Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park - Switch 2 Review

Here we are with another Nintendo Switch 2 edition and, more importantly, another ludicrously long title in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. You got all that? Good, because that’d be the only time I write the title in its entirety for this review.

I reviewed Super Mario Bros. Wonder back when it first released in 2023 and gave it a 9/10, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t revisit it to discuss its 4K visual upgrade, new campaign boss fights and the Bellabel Park multiplayer expansions. I’ll also be scoring this version based on the package as a whole, despite the body primarily discussing the new features. So for my full thoughts and justifications, please be sure to visit my previous coverage.

The Good

The first obvious improvement is the graphical upgrade from 1080p to 4K in docked mode and 720p to 1080p in handheld mode. Both versions run in 60 fps, and due to the art direction, it’s not as though you start the game and are immediately in awe of the amount of new pixels on screen, but it does help on a subconscious level. More pixels, big tick!

While I didn’t mention it in my original review, in hindsight, the boss fights were pretty lacklustre. For how creative the base game is, simply bopping them on their heads three times each put quite a dampener on the journey. But now, there are additional boss fights with the return of the Koopalings, and each of their boss fights uses the Wonder Flower to create wacky boss fight scenarios one would expect from a game of this calibre. Welcome back, Koopalings; I’ll never complain about your overusage ever again!

Arguably the major addition to this Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade is Bellabel Park, a separate hubworld that is home to multiplayer party games. Some of these mini-games are generally quite fun, with some creative ones like being able to pick up bubble guns and blast your opponents into the wall to take damage or co-op games like needing to finish the level while only collecting a specific number of coins collectively.

My main gripe with the original Super Mario Bros. Wonder was the chaotic co-op in the main campaign. Specifically, the camera was zoomed in way too close, providing far less space to move around when there are 2-4 players jumping around at once. Furthermore, when player one would die, player two would then become the main character the camera would control, and this would make for some difficult scenarios, especially when playing with kids or anyone less familiar with games. In the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, the camera is far more zoomed out in co-op mode, and player one will always be the main character the camera follows, fixing both issues in one fell swoop.

TL;DR

• Even more beautiful in 4K
• The Koopalings’ returns are welcome
• Bellabel Park mini-games are generally quite fun
• Zoomed out camera in co-op mode fixes my main initial gripe

The Bad

While I mentioned that there are some fun mini-games in Bellabel Park, they aren’t really anything to latch onto with enthusiastic excitement. If they were mini-games in a Mario Party entry, the best of them would be considered mid-tier at best. I can’t imagine any scenario where one friend would say to another, "Hey, want to come around to play some Bellabel Park later?" especially in a world with Super Mario Party Jamboree on offer.

TL;DR

• Bellabel Park mini-games don’t offer much depth

Final Score: 10/10

While the Bellabel Park addition is generally quite lacklustre, it can’t be argued that it’s simply an add-on to a flawless game. All of the main issues with the original have been fixed in this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and playing through Super Mario Bros. Wonder for a second time gave me the warm and fuzzies like I was playing it for the very first time.

Thank you for checking out our Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park Switch review, thank you to Nintendo AU/NZ for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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