My Favorite Wonder Effects Turned Me into a Glomba: A Reflective Look at Super Mario Wonder

I have to admit, my favorite Wonder effects turned me into a glomba since I couldn't jump. This happened when I was playing Super Mario Wonder for the first time, and it completely caught me off guard. As a result, I had to hide behind trees to avoid enemies for a short time, which added an extra layer of challenge to the game. The best part is that these effects totally subvert everything you think you know about Mario, throwing every established rule out the window.

What's special about Super Mario Wonder is that it doesn't feel like any other Mario game that has come before it. It's a series that has always encouraged its players to hang on to their childlike sense of wonder, and this game takes that approach to a whole new level. Games like Super Mario Brothers 3 are as memorable as they are because they're full of delightful discoveries, leaving you curious and excited to find out what's next.

I grew up playing games like Super Mario Brothers 3 and I still remember the feeling of seeing it played through for the first time. My jaw dropped when I first saw Mario climb up to the clouds. I laughed hysterically alongside my friends when we first entered Little Big World – we called it that at the time. Every moment in those old Mario games was an unpredictable surprise, igniting my love of video games.

As we looked back on our experiences playing these classic Mario games, every moment felt like a memorable discovery. It's what made Super Mario Wonder so appealing to me – it brought back those same feelings of wonder and excitement that I experienced when playing the series for the first time. But what makes this game truly special is its ability to subvert expectations while still feeling familiar and nostalgic.

Take something as simple as its new slew of creative enemy designs, rather than just throwing in more Koopas and Goombas. Nintendo has created a whole bunch of original critters that are a delight to discover. I'm personally a fan of Mamas with their adorably huge mouths and bluebirds that shoot their beaks out like a deadly dart. It feels like a totally new world full of surprises, taking me back to the days of Super Mario Brothers 2.

You know not the Lost Levels one and there are limits to that too. To be fair, boss fights don't have the same creative spark which makes the main Bowser conflict feel like even more of an afterthought than usual. Power-ups feel like a missed opportunity as well. You've probably seen Mario's excellent new elephant form – it's both a fun and funny highlight here.

But that same creativity isn't present in other abilities. Mario's new bubble and drill forms aren't terribly exciting, and their applications are stretched thin across such a huge number of levels. There's still room for the series to grow into this new formula if Nintendo decides to keep experimenting with its transformative Wonder effects, though honestly I kind of hope the next Mario game totally flips the script.

What's special about Super Mario Wonder is that it doesn't feel like any other Mario game. It's a series that has always been all about embracing the unknown and finding joy in the discovery process. The parts where it feels most like a Mario game or ironically, where it feels least like one – those moments are what make this experience so special.

One of my favorite moments is when I'm suddenly running on top of a runaway snowball as it smashes through a flag pole. It's those wide-eyed kid moments again, the ones who saw Sky World for the first time and couldn't stop dreaming of what was next. Those are the moments that make Super Mario Wonder truly unforgettable – it's a game that knows exactly how to balance new experiences with familiar nostalgia.

In conclusion, my favorite Wonder effects turned me into a glomba since I couldn't jump, but this is all part of the charm of Super Mario Wonder. The game takes risks and subverts expectations while still feeling like a true Mario experience. It's what makes the series so memorable – its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity in its players.

The key to what makes Super Mario Wonder special lies in its approach to discovery and exploration. Games like Super Mario Brothers 3 are full of delightful surprises, and this game takes that same approach to heart. Whether it's exploring new worlds or discovering creative enemies, the experience is always fresh and exciting. It's a reminder that there's still room for innovation and experimentation in the Mario series.

As I look back on my experiences playing Super Mario Wonder, I'm reminded of why I fell in love with the series in the first place. It's not just about running and jumping; it's about discovery and exploration. The game's ability to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity is what makes it truly special – and that's something that no other Mario game has quite managed.

