Summary
- The innovative mechanics and gameplay of Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be adapted for future Mario titles, potentially providing a big selling point.
- The online co-op feature in Super Mario Bros. Wonder promotes cooperation among players and could be a useful addition to Super Mario Odyssey 2.
- Implementing the co-op features of Super Mario Bros. Wonder into Super Mario Odyssey 2 would be a winning combination, if the developers can make it work in a three-dimensional space.
One aspect of Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be the key to giving a Super Mario Odyssey s equel a boost over its predecessor. Although the two games have markedly different styles, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has plenty that could translate well to the other series. After all, both games are platformers, and the Mario series has frequently shown a knack for innovation from one installment to the next. For that reason, it's not so hard to imagine a mechanic or two from Super Mario Bros. Wonder making the jump. In fact, it could be a big selling point.
After seeing how Super Mario Bros. Wonder's gimmicks helped the game, the series looks to be as strong as ever. Of course, the game's signature Wonder Flower provided a lot of flashy and exciting stages, but the solid gameplay underneath helped to make the whole experience worthwhile. It was a game that tried several things for the series, from adding new power-ups to inventing entirely new mechanics. Most of the game's innovations turned out well, making Mario's triumphant return to 2D platforming a resounding success. While some ideas from Super Mario Bros. Wonder may stay in the past, others could be adapted for future titles.
How Super Mario Bros. Wonder's New Power-Ups Could Work in Mario Kart 9
The next Mario Kart game will be spoiled for choice when it comes to adding any of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's new power-ups and items.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder's Online Co-op Could Be Adapted for Super Mario Odyssey 2
One feature that received attention before release was Super Mario Bros. Wonder's new multiplayer option. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, players can play online and see other players on the course that they're currently playing. This is for more than just aesthetics, though. If a player dies in the level, then they have a few seconds to control their ghost. If they touch another player, or a standee set up by another player, then they can come back to life and continue playing without losing a life. Wonder's online co-op quickly proved to be a useful feature, and does a good job of promoting cooperation among players.
This multiplayer mechanic may have the best shot of appearing again out of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's new features. While the Wonder Flower feels like it was custom-made for the titular game, this unusual take on multiplayer does feel like something that could be reused. There were a fair amount of tasks in the first Super Mario Odyssey that could be pretty difficult, and a wrong move could cost players a fair amount of progress, so a variant of the revival mechanic could be useful in that case. This is especially true in the next Super Mario Odyssey has anything approaching the difficulty of Wonder's toughest challenges.
Wonder's online co-op quickly proved to be a useful feature, and does a good job of promoting cooperation among players.
There is already reasonable precedent from past titles that would justify implementing the co-op features of Super Mario Bros. Wonder into Super Mario Odyssey 2. After all, New Super Mario Bros. U had a co-op mode where the second player could create new platforms for the first. Of course, these helpful co-op modes took place in 2D Mario games. It may take a few extra tweaks to have the same sort of mechanic work in a three-dimensional space like Super Mario Odyssey. If the developers can pull it off, though, then it is a feature that would be well worth implementing.
The first Super Mario game with proper co-op was New Super Mario Brothers Wii, where up to four players could traverse the courses simultaneously.
While the possibility of a Super Mario Odyssey sequel is still up in the air, invoking Super Mario Bros. Wonder's co-op to marry two of Nintendo's best titles on the Switch sounds like a winning combination. Of course, if this co-op save mechanic does come through, then Super Mario Odyssey 2 will need to be challenging enough to justify it, as seen in some of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's more high-level courses. Super Mario Bros. Wonder could have laid the seeds for Super Mario Odyssey 2's next step.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- October 20, 2023
- ESRB
- E For Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
The next evolution of Mario fun: Classic Mario gameplay is turned on its head with Wonder Flowers in the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game! These game-changing items can make some wonderfully weird stuff happen. Witness pipes coming alive, wreak havoc as a giant Spike-Ball, and lots more!
Loca: Up to 4 players can tackle courses together, share power-ups, and revive each other. Yoshis can also carry other players on their back to help each other overcome challenging courses!
Online: With a Nintendo Switch Online membership**, you can share your adventure with players from all over the world or play online with up to 12 friends in a Friend Room, with 4 players per course. Help each other out or see who can finish first! If you place a standee while you’re playing online, other players can use them to revive!
- Franchise
- Super Mario
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
