Super Mario Bros. Wonder, released October 20, 2023, proved Nintendo still had magic in 2D Mario after 11 years since New Super Mario Bros. U. The game sold 4.3 million copies in two weeks—the fastest-selling 2D Mario game ever.
Wonder Flowers
The game’s defining feature: Wonder Flowers that warp levels in surreal, unpredictable ways. Pipes sing, levels turn into rhythm games, Mario transforms into objects. Each level offered unique surprises—no repeated gimmicks.
Critical Love
Reviews praised Wonder’s creativity after years of safe, iterative 2D Marios. New power-ups (Elephant, Drill, Bubble), smooth 60fps gameplay, and online multiplayer added polish. The game felt like Nintendo remembered why Mario worked: joy.
Super Mario Wonder revitalized 2D platformers the way Breath of the Wild did for open-world games—proving Nintendo’s A-teams could still innovate in “solved” genres.