Mario & Sonic: Wonderstars: Part 2: What a Wonderful Super Mario World

Super Mario Bros Wonder is a great game, no need to tell you that. But from my reaction to the game at first I wouldn’t have expected that let me tell you. When the game was first announced I had the exact same apathetic reaction I had with Sonic stinkerstars. Meaning that I did not care for the game at all, thinking it was just another 2D Mario game, the art style wasn’t my thing and nothing it really showed me while looked cool wasn’t anything that was gonna change my mind.

Then the direct hit.

The direct basically sold me on Wonder despite having a few gripes from what I was seeing. Nintendo had let the game cook and simmer for as long as it needed and we’re proud with what they made both from interviews and the game itself. Of course being proud of a game doesn’t mean anything if it isn’t any good but the fact they had no deadline and could do whatever they want with the game with anything showed me incredible promise.

And they did deliver.

I’m gonna structure this review slightly differently from the rest, I can easily say that “GOODS, THEN BADS” which would sell my thoughts on the game sure but I feel I want to go the extra mile and talk about the initial gripes I had with the game first then detail if they still exist or not. So without further ado, Let’sa go!

Wonder Problem 1: The Gentrification of Mario

It’s no secret why everyone went crazy over Wonder both post release and especially pre release was that it was breaking the New Super Mario Bros shackles of the same exact world theming, backgrounds actually looked detailed, they’re using advantage of the artstyle and all that jazz. For some reason when it was first revealed I didn’t like it, I found the artstyle was doubling down on the platiscally look the NSMB games coined essentially and the environments looked kinda the same but the bare minimum. Can I give myself a slap on the head from the past?

Super Mario Wonder feels fresh. It sorta does the same thing as Odyssey where each world theme isn’t super out of the ordinary for Mario, but it is enhanced both in terms of theming and the context of the world, which you can even see in the story. It’s nothing too out of the ordinary again but they went a lot further then I expected. Gone is the plot to rescue Peach or anyone for that fact, we’ve gone back to the Super Mario Land 2 era where we need to save stolen property. Each world has a contextual problem you need to solve after Bowser plans his “Big Wonder” after he turns into a castle. It’s not much but the extra unneeded touch makes Wonder more complete that it had any right it needed to be. It’s not as muc as Odyssey nor is it a game that actively tries to be a comedic story but it was charming, especially with the talking flowers.

That’s how I’d describe the game’s presentation, charming. Things that were just so straightforward in previous games such as going into pipes, doors, enemies hitting you etc now have so much life injected to them. The game’s environments and artstyle, while not my ideal and in terms of environments that could have gone further into the weird, are incredible. Gone are the boring samey backgrounds and now nearly everything single stage has a unique background and environment. In terms of music while I wouldn’t it’s the best of 2D Mario but it is still great, it definitely gets slightly repetitive with the Wonder flower theme playing almost nearly everytime and the athletic theme being used even more than the main defining theme, but I think even just the sound design which is completely different from other games and is excellent shows how this is, for better or worse, a big overcorrection of the New Super Mario Bros series, and that can be perfectly seen in my next pre Wonder problem

Wonder Problem 2: Variety Variety Variety!

One initial problem I had seeing the trailer was the Wonder flower, this gimmick to me seemed like variety for the sake of it instead of crafting actual good challenging platforming you can have some weird mini game intrusively tuning the flow of the game, like for instance later Yoshi games and how they’d abused the transformation gimmick, and even when the direct hit of me having a slightly more optimistic look on the game I couldn’t help but feel that variety was favoured of good level design and challenge especially with the new badge system , and I was kinda right but also insanely wrong.

First things first, the Badge system, You see, Mario Wonder only had 6 Power Ups, the 3 you’ve come familiar with like the Mushroom, Fire Flower and Star, with the new ones being the Elephant Apple which turns you into an Elephant which I’m sure is gonna spark an sexual awakening with a few people basically being a great melee weapon and can hold water, The Bubble Flower which is the Ice Flower but with Bubbles (Personally prefer the Ice Flower) and the Drill Mushroom which drills into the ground. I don’t think the Item game is particularly strong in this game or bad but it’s clear that the Badge system takes precedence.

You can equip one badge from three categories. Action Badges which basically add an additional movement option or enhance an ability, Boost Badges which basically make the game easier with more power-ups, a way to find hidden items and even a rhythm badge where you jump to the beat, which gets my Hi-fi Rush part of my brain go happy. Finally, you have the Expert Badges where there’s only four in the entire game but make the game harder, my preferred ones being the spring jump and Jet run. I think the Badge System is really only a cool idea that needs refining, I don’t think having say, two more Badge slots would hurt and maybe having more interesting badges wouldn’t hurt, I would rather have more Power-ups since there’s a lot more you can with that in terms of level design that’s not locked in with specific Badge challenges, but they’re cool.

