The Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct has aired today and showcased many of the features that will be coming to the game, including a couple of firsts for the Super Mario series. While the direct itself may only have been 15 minutes long, it seemed to show off planty, uh, I mean plenty without spoiling too much of the game itself. “So, what was shown exactly?” you may be asking. Well, let’s get right to it.
Super Mario Bros. Wondertakes place in the Flower Kingdom where Mario and friends have been invited to the distant land by Prince Florian. Bowser is up to no good again and upon claiming a mysterious power from a Wonder Flower, he has taken Prince Florian’s Castle and has spread chaos upon the Flower Kingdom, it is up to Mario and company to put the world to right again. Among Mario’s friends of playable characters are Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, two Toads, Toadettes, Yoshi, and Nabbit (and of course, Mario).
As for some of the game’s features, Yoshi and Nabbit are two characters that are invulnerable to attacks from enemies, making them good choices for new and young players. Pitfalls can still cost them a life though so do be careful with chasms. Yoshi can also give other players a ride, including other Yoshi’s which can certainly come in handy from time to time.
Three new power-ups will give Mario and some of his friends’ new abilities. These power-ups are the Elephant Fruit, Bubble Form, and Drill Form. The Elephant Fruit will turn characters into elephants that can smash through blocks and use their trunk to attack enemies. The Bubble Form will allow players to capture enemies in bubbles and use them as platforms to reach other areas. The Drill Form will allow Mario and Co. to burrow into the ground and make attacking enemies a lot easier.
As for other features that are coming to the game, if you have seen any of the trailers or the previous Nintendo Direct, you may recall Mario gliding with a really large cap. This is just one of many badges that players will be able to equip to help make traversing the Flower Kingdom that little bit easier. Other badges include the Dolphin Kick, Grappling Vine, and Wall-Jump badge. Only one can be equipped per run so if you find that you are having difficulty with a particular course, you can try again using a different badge.
Lastly, whilst not directly related to Super Mario Bros. Wonder itself, a new Super Mario Bros. themed Nintendo Switch OLED Model will be coming to retailers on October 6th. The Switch console will come with a complete Mario Red coloring and will have a couple of motifs on the red Nintendo Switch dock with a silhouette of Mario and some hidden coins.
For the full list of details of what was shown during the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct, you can find the official press release from Nintendo below.
EXPERIENCE THE UNEXPECTED IN
SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER GAMEPLAY PRESENTATION
For more Mario, a new Nintendo Switch – OLED Model Mario Red Edition arrives on 6th October
31st August, 2023 – In today’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct video presentation, Nintendo showed nearly 15 minutes of footage featuring rollicking new gameplay, new power-ups and transformative Wonder effects from the upcoming Nintendo Switch game, which launches on 20th October. To view the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct video in its entirety, visit Nintendo UK’s YouTube channel.
Get ready to jump into the unexpected with Super Mario Bros. Wonder – the next evolution of Mario fun and the first 2D side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. game in more than 10 years. With a new Flower Kingdom to explore and a varied roster of playable characters, Super Mario Bros. Wonder also introduces Wonder Flowers – game-changing items that create surprising effects you have to see to believe.
Just ahead of Mario’s new adventure, a Mario-themed Nintendo Switch – OLED Model Mario Red Edition will be available in stores on 6th October (game not included). The system, along with its two Joy-Con controllers and Nintendo Switch dock, all sport the iconic Mario Red colour. A silhouette design of Mario jumps into action on the back of the dock. Look closely, and you’ll also find some hidden coins. Check with local retailers for pre-order information soon.
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the benevolent Prince Florian invites Mario and his friends to the Flower Kingdom – a not-so-distant land just beyond the Mushroom Kingdom. But Bowser, the King of the Koopas, has other plans. With just a single touch of the mysterious Wonder Flower, Bowser merges with Prince Florian’s castle. Thanks to his newfound power, chaos spreads across the land. Now it’s up to Mario and pals to stop Bowser and save the Flower Kingdom.
