Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Lonely As A Cloud)

I've done the same. With The Lady's permission, but I couldn't hold myself back and she just wanted to replay Baldur's Gate this evening for the umpteenth time.

"Delightful" is a great word for it! My choice was "nice", but that could be interpreted as damning with faint praise. It is though! It's just really nice. And definitely more imaginative than the NSMB games by a massive shot. The Wonder Flowers have had a couple of belters: at this stage it's Piranha Plant Parade and Cosmic Hoppos that have most impressed me. Then you have Sproings in the Shadows, which feels like it's taken straight out of DKCTF.

2D Mario feels like it's back, even if it's too early to judge whether it's Mario World (or even Lost Levels) back. Probably not? That's the domain of the 3D games now. But still. Just really nice.

Only did the first World, it looks darn good and think why do we need a Switch 2 but then I see likes of Mortal Kombat plus what could Nintendo do with more POWER!

I've fully cleared the first world (secret exits included) & have 3 levels to go on the second, it's just outstanding stuff! Now I'm off to go play some more.

I had to look up the very first secret exit. Feels bad man, but I'd never have found it otherwise.

I presume all right-thinking people like the flowers now? I was sure I'd turn them off when I fired up the game, but I've found them quite charming so far.

Oh and has anybody else absolutely knackered their thumb on a level? If you've found it you probably know the one I mean...

The flowers haven't bothered me enough that I want to turn them off but I wouldn't go as far as I like them.
Alas, between social engagements and the fucking Suika game I haven't played so much of this as everyone else yet.

I don't think anyone is going to say it's their favourite part of Mario Wonder but for me the talking flowers do have their moments & as I'm about enter World 6 they haven't ever felt overused either.

I started playing this after the weekend and only a couple of times so I’ve not played as much as everybody else either, but my early impressions are really positive. Immediately it feels like such an elegant and progressive step forward from New Super Mario Bros, helped no end by appearing masterfully designed and superbly animated. In my opinion it seems well on course to being the best 2D Super Mario platformer since, what, Yoshi’s Island on the SNES? Maybe it’ll be even better than that – I’m looking forward to finding out.

Oh there's absolutely no question that it thumps anything since then (without wanting to open the very dull can-o-worms as to whether Yoshi's Island is more of a Mario game than a Yoshi game).  There have been some genuine 'wahey!' moments: a couple of the transformations in the latter worlds especially.  I don't think the four New Super Mario Bros. games can claim more than one 'wahey!' moment between them, and I couldn't tell you what that one was.  The initial Mega Mushroom usage maybe, if it hadn't been trailered to hell and back.

Shame about the bosses in Wonder though.  When they happen, they're all very one-note so far.  And they don't always happen. Shades of an unfinished game here.

Buskalilly wrote:

Alas, between social engagements and the fucking Suika game I haven't played so much of this as everyone else yet.

Do you actually like Suika Game?  Or is it just sucking your life force out?

I can't answer that question without asking about all puzzle games or repetitive-but-compelling games. Do I like Splatoon? Or Mario Kart? Or Tetris? Or Zoo Keeper? I dunno, but playing again is easier than doing anything else instead.

...I mean, sure, why not ask that question? I completely get that (for me it's JRPGs that fill the void), but make sure you're having fun at the same time!

I did have fun with Wonder, and now I get to play it all over again with my partner for a meaningfully different experience! Although I can't see some of the special levels working terribly well with multiple players. That's fine though, I'd much rather have a strong Mario in single-player that also has multiplayer options than one designed around multiplayer that can feel weak and empty on your tod.

Final boss:

Got this for Christmas and fired through the first world and just made it to the second world last night. I've been having an absolute blast with it so far. I think the Wonder Flowers do a fantastic job of elevating what could be seen as just another Mario level to something a bit more special. Some of the levels which sync up to the music during their Wonder Flower bit were real standouts. So far, very impressed!

I was reading back in the thread a little bit and apparently I've totally missed secret exits in the first world. I didn't even have a sniff of any of them!

