Read time: 5 min.

I don’t know of a more beloved, iconic video game franchise than Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. The series follows plumbers Mario and Luigi as they embark on quests to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of the reptilian Koopa King, Bowser. The most recent entry, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, came out on October 20. It’s Mario’s weirdest adventure ever, and I fell in love after ten minutes at the controls. 

October has turned out to be my favorite month of 2023: a revival of my favorite TV show debuted on the twelfth, new studio albums from two of my favorite bands came out on the twentieth, and a fresh installment of my favorite video game series dropped out the same day. Indulge me, if you would: I’m reviewing them over the next few days. Read the rest of them here.

Mario has been featured in more than 200 games over the past forty years. Early Mario games were side-scrollers: the player moves him from left to right across the screen, leaping onto platforms and avoiding enemies and obstacles on his way to the end of each level. Subsequent Mario games take place in more complex three-dimensional environments, but Wonder returns to the traditional 2D layout I grew up with.

The game begins in the Flower Kingdom, a new setting for the series. Mario’s in town to see Prince Florian demonstrate the powers of the land’s magical Wonder Flowers. Unfortunately, Bowser interrupts the ceremony, steals the Wonder Flower, and uses it to fuse himself to the kingdom’s castle. Mario games have never put much effort into plot, but it’s up to you to save the day.

You’ll do so though a variety of biomes, but it’s evident that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is stuffed with gleeful joy from the get-go. I’ve never seen more hilarious animations in a Mario game! The plumber quickly grabs his hat before a pipe sucks him into another screen, and Elephant Mario -yes, Elephant Mario- stuffs himself into a tight tunnel. The animation quirks turn Mario Wonder into the game I imagined I was playing when I was a kid!

Those early Mario games of my youth deposited players into a hostile world without a hint of an objective. Beating the final levels in Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World involved incredible feats of timing and dexterity! 

Unfortunately, the difficulty curve is gentle in Wonder. Boss hitboxes are incredibly generous, background characters are talkative and spoilery, and there’s a lot of hand-holding through the first few worlds. I’m glad the game features tons of optional items to collect, which ramps up the challenge for a grizzled veteran like me. Snagging a special coin from atop a cascade of stampeding enemies in an early level was surprisingly hard! It took me right back to my salad days. 

On their own, the whimsical animations, Elephant Mario, and the challenging collect-a-thon would make for a decent Mario game. I’ve had my fill of perfunctory Mario sprints, though, and the Wonder Flowers lift Super Mario Bros. Wonder to the next level. There’s a Wonder Flower hidden in each level, and stumbling across it triggers something completely crazy. Pipes might curl up like inchworms, the screen may fill with water, or the camera shifts perspective. 

My favorite interaction happened early on when an entire troupe of enemies unexpectedly broke out into a choreographed song-and-dance routine! I’ve been a huge fan of the franchise for decades, but I’d never laughed out loud at a Mario game until Super Mario Bros. Wonder. That’s the moment I fell in love.

The ridiculous gameplay holds up beyond the gimmickry. Mario and his playable entourage are responsive, and they behave just like this old hand expects through Wonder‘s 152 levels. I wouldn’t say it’s better than the perfect 3D romp of Super Mario Odyssey, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a triumph.

Nintendo holds its cards close. After the resounding success of the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie, you could have forgiven them for playing it safe and releasing a by-the-book entry that catered to the multiplex audience. Instead, they went in the other direction. Mario fans like me are better for it, and I’m happy to award the weird and wacky Wonder nine out of ten red caps.

Screenshots from Mario Bros., Super Mario World, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder are copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. They are used solely to identify gameplay elements in the context of critical commentary. This should constitute a “fair use” referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.