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StarTopic Super Mario Bros. Wonder |ST| It’s a Wonderful Extra Life

chocolate_supra said:
What bugs me about Elephant Mario is that there weren't other animal transformations. It felt like they were laying the groundwork for something bigger that just didn't happen, so the Elephant transformation ended up feeling weirdly out of place.
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To me I kinda took it as other animal or extreme transformations may occur in the future. Ya know, like the Elephant opened that door of possibility?
 
Soul Skater said:
Really, it's quite unfortunate that the NSMB games were just so dire, so lacking and so painfully boring and stale in regards to their entire package with their art style and presentation; because how good the level design was I think has been overlooked. I don't believe we would be hearing pretty unanimous "best 2D Mario since the SNES" as much as we have because this to me feels far behind U in a lot more categories than advertised.

Like sure, I'm glad we finally have a 2D Mario with more bold design presentation than a licensed brand T-Shirt you'd find at Target but I don't think that alone compensates for some of the stuff that really I think a 2D Mario game should have been much better at.
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I actually want to push back against this, because I think the problem with NSMBU comes down to more than just presentation.

It's part of it, absolutely. Leaning so heavily on the mold set by NSMB and heavily reusing NSMBWii music, especially when NSMB2 did much of the same just a few months prior, robs the title (and the subfranchise) of a better sense of identity. But it's not just the graphics and sound that feel derivative - it's the levels, too. Sometimes you get a Waddlewing, or a Fliprus, or a Dragoneel, and those new enemies or course elements make for interesting and engaging levels. But NSMBU suffers because it has so many courses that feel derivative of ideas from NSMBWii.

Let's talk enemies. Their use as one-off mechanics is pretty common across modern Mario, and it makes for some pretty memorable levels. Super Mario Bros. Wonder excels at this, using a boatload of new enemies with neat mechanics across a couple of levels each. But how does NSMBU do at that? Well we got a few bangers. Fliprus, Dragoneel, Waddlewing, Grroll, these are some pretty solid additions, and we got some simple variants on older enemies and some returning folks like Sumo Bros or Bony Beetles. Good to see those again, I'll take those for sure. But there's also so many levels that simply...use a NSMBWii concept as a one-off level again. One off Cooligan level in Wii? There's one in U, too. One off Bramball level? That's in both games as well. How about Pokeys, or Huckit Crabs, or Big Wigglers, or Para-Beetles, or King Bills, or Foos, or many different enemies. Ideas in U are presented and used at a near identical rate to Wii, often at the same or similar points in the game.

I can extend this to other level mechanics too. Tilting crystals in an underground setting? That's World 1-2 in both games. Sand Geysers in the desert? Okay, we'll do that again, and also there's a water version now. Lights out desert level with fiery enemies? Sure, let's do that again, I guess a glowing Baby Yoshi makes it distinct...enough. Lights out underwater level? Okay, do that again with the same enemies being used to light the way. Peach's Castle is taken over by Bowser, unique idea for a final world? Alright, let's use the lava gimmicks from the other games and slightly tweak the volcanic debris mechanic and call it a day. You like the Bonecoaster from Wii, that nice one off level? Okay, let's do that one again twice. Lots of the same ideas and concepts from Wii with not too many to call its own.

Now, to give credit to NSMBU, it often does use some of these mechanics more thoroughly than NSMBWii does. I think about the Hammer Pendulums or Cheep Chomps, gimmicks used very briefly in NSMBWii that make for full World 9 levels in NSMBU. The Lifted Lift level in U mixes Wii's ash gimmick and the Magmaws enemy to remix an older idea. Or how about the early Yoshi level in Acorn Plains that also uses the rolling ground mechanic from Wii? There's a nice combination of older ideas.But that's the thing - they're older ideas. U uses world ideas from Wii, a near identical world order from Wii, music from Wii, powers from Wii, enemy and level gimmicks from Wii, all to a wild degree, after Wii already lifted a lot from DS and 2 lifted a lot from Wii and DS just a few months prior. While still a solid game in its own right, and a really good 2D Mario in a vacuum, I find it difficult to separate NSMBU from all of the things that it lifts from its predecessors, more than just the visuals.

In that respects, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a 180. The same great base physics, but clarified and enhanced with stellar animation work. There are just as many new enemies as there are returning ones, used in several creative ways for some really fun levels, not to mention the Wonder Effects. World tropes remix the familiar in fresh ways, supported by broader world maps packed with main and bonus levels. The power up selection brings back only the core SMB powers but has a robust set of three powers, not to mention a badge system to make the game as easy or as difficult as you want it to be.

Yes, NSMBU is a harder game. Yes, it has a wider boss variety, and more secret exits, and the challenge mode, and more of a raw "challenge", and I understand why that may make it the better game for some. But much of the excitement of that game is dulled for me because it cribs so much of its identity from the rest of its subseries. Not everything lands in Wonder, but from its creative enemies to its many Wonder Effects to its excellently well-rounded power set, it is the breath of fresh air that was sorely needed for this franchise, and that's what makes this the best 2D Mario since the SNES for me.

