Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out a few years ago for the original Switch, and it was one of the best 2.D Mario games of all time. Due to the success of the first game, Nintendo has re-released the game for the Switch 2 this year. 

The game has a literal huge name called ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park’. Aside from the usual visual and performance improvements, the game also has some new content for fans to explore. Let’s dive in and see what the Switch 2 version of the game offers. 

Visuals

Much like many other Switch 2 re-releases, Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks phenomenal on the newer console. The original game was only 1080p while docked, but now the Switch 2 is able to bump up the resolution to up to native 4K. 

Handheld gamers also see improvements in resolution, too. The original Switch could only display the game at 720p, but the new Switch 2 screen displays it in beautiful 1080p. Not to mention, the Switch 2 version has HDR support. 

The performance of the game has also been improved because all modes in the Switch 2 version run smoothly at 60fps. I played the game for several hours on the Switch 2, and I did not have any framerate drops whatsoever. The colours of the game look immaculate compared to the original Switch hardware as well. 

New content

The biggest selling point for the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the new content that is being offered. After you finish the first few tutorial-type levels, you open a whole new area in the game called Bellabel Park. 

Several of the new levels in Bellabel Park are multiplayer-type mini-games you can play with a friend or multiple friends. The first sections you will see are multiple VS games. One of them is as simple as you and a friend have to play through some of the levels, and the winner is the person who collects the most coins. 

My favourite VS mode is called Yoshi’s buffet. It is here that you hold on to Yoshi and press a button to activate his tongue to eat as many enemies as possible. It’s really fun, and my brother and I became really competitive in this mode!

The next section you will walk into is called the Co-op Attractions. As the name suggests, this is where you work together with a friend to finish the tasks in the levels that are provided here. 

A notable co-op mode I liked was ‘Fly Free, Captain Toad’. One player has to control Toad, and this person is tasked with just walking. The other player has to control Plucky, and this person is responsible for jumping. As expected, both players have to work together to make sure they navigate through all the levels without dying together!

However, my favourite co-op mode in the entire game is definitely ‘Donut Block Maker’. One player controls a character like normal, while the other is a construction worker who has to build donut bridges. 

The catch is that the donut bridges don’t last forever because they will disappear shortly after the other player steps on them. The levels in this mode are super hard, but it’s still challenging in a humorous way. I remember my brother falling to his death lots of times because I wasn’t able to build a bridge fast enough to save him!

The last mini-game section is called ‘Game Rooms,’ and this is for people who have more than one Switch 2 game system. There’s a ton of races you can compete in, and they’re all really fun and enjoyable, like the rest of the game. 

Outside of the mini-games, you can also unlock the ‘Toad Brigade Training Camp’. This gives you over 70 more platforming challenges for you to do. This might include levels that require you not to hit enemies or other hard challenges. They’re fun to play and give more unique levels that are different from the base game. 

After you unlock this area, you can gain access to the exclusive ‘Koopaling Boss Battles’. If you thought the base game’s boss battles were too easy, these bosses will finally give you a decent challenge. 

Overall thoughts

Sometimes remasters and re-releases can feel redundant because they only offer minuscule visual or performance upgrades. This isn’t the case for the Switch 2 of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It offers loads of new levels, challenges, boss battles, and minigames for gamers to enjoy. Even if you already own the original game, getting this upgrade is worth the price of admission. 

Verdict: 8.5/10