But anyway, the gimmick of the Wonder Flower is at its core what I theorised, giving some variety and changes to a normal experience, the way they handle it is quite inconsistent, for one in some stages they give it and leave it in the open while others have you try and find it, all of which end by giving you a Wonder seed, the main collectible of the game. I’m happy to report that the Wonder effects never really angered me in my playthrough, not all of them were great but in a game like this where it is so easy to screw up these gimmicks it’s incredible there wasn’t a single one where I could say they sucked which again, surprises me. A lot of these gimmicks include transforming into creatures you’d see in the stage you’re playing akin to Super Mario Odyssey, or a status effect like Metal, P-Balloon, stretching ect. Oddly enough or “normally” my favourite and possibly the laziest one is making the core stage harder by reinforcing the gimmicks in that stage.

At this point, the Nintendo formula of 2D or even just linear stages used in verbatim especially in the New Super Mario Bros series, where a stage introduces a gimmick and that gimmick gradually gets harder and more difficult /involved, especially when extra items/goodies are here in the case of this game with Wonder Flowers, Purple Coins and secret exits. I don’t think this formula is bad per say it’s great when put to use see in the Retro Donkey Kong games and outside of the Nintendo sphere and Ubiart Rayman games but I feel this sorta creeps in the issue with the Wonder flower.

Some stages in this game, are innanely short without the gimmick and even with them they don’t feel, not undercooked but missing something? Like I feel this problem comes apparent in the later two worlds discounting Bowser’s Castle, it feels like this game wanted to do a lot more in terms of it level design which as it is is really good but take a game like 3D World, Tropical Freeze and especially Galaxy 2 for instance, those games feel like with each level they really wanted to fully challenge the player with its gimmicks and level design they both worked hand in hand with each other and it’s not like Wonder doesn’t have that in fact there’s a good attempt here with the Break Time stages which are short challenge stages and especially the Badge challenges, but usually the gimmicks have presendance over the level design in some cases, it’s not enough to make it a major problem but it’s just enough where becomes odd, maybe it’s because the game is quite new but there’s just a good chunk of levels even with the Wonder flower that I completely forget and I don’t care for, which again may be because it’s new but then again, a game like Odyssey, Galaxy 2 or hell even Mario Maker 2’s story mode with limited with spectacle it is for instance I can still remember almost every moment of the first magical of those games but with Winder while moments of those shine, it in cases more than not feels like the New Super Mario Bros games where the levels are of good and but inconsistent quality.

Despite this however, I do think the Wonder flower is a welcome addition to the game, it helps break the pacing of platforming in unique despite a few missteps in making the base level a bit lacking, hell you can even skip most of the Wonder flowers though I probably think that the seed limit maybe damper that tangible goal.

Wonder Problem 3: I Ordered challenge in my Mario Game!

Sadly, while a lot of my initial worries of how the Game’s variety was handled were elevated somewhat, my issues with how the difficulty was handled, was sadly kinda proven right. My worry was that the game wouldn’t be that challenging. HOWEVER, that’s not really a big issue since the game is already interesting enough to keep my attention, but I think being a slight bit harder would have elevated the game a lot, it’s like a spice to me. The food doesn’t need it but it can help a lot by elevating the whole experience.

This is possible due to how the game is structured, the game has a large interconnected world like Mario World but every once and again you return to the Petal Isles, which is a cool idea as a recurring beach location. Hell one of my favourite backgrounds had Bowser just floating there, menacingly. I feel where issues arise are the last two worlds discounting the castle since you can choose what world you want to play, and It kinda just feels like the same level of difficulty throughout the game kinda. Wonder really didn’t have a big rise in terms of challenge unless we’re counting the obvious Special World akin to Mario World, and even that had the super difficult ending level that every Mario game has coined being the first 2D Mario game to have it, but again despite this issue with the challenge, the game does remain fun and interesting throughout, Especially with the break time and Badge levels, then the bosses come in.

Good lord, It felt like apart from the first and last world, every world in this game felt off to end on, like something was missing. We’ve returned back to the Super Mario Bros 1 days of one character being the only boss throughout the entire game, this being Bowser Jr. His bosses are fine but like, feel like Tower bosses which are absent in this game. And I know the criticism of “But the bosses in 2D Mario weren’t ever interesting” comes to light but, that’s not an excuse. Wonder does a lot to fix issues relating to the core 2D Mario formula, why couldn’t bosses be a part of that? Interesting enough the game basically had “We’ll release when we feel it’s ready” approach which is incredibly based but I’m starting to the doubt that notion with the bosses and certain more minor details. Like are you seriously telling me that they couldn’t have figured out any boss ideas for this game when there’s supposedly a trilogy worth of things on the cutting board, even the final boss has the trademark “Nintendo floating head and hands” thing that’s basically become somewhat infamous, it’s a good fight and eaisly the best in the game, but I’m sorry to say that nearly every single New Super Mario Bros final boss apart from DS has it beat out.