Aye the exits aren't really that obvious, I was nearly done with world 2 when I realised I clearly missed some levels in the first.

I had a browse through the course list and I see they've clearly marked which levels I still need to do something in, so I'll have a fire through later in the game.

What's your opinions on the new powerups in Wonder? The Elephant suit is fine, but it feels like the Tanooki suit minus the flutter. The Bubble powerup is alright, but not had enough time with it yet. I've seen there's a Drill powerup I've not come across yet too.

The power-ups aren't the best part of the game in my opinion, but they're decent enough. I think the Fire Flower's a bit of a duffer in any Mario game that has it these days to tell the truth, and the Bubble Flower's not a great deal better. The Drill is better, but it's still one of those power-ups that works better in 3D than in 2D.

The Elephant looks funny and plays parpy noises when you've transformed. I'll hear nothing against it.

I think the Elephant powerup looks hilarious, don't get me wrong, it's just not a gamechanger in the gameplay department.

But you can smash things with trunk...

Yeah, the powerups are decent but it's hard to top what they've already done in previous games. Also didn't think much of bubble flower either then I seen how speed runners use it.

Crumpy Andy wrote:

But you can smash things with trunk...

And water things with trunk. Absolute game-changer.

Trunk.

Also the badges are the true powerups.

The badges are useful, but I like my power-ups in Mario trending more towards the 'spectacular' end of the spectrum. That in particular is why the very useful Fire Flower falls flat for me nowadays. The only badges I'd say achieve that are Jet Run (which most of the time I'm not using because I don't like dying lots) and the vine grapple. Love me a good grapple.

That said, most of the time I was just using Glidey Hat.

I actually dislike the badges and only changed them on the levels which made me change them. I like Mario and platformers of that ilk for having a defined moveset and a level built around it. Knowing that I could change a badge and trivialise a challenge rubs me the wrong way.

Yeah, that's probably true for the badges - but I don't think they're meant for us as Expert Mario Lads (EMLs for short)

My expert status: DENIED

Buskalilly wrote:

I actually dislike the badges and only changed them on the levels which made me change them. I like Mario and platformers of that ilk for having a defined moveset and a level built around it. Knowing that I could change a badge and trivialise a challenge rubs me the wrong way.

I didn't think of it this way until I read your post, but actually - yes.  The defined moveset more than the trivialised challenge maybe, but yes.  That said, I think Mario should have the Dolphin Kick as part of his base moveset in the next 2D Mario game, maybe with a cooldown. Base Mario swimming still isn't great.

Buskalilly wrote:

I actually dislike the badges and only changed them on the levels which made me change them. I like Mario and platformers of that ilk for having a defined moveset and a level built around it. Knowing that I could change a badge and trivialise a challenge rubs me the wrong way.

I get what you're saying but I like the fact it can be a choose your own difficulty but more for the fact of making a level harder not easier. (even though both are possible) Also quick question, have you done the final final level?

The_Jaster wrote:

Also the badges are the true powerups.

Agreed with this, I've had a great time playing about with the powerups. The one that allows you to get coins by jumping to the beat is such a quaint idea, I like it.

I'm nearly finished up with this - I think I'm on the last world now. I've been having a blast and I'm pretty confident in saying this is my favourite 2D Mario game. The little surprise in each level with the Wonder Flowers has done a great job of keeping me engaged with things.

A surprising highlight has actually been playing online with strangers. I didn't think I'd have this feature turned on, but there's something to it. I had a weirdly wholesome experience when another player saved me in Ghost form after I died on an early level in World 3 then followed me to the flagpole. After I exited the level, they hopped in place and suggested for me to follow them - they then directed me to a couple of hidden levels on the overworld. I don't think I'd have any difficulty finding these myself in the long run, but it was a cute little moment and encouraged me to keep the online feature switched on.

Even if I'd turned it off, I'd definitely have switched it on again for those hidden collectable mini levels. Those would be torturous in single player!