Travel to the Flower Kingdom with 15mins of Super Mario Bros. Wonder gameplay

If you missed today’s Nintendo Direct, you missed the deepest look yet at the all-new 2D adventure, Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Wonder what’s next

Nintendo fans already knew what the basic gist was in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The latest game starring Nintendo’s number one mascot, SMB Wonder brings the cast of the franchise to a totally new land, one where wild flowers can grant way-out abilities and powers.

In today’s Nintendo Direct though, we got a ton more info, plus a lengthy look at the game in action. But before we get to the latter, the former facts contain more than a few surprises. For one thing, Wonder puts Mario and crew into a new kingdom.

The Mushroom Kingdom’s neighbor, The Flower Kingdom plays backdrop for the new game. And it’s that land’s prince, Florian, who invites Peach and Mario, along with Luigi, Daisy, Blue and Yellow Toads, and even Toadette to visit. All of them are playable in Wonder, and there are even more with a selection of Yoshi and even Nabbit, though fair warning, as those characters are actually rate game’s ‘easy mode’. Every color Yoshi and Nabbit won’t take damage from anything other than a pit or lava, so they’re aimed at younger fans.

Getting back to the story though, isn’t long before Bowser arrives of course, and his is a slightly more off-kilter plan than usual. Seems The King of the Koopas actually merges with the Flower Kingdom’s castle via a magical bloom, and gains all new chaos-based abilities. Speaking of, that’s something that’s going to be a common thread in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Elephant Mario isn’t the only new ‘suit’ in Wonder, as it’s joined by what look to be incredibly useful bubble powers, and a burrowing, enemy-smashing drill hat. Not to worry though, if you love the classics, as fire-flowers are back too. And aside from all of that, there are Wonder Flowers.

Wonder Flowers are the cause of Bowser’s transformation, and are in some levels. Collecting one can radically alter that level until you grab a Wonder Seed. That’ll bring things back to normal, and give you a collectible that you’ll need to unlock certain courses.

If it sounds like there’s lot to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, you’re on the right track. The game offers quite a bit of the familiar, but also a ton of new innovations. If you love traditional 2D Super Mario titles, but are looking for something new as well from Nintendo’s best, you’re going to want to check it out.

Scroll down to check out the full Nintendo Direct (starts at 29:49), and then scroll past that for even more details, right from the company. Super Mario Bros. Wonder stomps the Switch on October 20th, 2023.

And those details:

• A Kingdom Teeming with Variety: The Flower Kingdom is made up of six distinct worlds that circle the Petal Isles, giving you a total of seven areas to explore. Traverse multiple islands, dive into the sea and spelunk through caves. A rich variety of courses await in each world, and you can even walk freely through open areas you find on the world map.
• Wondering About Wonder Effects? Expect the unexpected: Wonder Flowers thrive off this world’s mysterious power and release it when in bloom. When you touch a Wonder Flower in a course, a Wonder effect will trigger, causing dramatic changes. Pipes might start moving, the terrain may tilt, your perspective can change or you might float through space. There are even Wonders that can transform your character into a Goomba or a Spike-Ball.
• Charismatic Characters at Your Command: Besides Mario, you can also play as Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Blue Toad or Yellow Toad, and even Toadette. They all play the same, so go with your favorite or mix it up with someone different. Yoshis and Nabbit won’t take damage, so they’re a smart choice if you’re looking for a more easygoing experience.
• Plenty of Power-ups: Super Mario Bros. Wonder features the debut of new power-ups such as the Elephant Fruit, which allows Mario and some of his friends to transform into Elephant form. Throw around your weight – and your nose – as you swing your trunk to attack enemies, destroy blocks and dash across large gaps. The Bubble form allows you to blow floating bubbles that can be used to capture enemies from a distance. The Drill form makes dealing with spiky or hard-headed enemies a breeze. It also allows you to burrow and move through the ground.
• Don’t Let Your Enemies Get the Best of You: When it comes to enemies, you’ll encounter new treacherous ones while traipsing through the Flower Kingdom. Hoppycats will copy you and jump when you jump. Melon Piranha Plants spit seeds from their mouths. Condarts will fly at you and stick their beaks into your business. Maw-Maws will eat anything that comes too close to their gaping mouths. There are many new enemies for you to discover.
• Equip a Badge to Mix It Up: As your adventure progresses, you’ll be able to earn a variety of different in-game badges, each with its own special ability. In local multiplayer, each group of players will use the same badge. Check out some of the fun options available:
  • Enhance your wall-jumping abilities with the Wall-Climb Jump badge.
  • Equip the Dolphin Kick badge to unleash an underwater burst of speed.
  • Charge up a bounding leap with the Crouching High Jump badge.
  • Shoot vines in mid-air and stick to walls with the Grappling Vine badge.
  • For a double-edged sword and an additional challenge, become invisible to your enemies (and yourself) with the Invisibility badge.
• Multiply the Fun with Local Multiplayer: Up to four people can play locally on the same Nintendo Switch system. If a player is defeated in local co-op**, their character will float around the course as a ghost. If another player reaches them before time runs out, they’ll jump right back into action, and the group won’t lose any lives. If someone is playing as a Yoshi, you can jump on their back and ride them around the course. Giddy-up!
• Jump into Online Play: While playing online***, you have the option of creating a room to get together with friends. In a shared room, you can see which courses your friends are playing, play the same one together and even turn most courses into a friendly race. Even when playing solo, if you connect online, you can see other players from around the world in courses and on the world map enjoying the game in real time, appearing as live player shadows. You can come back to life by bumping into a live player shadow here too. Plus, you can assist fellow online players by placing a standee that they can use to revive ghosts. Place them creatively in challenging areas to really help someone out. The game will even display how many people have used your standee assist.

Nintendo press release