behind. This helped me a few times, but activating it also revealed some secrets, as you can see other players’ ghosts and Standees that were otherwise invisible to me. It didn’t ruin the experience, but I ended up turning it off to maintain some of the mystery.

Keep an eye on it Game Informer Stay tuned for our full review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as well as this week’s, in the coming days Everything about Nintendo And The Game Informer Show Podcasts. In the meantime, check out our exclusive coverage hub here. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is coming to Switch on October 20th.