In summary, while too me this is sorta Wonder’s biggest issue, it’s and issue that doesn’t really fully effect that whole experience, like I said, it’s the spice of a game and more specifically a platformer to me. Add too much without moderation or a care and it feels trusting or unenjoyable, add too little and it feels noticeably lacking

Wonder Problem 4: Friends with Benefits

The final Pre-Wonder problem I was sensing was multiplayer, both in terms of how it was implemented and how it would effect the wider ecosystem of the game. Each New Super Mario Bros game felt like it had a different effect to the multiplayer, DS didn’t have it and opposed for the awesome Mario Vs Luigi star battle mode, Wii was the first Mario to have 4 Player co-op which sadly while I like Wii hindered it’s potential as a game in both ways, there wasn’t enough precautions to make the multiplayer as chaotic as it was and in terms of a single player campaign, the level design while enjoyable had a ton of empty and large space in a lot of its levels, made Yoshi into a stage only gimmick, bosses being dumbed down to fit all 4 Players. I could go on. 2 focused on 2 players with a camera system that doesn’t make all too much sense since both people have their own screens and discounting that the level design of 2 didn’t feel intended for Co-op do it does feel a tad bit unnatural and U despite being so derivative might have struck an excellent balanace between providing great single player action and multiplayer mayhem which can be extended to 3D World.

Wonder isn’t anything new, the multiple item boxes and crown from 3D World is brought back and now acts as a camera and the bubble system has been replaced with the ghost where players now have to actively save the person. I feel the biggest issue with the slightly revamped system is the lack of collision between players.

You see, if you live in a big family like me where half the people don’t even know what a Mario is and your parents force you to play with them, it’s bound to put you in a bad mood, so you wanna get it done quickly. With every single game discounting the handheld ones (?), Collision was big factor working together or against your perrs. And I really miss it here. A lot of the times in games where a little kid was playing carrying basically allowed you to have a good enough experience while having fun and that being good feels off? Like I’m really wondering if this did influence the design of the levels and game that radically for it to be removed. But other than that, I guess it’s fun, Mario multiplayer wasn’t always a super big deal for me it was more of an neat little add-on.

This would be where this ends if it wasn’t for the fact that Wonder has online! The online led to some cute interactions but was fine overall. Unlike Maio Maker 2 where the multiplayer is fun as hell but is a Russian roulette if it works or not, the online is pretty consistent but definitely not game changing, I think a few more modes and such would have made this at least more worth it to me.

Whoa Mario, That was really Super Mario Bros Wonder

Despite my few gripes with the game, Super Mario Wonder is a damn good game that too me, is similar to Odyssey. It’s a game that gets a lot right and at its core is good, but with a few touch ups and a slight challenge increase could be one of the greats, but both games along with Bowser’s Fury show a promising future ahead for mainline Mario, a genre that was already unnaturally consistent but somewhat lacking, but for what it is, Super Mario Wonder despite not being my favourite 2D Platformer, is an impeccably well made and fun time.

Mario and Sonic: Wonderstars: Part 1 A Mid Miracle

Finally, after a decade, Sega releases a new Episode in the Sonic 4 saga! Easily the best episode in the game!

Sonic Superstars is a game that exists, it is a game that I played and consumed. But honestly? I am kinda disappointed. From my last review I was tired of the franchise as a whole, I wanted to take a long sleep/break from new content of the franchise and blissfully reminisce about the better past. If was tired then I have insomnia now.

I am sorry people, as a person who has reviewed all the major Classic Sonic games on my account and as a Sonic fan, this game was mid sadly. This is the bare minimum, we are in was is possibly one of the most packed months in gaming with the Plumber launching his new wonderful game in a few days and Insomiac dropping the first PS5 game meanwhile Sonic is just, slacking. I knew it wasn’t gonna match up to those but I at least expected something as least as good as Mania, and I got the most game of all time.

I wasn’t really hyped for Superstars when it was announced, Naota Oshima being back was a nice surprise I suppose but the company (Arzest) wasn’t making me impressed at all with any of the new things they cooked in this game, it all felt like slob to me. Nothing I can say is PEAK nor I can i see is bad which is what most sonic is blah blah blah we get the point I’m old and out of touch and Sonic bad we get it, but in truth, Superstars isn’t bad, it’s not good either.

