The new Sonic and Mario games both return to a 2D format,both support up to four players at a time,and both reflect past games.
Mario Wonderis an impeccable showcase of creativity and a technical masterclass. Borrowing the tight,precise controls of the ’90s games,which have persisted through the years in four “New Super Mario Bros” games,it reinvents almost everything else to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its blockbuster 3D siblings such asMario Galaxy andMario Odyssey when it comes to presentation and delight.
An all-new visual style heavy on expressive animation,and a new approach to sound that fills each level with atmospheric tunes and instrumental takes on classic sound effects sells everything from enemy reactions to the new power-ups (Elephant,Bubble and Drill) to perfection. Meanwhile,a change in scenery – from the usual Mushroom Kingdom to the supposedly nearby Flower Kingdom – justifies hilarious new enemies,intriguingly different locations and surprising level mechanics.
But while all this would make for a solid 2D Mario on its own,the introduction of so-called Wonder Effects is what elevates the game. Finding and touching a Wonder Flower in each level warps the world unpredictably;oftentimes funny,sometimes challenging,usually completely cooked. Mario might be turned into a Goomba or stretched out into an uncomfortably tall man,huge raindrops you can swim through might fall slowly from the sky,or the whole scene could become an interactive opera.
Even the approach to difficulty is fresh. There are seven characters you can choose from who all play the same,or for an easier time there are five who do not take damage. Over time,you also unlock various badges with a range of effects,so an expert player can give themselves a more powerful spin jump,while someone who needs a hand with some of the trickier jumps can add extra blocks to every level.
An early Wonder Effect sees the familiar green pipes become strange worms.
Mario Wonder went straight to the top of the charts on release in some countries (and straight to number two underSpider-man in others),which is not surprising. In contrast to its days of fighting for supremacy with Sega,Nintendo today owns the most popular gaming console on the market,has carved out its own niche to separate it from Sony and Microsoft,and has an essentially flawless track record for publishing top-tier games over the past decade.
Part of this is down to its size — in a series of developer diaries the team behindSuper Mario Bros. Wonder say they had essentially unlimited time and budget to create the game — but it’s also in large part down to its culture.