So, what are Mario games about? For me, Super Mario Wonder puts it right there in the title: they're about embracing the unknown and finding joy in the discovery process. It's not just about running and jumping; it's about exploration and wonder. And that's something that no other Mario game has quite managed – at least, not until now.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIt's my firm belief that every video game is about something now that doesn't mean I think every game  is tackling headyy narrative themes like the last of us but even the most basic arcade game  communicates some kind of idea Tetris is a test of spatial reasoning that stresses the importance  of both good planning and quick adaptability when those plans go Ary this year's Pikmin 4 for  instance may not have a deep story but it teaches players about the concept of dend Dori and has  them practice it through gameplay look hard enough and you'll realize that no game is ever truly  meaningless and whenever I share that philosophy I inevitably get one question oh yeah Wise Guy  well then what about Mario okay surely the series about an Italian plumber who hates turtles doesn't  have much to say other than Mama Mia! but that's where the fantastic Super Mario Brothers Wonder  comes in it's not just a great platformer that transforms the series in all the right ways it's  Nintendo's mission statement declaring what Mario is all about hi I'm Giovanni Colantonio I'm the  gaming section lead here at Digital Trends and I'm here with my review of Super Mario BrothersWonder now usually a 2d Mario game would need very little introduction and in some ways that's  true here too without seeing a second of footage you probably know what you can expect from this  Bowser hatches another vaguely evil plan that Mario has to thwart by traveling to a handful  of themed worlds and completing 2D platforming levels filled with coins powerups and secrets  yes folks this is indeed a Mario game full of running and jumping but what's exciting  about this adventure is that Nintendo makes a real effort to reinvent the series and that's important  because 2D Mario games had become kind of stale in recent years the new Super Mario Brothers series  is perfectly fun but those games rely heavily on retro nostalgia by remixing a lot of familiar  ideas from older games the platforming was solid but there weren't many surprises to be found and  Super Mario Brothers Wonder feels like Nintendo realizing that surprises what Mario is trulyabout so how does Mario Wonder accomplish that it starts with an aesthetic overhaul Mario's no  longer exploring the Mushroom Kingdom but the all new flower Kingdom which comes with a much  needed visual refresh I honestly think this might be one of the best looking switch games out there  purely thanks to how vibrant and detailed these levels are bathed in pleasant light  blues that feel almost ethereal it's almost like you're looking at a van go painting but  filtered through Mario's cartoon lens but it's not just the art that stands out it's  the animation too Mario Wonder gives us the most detailed animations we've ever gotten in a Mario  game and that brings a lot of personality to his 2D World here's a small example Goomba  don't just Shuffle around back and forth anymore when you first see one it's sleeping on a pipe  with a big sleep bubble inflating out of its quivering jaw that might sound like a minute  detail but it goes a long way towards making the world feel a little more alive it's like  an interactive cartoon right down to some of its Looney Tunes esque sound design T it  doesn't just feel like something anyone could have cobbled together in Super Mario Makernow when it comes to gameplay it may look like more of a return to form than a reinvention of the  Mario formula the basics of moving platforming and collecting aren't too different here if  anything it's just a great chance for Nintendo to once again Flex its level design muscles you're  getting a wealth of varied stages here that combine Mario staples with a new platforming  twists that fit right into the old formula the main difference is that there's an even greater  emphasis on secrets here with more hidden exits and tricky collectibles that almost makes levels  feel more like platforming puzzles at times which gave me good reason to revisit stages  later and try to fully solve them Nintendo also takes a flexible approach to difficulty in these  stages each level gets its own star rating which tells players how tough the challenge  is those looking for a chill experience can focus on lower star stages while more seasoned veterans  can try their hand at some trickier levels not only that but a new badge system lets players  equip a variety of powers from an extra Speedy run to a grappling vine that can latch onto walls it's  a smart perk system that gives players a chance to break out of the rigid Mario formula and find  a play style that best suits them that makes it something that can work for kids casual players  and platforming pros alike now while all those are welcome twists Mario Wonder makes one very  impactful change and that is its namesake Wonder system in each stage Mario and company can find  a Wonder Wonder flower which triggers some kind of gamechanging special effect in one level you might  find yourself suddenly skydiving through the air or climbing around on a level's walls from a top-  down perspective others are even more surprising one of my favorite Wonder effects turned me into a  glomba since I couldn't jump I had to hide behind trees to avoid enemies for a short time the best  effects totally subvert everything you think you know about Mario throwing every established rule  out the window and it was in those moments that I started to reflect on what I love about Mario  in the first place I grew up playing games like Super Mario Brothers 3 and I still remember the  feeling of seeing it played through for the first time my jaw dropped when I first saw Mario climb  up to the clouds I laughed hysterically alongside my friends when I first entered Little Big World  As we called it at the time every moment in those old Mario games was an unpredictable surprise that  ignited my love of video games any and everything felt possible in digital world and I really think  that's been missing from the 2D Mario series for quite some time recent installments have felt a  lot more templatized like they're checking boxes on a list in order to create something that felt  like a Mario game that's not the case here take something as simple as its new slew of creative  enemy designs rather than just throwing in more Koopas and Goombas Nintendo has created a whole  bunch of original critters that are a delight to discover I'm personally a fan of Mamas with their  adorably huge mouths and bluebirds that shoot their beaks out like a deadly dart it feels  like a totally new world full of surprises taking me back to the days of Super Mario Brothers 2 you  know not the Lost Levels one and there are limits to that too to be fair boss fights don't have the  same creative spark which makes the main Bowser conflict feel like even more of an afterthought  than usual powerups feel like a missed opportunity too you've probably seen Mario's excellent new  elephant form which is both a fun and funny highlight here but that that same creativity  isn't present in other abilities Mario's new bubble and drill forms aren't terribly exciting  and their applications are stretched thin across such a huge number of levels there's still room  for the series to grow into this new formula if Nintendo decides to keep experimenting with its  transformative Wonder effects though honestly I kind of hope the next Mario game totally flips  the script what's special about Mario wonder is that it doesn't feel like any Mario game that's  come before it and that's what makes the series earliest enturies so special too so let's return  to that question I posed at the beginning of this video what are Mario games about well I  think Super Mario Wonder puts it right there in the title this has always been a series  that's encouraged its players to hang on to their childlike sense of wonder games like Super Mario  Brothers 3 are as memorable as they are because they're full of delightful discoveries they leave  you curious and excited to find out what's next you're always rewarded for poking and prodding the  edges of the screen like when you first discover a Warp Zone by running on the ceiling in Super  Mario Brothers that's exactly what Super Mario Brothers Wonder does so well too every level  sets out to subvert any expectations that have been ingrained in you from playing Decades of  Mario games it still feels familiar and nostalgic but not to the point where it feels like a set of  stages that were churned out of a level editor the parts where it feels most like a Mario game  or ironically where it feels least like one it's those moments where I'm suddenly running on top of  a runaway snowball as it smashes through a flag pole that I really feel like that wide-eyed kid  again the one who saw sky world for the first time and couldn't stop dreaming of what was next\n"