When the game leaked and people started playing it myself including, I was completely baffled by both sides of the debate, the mindless Twitter drones yelling “PEAK PEAK” and getting pissed at 7/10’s, fine scores for this game, meanwhile the other crowd calling the game one of the worst Sonic games. And yet at the same time, I sorta understood, it was weird but Superstars to me, is what Sonic 4 Episode 2 is. A game that I played and exists.

I don’t want to do a Super in depth look like I did with previous games where I go through all the zones and shit for reasons I’ll get into, but Superstars is exactly what you expect when “New 2.5D Classic Sonic game” comes into you’re head, maybe in 2013 that would be somewhat cool, but we are in 2023. We’ve seen this done so many times and a lot better, it’s not far off from Mega Man 11 but 11 is one of the best entires in the series with tight design despite the double gear system being similar to what this game introduces, but Superstars doesn’t really do anything more worthy both good and bad, it’s kinda just meh.

I really don’t know what to start with this game, there’s no real strong positives or things that really stick out for me as genuinely awful. Superstars is competent but doesn’t aspire to be anything more.

The story is fine, but they drop everything it sets up so abruptly it’s kinda funny. The level design, is fine but then it nose dives into quality so hard. There were no levels that made go “FUCK YEAH THIS SHIT WAS FIRE 🔥 🔥🔥” or “HOLY SHIT THIS WAS GARBAGE 💩💩💩” the themes are fine, they are not great by any means but they look colourful and vibrant enough, it’s enough to be new but not enough to be great. And the gimmicks range from fine to midly annoying and aren’t as fun as anything from the original games. Stages don’t have a clear philosophy or goal like other games and feel cobbled together, especially with how secrets are handled especially since there’s no Elemental shields. A lot of them are just, out in the open, there’s no challenge to find the special stage rings. Speaking of, the Special Stages in this game are fine, they feel kinda weird, in a game where the physics are on point but here they feel stilted and awkward, they’re all the same level of challenge, kinda annoying.

The music is both PEAK and MID, they’re really inconsistent, as they use different sound fonts. The steller Mania and the poundshop Sonia 4 sound font are both used, the compositions are not bad and there are some bangers, but there are just some tracks that do not sound good at all.

The characters, play fantastic, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles all play like they did in Mania and feels so fun to play and Amy while they’re still having trouble to finding her footing as the 4th member of Team Sonic is fun in this game, and Trip (I’m not even gonna bother spoiling this review it’s not worth it) is a worthwhile wild card addition to the game.

The Emerald Powers are awful, they feel either overpowered or superfluous and don’t add much to the game, which is bad because this is the big thing about the game, the big selling point and it’s just kinda meh. This isn’t like the Wisps, Wonder flower or the Double Gear system where it fundamentally changes the game and how you approach it thus enhancing it, it’s kinda just there but thank god some of them are insanely over powered because good lord the bosses.

This is the one of the only things that does Superstars poorly. the bosses are so abysmally bad and boring that it’s insulting, too much waiting, stop and go and don’t feel satisfying to fight or even cheese with the Emerald Powers, the final few bosses especially pissed me the fuck off.

As I near to this ramble ass review about an old 17 year old boy ranting about a blue hedgehog game I really wonder to myself, Sonic Superstars has nothing apart from supposedly mediocre Co-op and is laughably priced as much as Tears if the Kingdom here (£70!). Everything it attempts has been done better by other better games, a retro revival with new fun twists? Mania has you covered, A game with fun Co-op? the Rivals games and the new SA1 Online mod , 2.5D Graphics? Generations runs literal circles around it with how it’s uses it and aesthetically. A game that has a new twist and enhances the experience? Advance 3. All of these games aren’t perfect to varying degrees, but all of them have something, Superstars doesn’t. It’s a game hindered by it’s gimmicks such as with multiplayer that it leads to a worse experience. But in spite it all, it’s game that I don’t really hate? I had some fun with it but it’s really not a game that I want to go back to, the only 2D games that is worse than this in my opinion is Chaotix, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and Advance 2.

Say what you want about the series, but the series 2D offerings are some of the best in the business, right up there with Mario and Mega Man. They are consistent, fun, exciting, thrilling, exhilarating and always offer something new, to the point where the surpass Mario and Mega Man in some cases due to their series stagnation at points, each 2D game evolved the formula in a natural and compelling way, even games I don’t love as much like CD, Mania and Colours DS at least have that special sauce that made those games, special! CD has its incredible aesthetics, Mania had that nostalgia and twist factor and DS has the Wisps and such. Superstars only aspires to be an unambitious 2D Sonic game, the same games that Mario and Mega Man ran into and have over come and I hope Sonic does to, unless, safe to say my fail safe for the widely inconsistent franchise, will cease. Anyway, I am still tired, I desperately want to go to sleep, but my insomnia is still present, a shame…