What a treat it is to play the latest Mario game. Nintendo’s wonder boys are pulling out all the stops to surprise old and new players with the truly fantastic Super Mario Bros. Miracle. It is an ode to all the platform adventures that Mario has experienced since 1982.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a 2D game. Isn’t that very old-fashioned?
That’s right. This game has its roots in the Super Mario Bros games from the 1980s and early 1990s. As two-dimensional as it could be, with Mario (or Luigi) moving from left to right across the screen, crushing blocks, eating mushrooms to power ups and crawled into green pipes – after all, the brothers are actually plumbers.
What’s still fun about that in 2023?
Everything, absolutely everything. Nintendo has always been great at recycling old games onto new platforms. Also Super Mario Bros. Miracle is packed with references to those old games (and a lot of other Mario adventures) but is also completely new and contemporary. It’s faster and more dynamic, the game is packed with small and big surprises.
What is so innovative?
Including the miracle flower, to which the title refers. There is such a flower hidden in every level and when you find it, everything changes. The playing field can tilt, the green pipes come to life, a herd of strange animals arrives, you float – it’s a big surprise every time and you have to act quickly to survive. The Nintendo veterans who worked on this game let go of all the rules in these pieces and it works really well. It seems like Mario has gone on a psychedelic trip.
In recent years, Mario games have often been very easy. How is that now?
A lot better. Each level indicates whether it is easy or (very) difficult. But gamers who grew up with the first Super Mario Bros games should also pay close attention. Just like then, there are all kinds of secrets hidden in the levels and you won’t find them if you rush from start to finish as quickly as possible. The nice thing is that young gamers can choose other game characters, such as Yoshi and Toad, who can get through the levels a little easier.
And you can also play this Mario online. Does that add anything?
Absolutely. It makes of Super Mario Bros. Miracle a game that you can play endlessly, just like Mario Kart. Online you can wander through the levels alone, with other players visible as a kind of shadow – and sometimes give you useful tips. Place a sign in places where something is hidden or use badges (also a very nice gimmick from Nintendo’s past) that give extra powers. But you can also invite friends to play together or ‘do’ a level with strangers as quickly as possible. This is truly one of the best Mario games in a long time.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder, for Nintendo Switch. Developer and publisher: Nintendo. Age 7+