Super Mario Bros Wonder lands 90+ Metacritic score with first reviews
Super Mario Bros Wonder has landed a very strong Metacritic score.
Nintendo's poster boy is back with another flagship 2D platformer, with new twists on the gameplay allowing our heroes to turn into elephants, capture enemies in bubbles, and more.
Ahead of the game's release on Nintendo Switch this Friday (October 20), reviews have appeared online today (October 18). At the time of writing, 76 reviews are collected with the scores coming out at an average of 93, making it one of the highest rated games of the year.
Let's see what the reviews have said.
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Digital Spy - 3.5/5
"Wonder is at its best to play when it takes full advantage of Mario's moveset — and there is a surprising number of new moves introduced from badges. Each badge, when equipped, gives Mario a unique ability. Some are not very noteworthy, like getting extra coins. However, by far the best badges are the ones that enhance Mario's mobility options...
"[However,] Wonder is too disjointed to be considered a classic, often not making the most out of its best ideas. Its scatterbrained approach and the over-reliance on gimmicks needed to have been reined in a little."
Video Games Chronicle - 5/5
Wonder is a game that feels like it’s had so much more love invested into its mechanics and presentation than previous 2D series entries, and that alone makes it a triumph. This does come with some inevitable signs of compromise in the overall structure – boss encounters and unlockable surprises feel fairly slim – but this is a small price to pay for what’s overall the most stylish and inventive Mario side-scroller in decades.
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IGN - 9/10
"Super Mario Bros Wonder establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like. It is colorful, it is alive, and it is joyful. It also managed to surprise and delight me in continually more creative ways thanks to its unpredictable Wonder Effects, which transform levels into something completely different for a brief while. Like dessert in the middle of the main course of each stage, they were irresistible and always put a smile on my face – as did the absolute beast that is Elephant Mario."
Metro - 5/5
"Ultimately, the only real flaw with Super Mario Bros Wonder is that at one point it will end (there’s plenty of post-game content though and it’s highly replayable, especially in multiplayer). It absolutely deserves to be talked about in the same breath as Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World and is a stunning achievement of imagination, perfectly hewn gameplay mechanics, and good old fashioned Nintendo surrealism.
"Despite being the latest entry in an almost 40-year-old franchise its greatest achievement is that you never know what’s going to happen next… and are always charmed and amazed when you find out."
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GameSpot - 9/10
"Mario Wonder rises to the challenge and the result is a modern classic. The Wonder effects are the marquee feature, and for good reason, as they serve as a springboard for a cornucopia of creativity. But it's the smart and thoughtful choices around new power-ups, badges, online multiplayer, and visual flair that cement it in Mario canon. This is the rightful successor to Super Mario World, and hopefully, will serve as a touchstone for 2D Mario going forward."
TheGamer - 4/5
"There are moments in Super Mario Bros. Wonder where my mouth was left agape at all the creativity on display. Daisy picked up a Wonder Flower as she let out a mix of cute gasps and delighted shouts, watching as the world around her transformed into a palette of reality-bending attractions only possible in this illustrious new kingdom.
"I may change into a Goomba or be inflated like a balloon before floating into the air, or even become a moving blob that can stick to walls and suck up enemies with my gelatinous form. Every level can drop your jaw to the floor, but the blueprint piecing it together feels so archaic."
VG247 - 5/5
"Super Mario Wonder is a fairly difficult game to criticize, honestly. One could criticize its scope, I suppose? In terms of full-size levels, it's a tad smaller than an equivalent [New Super Mario Bros] game, but has more small challenge-like levels. But I think that's fine, honestly...
"The weakest element of the title is probably its boss design, which is repetitive and rote. But it's also fair to note that Mario has never been particularly good at boss fight design."
"Mechanically, this is still 100% the Mario you know and love, it's just never looked or felt quite this slick before. The way characters transition between moves, transform into various guises, bound across enemy heads, and swing over gaps — it's deliciously slick stuff.
"There's a level of polish here that ensures you never need to second guess the controls or level design (they're flawless); where every failure belongs to you; and where repeating and re-running areas never feels like a chore."
Super Mario Bros Wonder is out on October 20 for Nintendo Switch.
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