When Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch, it was seen as a fresh take on classic 2D Mario platforming. The game was bold, unpredictable, and wonderfully strange in ways the series hadn’t explored for years. With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition along with Meetup in Bellabel Park, the original game hasn’t been replaced. Instead, it has been expanded, refined, and given new life, evolving into something even more ambitious and exciting.
Developed and published by Nintendo, this “Anniversary Edition” feels more than just a technical upgrade and content expansion. It reaffirms what Wonder was always meant to be: a lively, unpredictable, and communal platforming adventure that now truly shines in large-scale multiplayer play. And importantly, it succeeds beautifully in doing so.
The Definitive Way to Experience Wonder
At its core, the Switch 2 Edition takes everything that made the original so compelling and refines it further. Performance now feels remarkably stable at nearly flawless 60 frames per second, with docked gameplay running at native 4K resolution, while handheld mode streams at a sharp 1080p. The improvements are immediately noticeable, not just in the crystal clarity but also in how confidently the game handles its most chaotic moments. Those notorious Wonder Effects sequences, which often flood the screen with transformations, motion, and environmental chaos, now appear smoother and easier to follow. Where the original sometimes sacrificed readability for visual overload, this version makes sure that clarity is never sacrificed.
A new Wide Camera option also plays a surprisingly important role, especially during multiplayer sessions. It subtly zooms out during co-op play, helping players keep track of each other during frantic platforming sections without losing clarity or focus. It’s a small addition but one that significantly enhances the overall flow and experience. In short, this is Wonder—without any compromises.
Bellabel Park: A Social Platforming Playground
The most remarkable new feature is definitely the expansion of Meetup in Bellabel Park, a vibrant new social space that truly changes how players experience multiplayer. Instead of simple lobbies or menus, Bellabel Park feels like a real, alive world where players can gather in real time, express themselves through emotes and mini-challenges, and dive into a variety of 17 exciting multiplayer activities. These include cooperative obstacle courses, competitive timed races, and physics-based party challenges, all designed to bring players together in fresh and engaging ways. This level of interaction is unmatched in a 2D Mario game. With support for up to 12 players online or through LAN, Bellabel Park transforms Wonder from a basic platformer into a lively multiplayer playground, a place where fun and community come alive.
What’s most impressive is how effortlessly this integrates with the game’s existing tone. Wonder has always carried a sense of playfulness and an experimental spirit, and Bellabel Park simply deepens that vibe. Chaos is no longer just an occasional feature; it has become the central focus. Managing so many players simultaneously introduces a slight learning curve, and not every attraction flawlessly balances at high player counts, but the overall ambition behind the design is undeniably clear, brimming with personality and purpose.
Rosalina Returns, and Luma Joins the Stage
One of the most celebrated features of this edition is the addition of Rosalina as a playable character, joining Co-Star Luma. Their inclusion feels entirely natural within the existing roster, with subtle gameplay differences that emphasize aerial control and cooperative teamwork. Rosalina’s float-based movement offers a more relaxed approach to platforming, making her particularly useful in the game’s tougher challenge courses. Meanwhile, Luma brings assistive mechanics to co-op play, subtly shifting how teams handle obstacles and timing-based challenges. These additions don’t come across as mere guest appearances but rather as organic extensions of Wonder’s core design principles — embracing variety, flexibility, and a spirit of experimentation.
The Koopalings and the Bellabel Crisis
The expansion introduces a fresh storyline featuring the Koopalings, who have stolen the mystical Bellabel Flowers. This new plot serves as the backdrop for a series of inventive boss battles, each one building on the game’s already creative approach to encounter design. These bosses make extensive use of transformation mechanics, often altering the arena in unexpected ways mid-fight. One moment, players are navigating classic platforming hazards; the next, they’re dealing with gravity shifts, environmental reversals, or surreal visual distortions caused by the stolen flowers’ influence.
Although the story remains light and mostly secondary to gameplay, these sequences deliver some of the most unforgettable moments in the game. It feels as though the developers were given free rein to push the original game’s ideas even further, and they certainly embraced the challenge.
Toad Brigade Training: A Test for Veterans
For returning players looking for a real challenge, the addition of more than 70 new “Toad Brigade Training” courses is a true highlight. These levels are crafted with mastery in mind, demanding precise platforming, perfect timing, and a deep understanding of movement that goes well beyond the usual difficulty of the main game. Unlike the main campaign, these courses strip away much of the game’s playful unpredictability, instead placing the focus squarely on skill and execution. They remind you of traditional challenge rooms but still capture the series’ unique visual style and creative surprises.
For the more experienced players, this is where the expansion really comes alive. It provides a structured challenge for those who have already navigated Wonder’s chaos and are eager for something more disciplined and refined.
Multiplayer at Scale
The most striking new feature in this edition is undoubtedly its expanded multiplayer mode. With support for GameShare, LAN options, and large online lobbies, Wonder now stands out as a truly communal platformer, a distinction that few Mario titles have ever aimed for.
Of course, this larger scale can lead to some challenges. When up to 12 players are on-screen, clarity can become an issue during especially crowded platforming sections, despite the improved camera system. It’s controlled chaos, no doubt, but chaos nonetheless. Still, when everything lines up, the experience is nothing short of exhilarating. Levels transform from mere challenges into dynamic performances, and success feels more like a shared act of improvisation than solo mastery.
Visual Cohesion and Performance
From a presentation standpoint, the Switch 2 upgrade truly stands out. Environments come alive with sharper detail, animations feel more fluid, and particle effects remain stable even under heavy load. Most importantly, the game retains its original identity, never sacrificing its spirit in the pursuit of technical enhancements.
The art direction, already among Wonder’s most compelling features, benefits immensely from the increased resolution. Subtle environmental details, background animations, and character expressions all become richer and more defined, enhancing the overall experience without altering the game’s core aesthetic.
Where It Slightly Overreaches
While its strengths are clear, the expansion does face some minor hurdles. At times, Bellabel Park’s size can make things confusing, especially during larger multiplayer sessions where visual clutter might overshadow the carefully planned design cues. Despite these small issues, the experience still holds a lot of charm and potential.
While the Toad Brigade Training courses are undeniably excellent, they can feel somewhat disconnected from the overall celebratory tone of the broader expansion. Instead of seamlessly blending into a unified narrative or systemic feature, they come across more as isolated challenge content that stands apart from the main story.
Nonetheless, these are minor criticisms in the context of an otherwise confident and expansive package that clearly demonstrates effort and ambition.
Final Verdict
Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, along with a meetup at Bellabel Park, feels more like a fresh creation than just a remaster. It captures a new sense of scale, communities coming together, and the delightful chaos that has always made this platformer special. By blending sleek technical improvements with exciting multiplayer options and meaningful new content, it elevates Wonder to a bigger, livelier, and more unpredictable experience—while still holding onto the charm that made the original so beloved.
