Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Games review
As of Jun 23, 2026, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is rated 91/100 on OpenCritic (153 critic reviews), and 92/100 on Metacritic (135 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder worth it in 2026?
A 91 on OpenCritic and 92 on Metacritic across over a hundred critic reviews is not a fluke, six separate reviewers independently called this the best 2D Mario in decades, with one drawing a direct line to Super Mario World. The Wonder Flower mechanic is the real engine: it transforms individual stages in ways that prevent the game from feeling like a rehash, and the new power-ups complement that without redundancy. The most common criticisms, that the core gameplay feels familiar and that the game runs a little short on levels, are real structural notes, not nitpicks, and solo players in particular may feel the value proposition pinch at full first-party Nintendo price. Multiplayer meaningfully extends replayability, but the sourced praise there centers on endgame minigames rather than co-op broadly, so treat that as a bonus rather than a selling point.
Switch owners who want a co-op platformer with genuine invention in every stage, especially those who felt 2D Mario had gone stale, this is the entry that earns the comparison to the series' best.
Solo players hitting the endgame are dropped on a map and left to hunt for missed content with no structured final stretch of new levels, and if you've played enough 2D Mario to feel the familiar bones underneath the Wonder effects, the relatively short level count may not justify full price at
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- best 2D mario in decades6
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- This is the rightful successor to Super Mario World, and hopefully, will serve as a touchstone for 2D Mario going forward.
- Within the understood parameters of what 2D Mario can be, this has to be the single best entry since Super Mario World - and is the perfect first game to launch a new era of Mario...
- It's no exaggeration to say that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the greatest Mario titles to come out in the last fifteen years, likely since New Super Mario Bros. DS itself. T...
- constant creative ideas6
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- An endless cascade of ideas in a game that takes Mario to some wonderfully strange places.
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder surprises and delights from the moment you turn on the game. Though the gameplay feels familiar, Nintendo’s ability to iterate on the established formula i...
- Super Mario Bros Wonder is a masterclass in 2D platforming, refreshing a long running series in a tremendous way, with inventive new ways to play.
- wonder flower effects5
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- Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks and plays like the true next step for 2D Mario platformers. Wonder effects change each stage in both surprising and delightful ways, the Flower Kingd...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an excellent 2D Mario game with easily the most impressive world-building we've seen in this style. The trilogy of new power-ups are brilliant fun, and...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is, quite simply, the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. This is the slickest, sharpest, and smartest that two-dimensional Mario has felt since 19...
- new power-ups enjoyable4
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- Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks and plays like the true next step for 2D Mario platformers. Wonder effects change each stage in both surprising and delightful ways, the Flower Kingd...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an excellent 2D Mario game with easily the most impressive world-building we've seen in this style. The trilogy of new power-ups are brilliant fun, and...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the best parts of past 2D Mario games and builds on them with new characters, gameplay mechanics and upgraded visuals. There’s something here for bot...
- multiplayer replayability3
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- The endgame hides a few new stages and some cool minigames, but you are more or less dropped onto the map and asked to scour the place for everything you missed. I’m excited about...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the best parts of past 2D Mario games and builds on them with new characters, gameplay mechanics and upgraded visuals. There’s something here for bot...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is, quite simply, the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. This is the slickest, sharpest, and smartest that two-dimensional Mario has felt since 19...
- polished visuals3
see reviews +-
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks and plays like the true next step for 2D Mario platformers. Wonder effects change each stage in both surprising and delightful ways, the Flower Kingd...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder is, quite simply, the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. This is the slickest, sharpest, and smartest that two-dimensional Mario has felt since 19...
- Overall though, Super Mario Wonder is an excellent 2D platformer. With excellent level design, polished visuals and mad Wonder Flower setpieces. It’s not my favorite Super Mario ga...
Cons
- familiar gameplay feel2
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- Super Mario Bros. Wonder surprises and delights from the moment you turn on the game. Though the gameplay feels familiar, Nintendo’s ability to iterate on the established formula i...
- Like the Switch itself, Wonder is a collision between the traditional and the new. A game that’s the same as it ever was and nothing like Mario has ever been.
- weaker solo experience1
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- The endgame hides a few new stages and some cool minigames, but you are more or less dropped onto the map and asked to scour the place for everything you missed. I’m excited about...
- too few levels1
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- It's no exaggeration to say that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the greatest Mario titles to come out in the last fifteen years, likely since New Super Mario Bros. DS itself. T...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 20 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 288 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.