Upon watching the first trailer that people were hyping like there's no tomorrow, I was unsure whether a new Mario game would actually hold my attention these days, especially in a world full of independent games that regularly introduce new ideas and movement options to the genre. Luckily, my hesitation was unfounded.
Pros:
+ general audio-visual impression is of the highest caliber
+ movement feels satisfying and tightly designed
+ open world design is a fresh approach
+ the time limit has finally been abandoned
+ Wonder Flowers are a distinct hook that feel like a true innovation
+ new level types like time trials and coin hunts freshen up the gameplay
+ levels that play with perspective and shadows are particularly clever
+ the general sound design is top notch
+ sensor batch makes the coin hunt less frustrating than ever
+ the final levels are hard to throw-the-controller hard, as is tradition
+ the final boss is a welcome break with tradition
+ a complete playthrough clocks in at at least 20 hours
+ the new transformations like the bubble suit offer new, useful actions...
Cons:
- ...but the elephant transformation is a letdown and adds little to Mario's repertoire
- the life system still makes no sense and is anachronistic
- the new music tracks are pretty disappointing and forgettable...
- and the music levels are directly lifted from the 2D Rayman games
- except for the easy mode characters, characters have no unique features
- badges feel like afterthoughts and are not integral to the gameplay
- most levels feel too short and hide very few secret exits
- the general difficulty is too low for my liking
- Wonder Flower use sometimes makes backtracking through levels necessary
- the reward for 100% completion is the usual Nintendo bullshit
Playtime: 23 hours with 100% completion, with at least 3-4 hours of those devoted to only the final level. Single player only, 80% of time spent with Mario because it doesn't matter anyway.
Magic Moments: Changing from the foreground to the background for the first time. Searching for hidden coins in a break level and finally finding one after much deliberation. Getting the right rhythm down in the final boss fight and overcoming the seriously difficult final-final level.
Verdict:
It's been 11 years since the last original 2D Mario title, and the team behind Wonder have clearly spent more than enough time with brainstorming unique ideas. The amount of creative approaches found in each level exemplify a developing team firing on all cylinders, and except for the age-old coin hunt, there is rarely a dull moment to be found. However, Wonder is not a revolution to the series - you are still running rom left to right, collecting coins and jumping on the heads of enemies to reach a definitve end goal and being rewarded for it, like you have been doing since the 80s. In that sense, Wonder is an evolutionary step instead of a real reinvention, and the new badge system, which actually changes how Mario moves and approaches challenges, are merely optional instead of being integral to the gameplay.
Still, this is a fun collection of levels full of wonder that adds to the great Nintendo releases of this year and you cannot really afford to miss if you own a Switch.
Pros:
+ general audio-visual impression is of the highest caliber
+ movement feels satisfying and tightly designed
+ open world design is a fresh approach
+ the time limit has finally been abandoned
+ Wonder Flowers are a distinct hook that feel like a true innovation
+ new level types like time trials and coin hunts freshen up the gameplay
+ levels that play with perspective and shadows are particularly clever
+ the general sound design is top notch
+ sensor batch makes the coin hunt less frustrating than ever
+ the final levels are hard to throw-the-controller hard, as is tradition
+ the final boss is a welcome break with tradition
+ a complete playthrough clocks in at at least 20 hours
+ the new transformations like the bubble suit offer new, useful actions...
Cons:
- ...but the elephant transformation is a letdown and adds little to Mario's repertoire
- the life system still makes no sense and is anachronistic
- the new music tracks are pretty disappointing and forgettable...
- and the music levels are directly lifted from the 2D Rayman games
- except for the easy mode characters, characters have no unique features
- badges feel like afterthoughts and are not integral to the gameplay
- most levels feel too short and hide very few secret exits
- the general difficulty is too low for my liking
- Wonder Flower use sometimes makes backtracking through levels necessary
- the reward for 100% completion is the usual Nintendo bullshit
Playtime: 23 hours with 100% completion, with at least 3-4 hours of those devoted to only the final level. Single player only, 80% of time spent with Mario because it doesn't matter anyway.
Magic Moments: Changing from the foreground to the background for the first time. Searching for hidden coins in a break level and finally finding one after much deliberation. Getting the right rhythm down in the final boss fight and overcoming the seriously difficult final-final level.
Verdict:
It's been 11 years since the last original 2D Mario title, and the team behind Wonder have clearly spent more than enough time with brainstorming unique ideas. The amount of creative approaches found in each level exemplify a developing team firing on all cylinders, and except for the age-old coin hunt, there is rarely a dull moment to be found. However, Wonder is not a revolution to the series - you are still running rom left to right, collecting coins and jumping on the heads of enemies to reach a definitve end goal and being rewarded for it, like you have been doing since the 80s. In that sense, Wonder is an evolutionary step instead of a real reinvention, and the new badge system, which actually changes how Mario moves and approaches challenges, are merely optional instead of being integral to the gameplay.
Still, this is a fun collection of levels full of wonder that adds to the great Nintendo releases of this year and you cannot really afford to miss if you own a Switch.