Here are just a handful of the features and highlights that players can experience on this wonder-ful adventure:
A Kingdom Teeming with Variety: The Flower Kingdom is made up of six distinct worlds that circle the Petal Isles, giving you a total of seven areas to explore. Traverse multiple islands, dive into the sea and spelunk through caves. A rich variety of courses await in each world, and you can even walk freely through open areas you find on the world map.
Wondering About Wonder Effects? Expect the unexpected: Wonder Flowers thrive off this world’s mysterious power and release it when in bloom. When you touch a Wonder Flower in a course, a Wonder effect will trigger, causing dramatic changes. Pipes might start moving, the terrain may tilt, your perspective can change, or you might float through space. There are even Wonders that can transform your character into a Goomba or a Spike-Ball.
Charismatic Characters at Your Command: Besides Mario, you can also play as Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Blue Toad or Yellow Toad, and even Toadette. They all play the same, so go with your favourite or mix it up with someone different. Yoshis and Nabbit won’t take damage, so they’re a smart choice if you’re looking for a more easy-going experience.
Plenty of Power-ups: Super Mario Bros. Wonder features the debut of new power-ups such as the Elephant Fruit, which allows Mario and some of his friends to transform into Elephant form. Throw around your weight – and your nose – as you swing your trunk to attack enemies, destroy blocks and dash across large gaps. The Bubble form allows you to blow floating bubbles that can be used to capture enemies from a distance. The Drill form makes dealing with spiky or hard-headed enemies a breeze. It also allows you to burrow and move through the ground.
Don’t Let Your Enemies Get the Best of You: When it comes to enemies, you’ll encounter new treacherous ones while traipsing through the Flower Kingdom. Hoppycats will copy you and jump when you jump. Melon Piranha Plants spit seeds from their mouths. Condarts will fly at you and stick their beaks into your business. Maw-Maws will eat anything that comes too close to their gaping mouths. There are many new enemies for you to discover.
Equip a Badge to Mix It Up: As your adventure progresses, you’ll be able to earn a variety of different in-game badges, each with its own special ability. In local multiplayer, each group of players will use the same badge. Check out some of the options available:
Enhance your wall-jumping abilities with the Wall-Climb Jump badge.
Equip the Dolphin Kick badge to unleash an underwater burst of speed.
Charge up a bounding leap with the Crouching High Jump badge.
Shoot vines in mid-air and stick to walls with the Grappling Vine badge.
For a double-edged sword and an additional challenge, become invisible to your enemies (and yourself) with the Invisibility badge.
Multiply the Fun with Local Multiplayer: Up to four people can play locally on the same Nintendo Switch console. If a player is defeated in local co-op*, their character will float around the course as a ghost. If another player reaches them before time runs out, they’ll jump right back into action, and the group won’t lose any lives. If someone is playing as a Yoshi, you can jump on their back and ride them around the course.
Jump into Online Play: While playing online**, you have the option of creating a room to get together with friends. In a shared room, you can see which courses your friends are playing, play the same one together and even turn most courses into a friendly race.
Even when playing solo, if you connect online, you can see other players from around the world in courses and on the world map enjoying the game in real time, appearing as live player shadows. You can come back to life by bumping into a live player shadow here, too.
Plus, you can assist fellow online players by placing a standee that they can use to revive ghosts. Place them creatively in challenging areas to really help someone out. The game will even display how many people have used your standee assist.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches at retail, in Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and in the My Nintendo Store on 20th October. For players who are ready to hop into the Flower Kingdom as soon as the game launches, pre-orders are now available.
Any Nintendo Switch Online member is eligible to purchase Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers***. Buying a pair of game vouchers lets you redeem each one for a digital game in the voucher catalogue, including titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder. To learn more about Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers and browse a list of eligible titles, visit the Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers website.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest evolution of 2D side-scrolling Mario adventures, featuring new gameplay, new power-ups and exciting Wonder effects, launches for Nintendo Switch on 20th October. Also available already on 6th October is the new Nintendo Switch – OLED Model Mario Red Edition featuring an iconic red colour scheme.
I am Chief Administrator for Miketendo64.com A news & reviews website for Nintendo related articles and merchandise. An intermediate gamer with over 20 years of experience spanning 4 decades and 4 generations of Nintendo Games Consoles From the NES up to the Wii U.
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