Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park (Switch 2)

This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition launched as a surprise, since Fran and I have been busy with the final preparations for our wedding later this month! I only picked it up when I saw it at Target on a short pre-wedding shopping trip - I had never finished Super Mario Bros. Wonder when it first released, so I figured this would be a great way to dive in. This time, Mario is helping the citizens of the Flower Kingdom to fight against Bowser, and Princess Peach is safe-and-sound. The core gameplay is very familiar to fans of Mario, tasking you with plenty of platforming levels scattered throughout several thematic worlds. Mario and friends have a fresh coat of paint, and look notably cartoonish in contrast with their previous appearances - I love the new look, and I think it helps the game to cater towards a younger audience. Along with the new levels, there are a couple of new powerups: elephant, bubble-power, and a flower powerup that's new to the Switch 2 Edition. Additionally, you can collect different badges throughout your journey that augment Mario's abilities, which makes for some uncharacteristic progression. The levels are excellent, and the different environments provide a nice bit of variety that keeps things entertaining. The difficulty level is quite balanced, with earlier levels offering easy introductory platforming and later levels which test your skills. In terms of mandatory content, it never posees too much of a challenge, but there is plenty of additional content that could entertain even the most seasoned platformer - in this sense Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a very broad appeal. The soundtrack is bubbly and positive, with certain sections that integrate platforming to make for pseudo-rhtyhm gameplay. There is also a new online integration which has you playing alongside players from around the world who can help you in a few different ways as "shadows". I found it to be a refreshing way to modernize what is typically a very solemn genre - I even got a few friend requests from people who I met across a few consecutive levels! Along with performance updates the Switch 2 Edition offers the Meetup in Bellabel Park content, which adds some new and exciting boss battles, multiplayer content, and training challeneges. The content is short, but adds some replayability and challenge for those seeking it. While I didn't play a lot of local multiplayer, I had a chance to run through some of the standard levels with Fran and had a great time doing it; it's definitely something to give a try. Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park is a first-class 2D platformer, and easily one of the best we have gotten from Mario in a long time.

Play it for the:

Colorful and expressive level design
Broad range of platforming challenges
Online integration within single-player

Reviewed on 2026-04-05

The new Koopaling battles present some fun and inventive ideas!