Don't take this as me going off on you or anything, I just have a lot of thoughts, haha.
 
I haven’t finished World 6 yet but I did complete it’s special world stage, so now I’m trying to decide if I want to try and beat the Wonder Gauntlet before finishing World 6 and I assume proceeding to the end of the game, or wait until afterwards for it.
 
Update: Rolled credits, gonna do some clean up and the Wonder Gauntlet later.

The Sheer Audacity of making the Final Boss a Nintendo Head and Floating Hands Boss.
 
I fully completed everything but the Final-Final Test, which I have been bashing my head against for the last two hours!!

Honestly the Spring Jump section is a nightmare and I feel like I’m becoming the joker in real time. The worst part is I already know there’s an Invisibility section is coming up that sounds impossible but I don’t even know if I’ll be able to get there 😭

edit: apologies to @WestEgg I didn’t mean to quote your post!
 
I fully completed everything including the FInal-Final Test, which I beat today!!

I had a huge advantage that I did it together with my brother though, I think it took us about 1 and a half hour in the end. It was a fun level though, and required some good cooperation. Onlu bummer(?) is that Nintendo forgot to remove the crown when you have the invincibility badge in multiplayer. It's basically without effect, as the leading player can always see where they are. I think it would have been better if they removed the crown for that badge, it's a badge for more experienced players anyway so I'm sure they can make-do without the crown.

All in all, absolutely adored the game, it's my GotY in this absolutely stacked year. I'd have liked a new-game plus mode where you start with all the badges though. For example, then an all-jump playthrough could be possible. I feel like Nintendo should utilize new-game plus more in general. They have been improving the replayability of their games a lot lately, so it's a bummer they have not heard about new-game plus yet. Pikmin 4 had the same issue where you got some great items relatively late-game so you couldn't really use them as much as you'd like.
 
Completed all 6 worlds! Had to go back to find a few missing 10-purple coins. I think it's just the Bowser level and the final-final special stage left, but I can only reiterate what most of you said. It's incredibly fun to play, charming, no really bad level, cool new ideas and enemies. A tad easy (or we're just better gamers?). I expected World 6 to be more challenging, but didn't see a huge difficulty spike. Ironically, I had a bit of a hard time at the beginning after not having played a 2D Mario in years.

I hope the wonder effects are here to stay, same for the badges. And the talking flowers, please.

Gonna finish this tomorrow, if the final-final test lets me!
 
And that's it. 100%, all medals. Just over 20 hours. Definitely in my top 3 games of the year.

The final levels before Bowser were a breeze, and the harder the Final-Final-Test with the badges hit. Took me 3 hours and was a bit exhausted at the end. It was a nice challenge besides the spring feet and the invisibility sections. I had to retry the parts before them so often they became just muscle memory in the end.

The next game needs to build more stages around specific gimmicks like the badges and wonder effects without compromise. That and being more creative with the bosses is what I'd like to see in future games.
 
Bokuringo said:
I had to retry the parts before them so often they became just muscle memory in the end
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Yeah I kinda wish there was a checkpoint right before the last part of that level, I had to take a break in the middle of playing it because going through the three other challenges became so routine that my attention began to wander, to Mario’s dismay.
 
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wow, the flag pole in the Final-Final was really really frickin’ cruel. I’ll have to settle with a 99.9% completion with this one, because there’s no way I’m doing all that again.

Edit 2 hours later: Okay, I went back and did it. Like previously mentioned, it’s actually kinda fun once you have it pretty much memorized - except the invisibility part, screw that. Totally worth it for this bizarre final badge. Now I want to make all my friends play the game with this badge without any context.
 
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I just wanted to pop in and say I adored my time with this.

2D Mario has never captured my imagination in the same way his best 3D efforts have, and while I still yearn for the latter, this game was delightful.

It’s stuffed full of the imagination, creativity and variety that’s been sorely missing from 2D Mario for a long time in my opinion.

I can’t tell you how happy I was to see the team move away from all the tried and true worlds and go in a different direction.

There‘s so many one-off sections with cool ideas - badges were a great addition too.

3D Mario has been serving up genre-defining classics for a long time and this is absolutely a top tier 2D effort.

It’s my favourite 2D Mario by a distance.
 
Tanooki said:
wow, the flag pole in the Final-Final was really really frickin’ cruel. I’ll have to settle with a 99.9% completion with this one, because there’s no way I’m doing all that again.

Edit 2 hours later: Okay, I went back and did it. Like previously mentioned, it’s actually kinda fun once you have it pretty much memorized - except the invisibility part, screw that. Totally worth it for this bizarre final badge. Now I want to make all my friends play the game with this badge without any context.
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You encouraged me to go back and do it after I also decided to stop at 99.99% completion. Luckily I befriended a great Toadette and Red Yoshi who stuck with me throughout it.
 
