Summary
Super Mario Bros. Wonderwas released earlier this month, delivering the plumber’s first new 2D title in over a decade.Super Mario Bros. Wonderis a game of many firsts, featuring brand-new voices for its lead characters and an abundance of evolved gameplay features. Of those features, the titular Wonder Flower has received the bulk of attention, as its unique effect on each level delivers unexpected, and often wacky, results. However,Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s releasehas drawn attention to another new item, which allows fans to customize and experiment with an assortment of play styles. By opening the door to near limitless ways of experiencing each level,Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s badge feature stands out as its best.
Super Mario Bros. Wondertransports Mario and his pals to the Flower Kingdom, a neighbor of the Mushroom Kingdom, where they meet the noble Prince Florian. The Flower Kingdom is home to special items called Wonder Flowers, which cause unique reality-bending effects when utilized by theMariocharacters. Bowser, eyeing a new kingdom to conquer, steals the wonder power for himself and uses it to fuse himself with the Koopa Clown Car and Prince Florian’s Castle, creating the villainous Bowser Castle. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Peach join Florian to stop Bowser from enacting the ultimate wonder, a feat that could spell certain doom for the Flower Kingdom and its neighboring domains.
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Badges Offer Both Fun and Functionality
Super Mario Bros. Wonderfeatures a brand-new badge mechanic, which allows fans to equip one game-changing modifier, a badge, during the title card screen of each level. These badges are found throughout the game world and can be earned by completing Challenge Courses, purchasing them at a shop, or earning them as part of the narrative.Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s badges allow players to access new abilities, modify item and ability attributes, and even open pathways to new and exciting areas in certain levels. Additionally, badges allow fans to approach each level with a sense of individuality, and experiment with fun new ways to tackle each challenge in their own way.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s badgesare broken down into three categories - Action, Boost, and Expert. Action Badges allow players to access unique abilities, such as the Dolphin Kick, Parachute Cap, and Grappling Vine, as well as modify attributes such as jump height. Boost Badges modify item and coin attributes, allowing players to find and utilize items and coins more efficiently. Lastly, Expert Badges offer strange and hilarious effects, such as making players invisible or making them perpetually run or jump. Together,Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s badges make each attempt at a level unique, a characteristic that extends far into the titles post-game.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Badges Stand as Its Best New Feature
WhileSuper Mario Bros. Wonderprovides fans with many fresh experiences, no other addition proves as impactful as the badge mechanic. While some courses, such as Challenge Courses and those used to unlock the badges themselves, force players to utilize certain badges, most offer fans the ability to use whichever they deem most effective. This choice works wonders in a variety of ways, by offering fun alternatives to the normal route, adding an unusual challenge, or aiding a player in overcoming a tough obstacle. In doing so, badges makeSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s levels endlessly replayable, especially when coupled with local or online co-op.
Super Mario Bros. Wonderoffers something for everyone, closing out Mario’s adventures on the Switch, and paving the way for a new era, moving forward. The title introduces a variety of new and interesting ideas, whichfutureSuper Mariogameswould do well to adapt. If nothing else,Wonder’s badge mechanic makes a case for player customization and game modifiers to become a major element in the series' new era. With rumors of the Switch 2 ramping up in the past few weeks, fans ofSuper Mariomay get a glimpse at howWonder’s features will influence that new era quite soon.
Super Mario Bros. Wonderis available now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
