Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup at Bellabel Park is a Grab Bag Step Up to the Good Game

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a great game, but it hasn’t achieved the commercial success or follow-up of many other high-profile Mario platformers, perhaps because it came out so late in the original Switch’s lifespan. So, it’s good to see Nintendo giving the game another chance in the form of Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup at Bellabel Park (these Switch 2 development titles don’t get any better, do they?)

Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel is part of the unmissable event for 2D Mario fans? Or will it leave you wondering where it went wrong? Jump down for the answer…

Note: This is an opinion piece and, therefore, not as detailed as a full, point-by-point review.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup at Bellabel Park is a sample of the update, which offers new single-player content (a series of Koopaling boss battles, a challenge mode), competitive and co-op multiplayer modes, and other new features (the ability to play as Rosalina, the super fun new Flower above).

Koopalings will be a feature that people especially in the main campaign of the single player of Super Mario Wonder will probably catch the most. Each of the seven colorful ne’er-do-wells is hidden in one of Mario Wonder’s existing courses, the twist being that each Koopaling is transformed in a new and strange way. Wendy turns into a teleporting pufferfish, Morton becomes a giant screen-filling marionette, and so on. Each Koopaling also changes the stage they are hiding in, providing a new challenge to work through before facing off. These shows feel like Nintendo’s answer to the common criticism that 2D Mario games lack great bosses, and as such, are very successful. These battles are fun and well-crafted, although not challenging. And they fly really fast — you can work through all seven Koopalings in less than 90 minutes.

Those who want to test their skills can also go to the Toad Brigade Training Camp, which offers a different flavor of challenge — collect a certain amount of coins within a time limit, make your way through the course while remaining invincible at all times, etc. Each stage has a series of challenges, mostly taking place in lessons from the main game, while others are tricky. Toad Brigade Training Camp is nothing short of revolutionary, but these challenges are bite-sized fun and a great reminder of just how well Super Mario Wonder plays.

If you can’t line up some extra people to play with, you’ll want to check out the Attraction Central section of Bellabel Park. Here you can jump into competitive or co-op local “attractions” for up to 4 players or a number of online attractions for up to 12 players (or 8 players if you’re on a local wireless route). At first glance, Attraction Central may seem like a simple Mario Party clone, but most of the attractions aren’t minigames, but rather, multiplayer platforming challenges that take place on courses from the main Mario Wonder game.

Not all of these multiplayer attractions are created equal, but some competitive highlights include Baby Yoshi Feeding Time where you help the ever-hungry (and ever-growing) Yoshis put on their faces, Boo’s Coin Spree where you play frozen tag with King Boo, and Phanto Tag, where players take turns sneaking other local players as a hid. Co-op can be solid fun as well, with a mode that gets players to work by placing donut blocks to help the other player on the stage to have a great time. Admittedly, my ability to explore online attractions was somewhat limited, but the increased number of players certainly made things a little more hectic, and a lot more fun with the right crowd.

In addition to the content I have detailed so far, the Bellabel Park map itself holds its own secrets. Players earn “Bellabel Water” by completing challenges and playing attractions, which can be used to do a variety of unusual things, such as sprouting flowers, redesigning certain parts of the map, and even changing the Poplin band. All of this sounds unfair, but I think it gives a little incentive to engage in new Bellabel content.

Other than that, there isn’t much to say about this review. The switch 2 upgrade bumps the resolution up to 4K, and the game looks nice and clean, but it was already one of the sharpest looking OG Switch games. I feel like Mario Wonder would have been a good candidate for a 120fps mode, but, admittedly, Mario’s ‘stache looks spiffy as it is.

A Satisfying Slow Walk in the Park

Playing Super Mario Bros. The Wonder + Meetup at Bellabel Park was a great reminder of how great the original game is, but the new content feels like a dinner cobbled together from scraps and leftovers from the fridge. Koopaling boss battles offer memorable moments and the new challenge mode will test your skills, but they don’t last that long. The multiplayer offers fun moments and more depth than I expected, but it probably won’t be the new thing for most people to go to the Switch 2 party. If you haven’t played Super Mario Wonder yet, by all means, grab the Switch 2 edition, but if you’re already tired of the main game you’re not missing much if you take the rain from this meeting.

Super Mario Bros. The Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup at Bellabel Park starts on March 26. Those who already own the Switch version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder can upgrade for $20 or you can buy the actual game and upgrade together for $80.

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