Super Mario Bros Wonder | Critical Consensus
After exploring an open-world formula with Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo's flagship IP has returned to its platforming roots with Super Mario Bros Wonder, releasing today.
Aside from Super Mario Maker and mobile title Super Mario Run, it's been over a decade since players have been able to jump and break blocks in a new title as Nintendo's mascot.
As of writing, Mario Wonder has a Metacritic score of 93 out of 53 reviews, and it seems that critics have fallen for its reinvention of the franchise's platform formula.
In his 5/5 review for VG247, Alex Donaldson heralded the game as "the best 2D Mario game since the franchise's 16-bit heyday" and "a worthy sequel to Super Mario World."
GamesRadar+'s Sam Loveridge agreed, calling Mario Wonder "the most creative 2D Mario adventure we've had in a long time." Loveridge compared the magic of playing Mario Wonder to going to Disneyland for the first time.
"You have no idea what's beyond that first bend on the roller coaster track or behind the next closed door, but there may well be sudden singing, odd little creatures, and the occasional man in an oversized suit," she wrote in her 4.5/5 stars review.
Both found joy in Mario Wonder's art style, which Donaldson described as "new, but also old and familiar." He also noticed an influence from the Super Mario Bros Movie, which has since grossed $1 billion at the global box office and become the highest-grossing video game film adaptation.
Loveridge described Mario Wonder as "easily the prettiest Mario adventure yet, with an overall level of sheen and finish that really sets this game apart from its predecessors." She also noticed the level of detail in this game, which heightened the "magic and playfulness" of the Mario
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