Finally — A new Super Mario Bros. side-scroller. Open-world games are all the rage lately, and understandably so. But Nintendo, who has released its fair share of open worlds, once again proves with Super Mario Bros. Wonder that sometimes good things do come in small packages.

It is a wonderful mix of the best of the classic and modern Mario games— namely being a 2D side-scroller, but also having a multiplayer option. Fans of the OG platform games will get to leap onto the flagpole once more, and those who enjoyed some healthy competition can challenge friends and foes alike online.

What’s it about? You can guess. Mario finds himself involved in another Bowser-fuelled fiasco. This time it takes place in the Flower Kingdom, meaning new fun enemies to go against and elements to discover, Bowser uses the land’s powers to fuse himself with the kingdom’s castle, making life miserable for the residents.

But Nintendo has done something unprecedented with Wonder— it's breaking its own machine. At first glance, it might seem like a typical Super Mario Bros. game, but as you play and come across Wonder Seeds, the levels collapse and contort, breaking decades of Mario game laws. Getting to rediscover the Super Mario universe is like playing the franchise for the first time. You’ll understand why the game is so aptly named.

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 15-19 hours

? Price: USD 59.99

? Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Tags: