Super Mario Bros. Wonder review: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park

Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out a lot longer ago than I remember, but while my timelines might be jumbled, I do remember it being an absolute gem on the Nintendo Switch. Wonder was a one-off experience for me: I played it through once, got about 90% completion, and never touched it again. Super Mario Brows. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park was the perfect opportunity to jump into one of my favorite 2D Mario experiences ever and play it again, this time with more content.

The new additions to the game are rich in content, and there’s something for everyone. The most fun for me was running back to all the worlds, locating the Captain Toad Brigade tent, and tackling a boss fight with each of the Koopalings. These fights are some of the best to ever grace a 2D Mario experience, taking the Wonder feature and applying it in unique ways to all the Koopalings. I’d argue none of these fights are inherently hard to complete, but they are fun and engaging nonetheless.

The Toad Brigade needs your help

This all ties into the Toad Brigade Training you can do in a brand new camp setting. There are 74 challenges to complete spread across the games levels, and these challenges have a variety of win conditions. They can be done alone or with up to three other players. I love how many there are, but those who have played Wonder a lot are going to see the same levels they’ve experienced before, just cut into a chunk with a time limit slapped on. Some will love this, some will call it lazy. I’m somewhere in between: a worthwhile addition, but probably not for everyone.

Bellabel Park is where you and your friends can engage in some Mario Party-esque minigames, both competitively and cooperatively. Again, how much you get out of this mode will vary; I personally found this engaging for a while, but when I can so easily play Mario Party, it’s hard to reach for this when I want some chaotic, multiplayer fun. The games on offer here are fun, although they end way too quickly. Standouts like Run, Hide! Phanto Tag kept me engaged for a while, but others are not as exciting.

With all of these new areas come collectibles to find, things to accomplish, and even a little decoration excitement. Unlocking new things and checking boxes has always been something I’ve enjoyed, so even when the games themselves weren’t keeping me as engaged as I might like, the opportunity of seeing something new in my park was enough to push forward.

More added to the package

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game includes a few extras as well. We get a slight resolution bump, although the change isn’t as noticeable as other titles since Super Mario Bros. Wonder already looked so good the first time around. Rosalina has been added to the cast of playable characters, which is nice, and is an obvious tie-in to the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie. Assist mode is also included, allowing all characters – not just Yoshi and Nabbit – the opportunity to run through levels without taking damage from enemies.

There is also a new power-up, and the ability to have two badges active at once with a dual badge. There are also quality-of-life improvements to local multiplayer, allowing players to get a better view of the map by zooming out. No more fighting for all the prime screen real estate…

There are also other options buried a bit deeper in the settings that allow you to focus the camera on one player, and get people who fall off-screen back into the action faster.

Telling someone whether or not they should buy Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is not easy. Have you never played Wonder before? Pick it up. Have you played before but want to play again? Well, should you just grab your Switch version and go, or pay for these extras? Content-wise, I think the price here is justified. What I don’t know, however, is whether what is being offered will be interesting to everyone. It’s a mixed bag for me – I’m happy to have experienced it, and my kids are having fun, but I’m unlikely to come back to this package once my second playthrough of Wonder concludes.

What you need to know

Authored by Adam Roffel

Adam has been writing about video games since 2014 and board games since 2018. If he's not rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto FC, he definitely has a controller in his hand - probably playing on a Nintendo platform - or is sitting at a table playing a board game. Adam also has firm opinions on a few key topics: there are much better board games than Settlers of Catan, and Nintendo doesn't need to compete with Sony and Microsoft.

Full Bio Adam Roffel