You're running and jumping on a two-dimensional plane, usually from left to right, avoiding obstacles and bopping enemies on the head until you reach the goal post at the end.īut Nintendo's designers have outdone themselves with mind-bending twists on the genre. Indeed, if you're planning on playing the first new 2D Mario game since 2012 with young children, you'll have to figure out how to do it without making references to psychedelic substances every few minutes. In the first level, I sprinted past several talking flowers, rode a sentient green pipe that slithered like a giant worm, and transformed Mario into a husky, bipedal elephant that still bore his signature overalls and mustache. Wonder has more surprises and moments of joy than the entire Super Mario Bros. The first 10 minutes of Super Mario Bros.
