Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Games review
As of Jul 13, 2026, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is rated 91/100 on OpenCritic (154 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 from a combined 289 critics is not a fluke, this is a genuine landmark for 2D Mario, with reviewers repeatedly reaching for comparisons to Super Mario World, a game the series has been chasing since 1990. The Wonder Flower mechanic is the real engine: it transforms individual stages in ways that keep a decades-old formula from feeling routine, and that inventiveness is backed by level design and presentation that critics call out as series-best across multiple reviews. Couch co-op players get the fullest version of this game, multiplayer and replayability are genuine strengths, while solo players should know the endgame thins out considerably, dropping you onto a map to hunt collectibles with little structure or escalating challenge to close things out.
Switch owners who play couch co-op or want a polished, stage-by-stage platformer that earns its novelty, this is the best the genre has looked in years and the scores reflect genuine quality, not hype.
Single-player endgame is thin: once the main stages are cleared, the game hands you a map and asks you to mop up collectibles with minimal structure or payoff. Solo players expecting a strong final act or escalating challenge will feel the landing is flat.
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
- creative wonder flower mechanics6
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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...
- 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...
- series innovation and freshness6
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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 breathes new life into the franchise by combining some of the best elements from past installments and drawing inspiration from other contemporaries to del...
- 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.
- best mario since world5
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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...
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder breathes new life into the franchise by combining some of the best elements from past installments and drawing inspiration from other contemporaries to del...
- excellent level design4
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- 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...
- 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...
- multiplayer and 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 visuals and presentation3
see reviews +-
- 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...
- 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
- single-player lacks depth1
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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...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 20 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 289 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.