Ngl, I used the string trick in the invisibility section. Just hang a string where Mario stays in the middle of the screen, it will trivialize that section.

I have no regrets, the rest of the level was fun to master, but that last part was bs.
 
Leo said:
Ngl, I used the string trick in the invisibility section. Just hang a string where Mario stays in the middle of the screen, it will trivialize that section.
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Just completed Final Final. Twice, because the first time I didn't get the gold flagpole.

Feels good. Really lost hope for quite a few moments (really, I had already given up and was just running down my lives while waiting for something irl).


This was my first 2D Mario since World, and my first 2D platformer since Donkey Kong Country 3.
Loved it, so much fun, bursting with creativity.
But it really struck me how short the levels were. I suppose they were always short, but modern gaming has just changed since then? I remember the 120 second timer in the old games, and I remember that timer being a total non-factor.

Still, it felt like the ideas were barely explored. It's interesting to be feeling this while there's a thread on here about repeated content.. i would have welcomed plenty of repeated content just so I could explore the mechanics more thoroughly!
Thinking about it, I would have liked an approach similar to the shrines in Breath of the Wild, where you can get to the exit easy enough, but the real challenge would be getting the chests. And those chests would often involve entire other sections, harder variations of the main path of the shrine. You know, a whole optional level-after-the-level. The purple coins didn't really scratch that itch for me, and the wonder seed effects were just parts of the level to me (I swear some of the levels would be 30-second run throughs without them).
 
Finally started playing this a few days ago.

I find it mind-blowing that some people thinking this is just another 'New' game. I genuinely don't understand that line of thinking.

Anyway having a great time. So much fun. My only negative is I was kind of hoping for a bit more 'platforming', at least challenging platforming but maybe that will come later. Currently at the start of World 3.
 
Hocot8 said:
To me I kinda took it as other animal or extreme transformations may occur in the future. Ya know, like the Elephant opened that door of possibility?
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Yeah, I remember back then a lot of people hoping for different animal power-ups for different characters, but then it’s elephant for everyone.

Also if there is to be a significant update to this game later at some point, they should add some kind of “Prince Florian’s Journal” feature in which he chronicles the whole story so far as you progress through the game.
And lists everything in the game, every character, enemy, item, the works; all with descriptions written by Florian.
(Most of us would have this all down already, but I guess it all rides on how much more the game is selling by then)
 
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We love advanced techniques!



A video of FlySMM performing a midair spin while crouching before uncrouching midair and performing a spin boost.

"A recurring theme of various badges is that duck jumping is a nice way of performing a normal twirl before using the badge ability. For example, I would normally boost right away here, but I can save that for later by duckjumping first."
 
Trying to 100% as best I can and already I can tell it's going to be a blast- some of these hidden aspects in a level are really great "ah-ha!" moments, even as I chart World 2.

This is also the game to convince me to finally check out one of those 8bitdo SNES-like controllers, I crave the D-PAD for this game like no other yet! I feel it will really get me in my groove.

What a game!
 
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A bit late on this one. Just beat world 3 but to my dismay I gotta admit I'm really not loving it so far. Feels like the focus is purely on unique and varied level design to the detriment of the actual platforming. Very much the Odyssey of 2D Mario, but that game had a lot more going for it.
 
Wockio said:
A bit late on this one. Just beat world 3 but to my dismay I gotta admit I'm really not loving it so far. Feels like the focus is purely on unique and varied level design to the detriment of the actual platforming. Very much the Odyssey of 2D Mario, but that game had a lot more going for it.
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Don't really agree here. Both this and Odyssey have a great amount of platforming.
 
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It's the Odyssey of 2D Mario in that both are great games but neither are the best in their series ;)
 
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Wockio said:
A bit late on this one. Just beat world 3 but to my dismay I gotta admit I'm really not loving it so far. Feels like the focus is purely on unique and varied level design to the detriment of the actual platforming. Very much the Odyssey of 2D Mario, but that game had a lot more going for it.
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Try the secret levels
 
MondoMega said:
Some neat official self-imposed challenges (and videos of said challenges):

https://www.nintendo.com/jp/topics/article/2c59f3fd-96a3-4d74-97e0-9e8ded48f46f

They're very aware of how broken bubble is at least, lol.

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Second batch of these now. The five-star difficult ones especially are pretty wild.

www.nintendo.com

挑戦者求む。ワンダーチャレンジスペシャル～その2～【ワンダーの世界へ Vol.18】 | トピックス | Nintendo

Nintendo Switchソフト『スーパーマリオブラザーズ ワンダー』について、いろんなテーマでご紹介する「ワンダーの世界へ」。第18回となる今回の記事では、第17回に続いて、
www.nintendo.com www.nintendo.com

Never would've thought this is something the game allows you to do lol.

 
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