Super Mario Bros Wonder Receives High Praise, Criticized for Lack of Cohesion and Over-Reliance on Gimmicks

Super Mario Bros Wonder, a return to classic platforming, delights players with its creative reinterpretation of franchise's formula and intricate details, but criticisms focus on lack of character individuality and disjointed world design.

Super Mario Bros Wonder marks a nostalgic return to platforming roots with a Metacritic score of 93 out of 100, receiving high praise for its creative reinterpretation of the franchise's formula and attention to detail within the game.
The gameplay introduces a host of diverse characters, badges that provide skills and abilities outside of power-ups, and most notably the 'Wonder Flowers', a new item that significantly alters game levels, adding unexpected challenges and moments of humor.
Despite the introduction of 12 characters, criticisms have arisen around their lack of unique abilities, with further disappointment regarding Yoshi and Nabbit's inability to use power-ups, making the game feel restrictive for some players.
Super Mario Bros Wonder also faces criticism for its disjointed world design, where each level, while unique, lacks a through-line, leading to a lack of cohesion within each world and creating, at times, an aimless game experience. Yet its controls, described as one of the series' greatest strengths, significantly contribute to the game's successful moments.
On the brighter side, the game’s innovative features – from the introduction of badges to the talking flowers in the Flower Kingdom – have been perceived as potential foundations for the coming decade of Mario games. The game has also been appreciated for its family-friendly approach and engaging online play modes.