Nintendo Announces New Side-Scroller, Super Mario Bros. Wonder

The most popular side-scrolling video game of all time is once again returning to a two-dimensional world. Today Nintendo gave us a first look at Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which carries forward a lot of gameplay mechanics from previous Mario side-scrollers (yay, Yoshi!) while introducing some interesting new ones. Elephant Mario, anyone?

Earlier today, Nintendo streamed its latest Nintendo Direct games showcase (you know, the recurring series of game reveals that helped put the final nails in E3’s coffin). Confirming rumors leading up to today’s livestream, Nintendo revealed a brand new Super Mario Bros. game, but unlike the fantastic 3D Mario titles already available for the portable system, Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World, the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be more in line with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, using retro side-scrolling gameplay enhanced with 3D graphics and character models.

In addition to the standard roster of playable characters including Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach, Yoshi will be making his return as Mario’s sidekick, and players can opt to play as Princess Daisy, too. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will include a feature called Wonder Flowers that change how players navigate a level. Per the video, new challenges will include pipes that come to life, more enemies appearing, or the lights going off, forcing players to rely on silhouettes of everything happening on screen. A new power-up for Mario is also being introduced, turning the plumber into an elephant. We don’t know much about him, though. Nintendo has promised more details on what capabilities Elephant Mario has at a later date.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be available for the Switch starting on October 20, but will be available for pre-order through the Nintendo eShop starting today.

Direct also featured several announcements related to Mario and Luigi, including a remake of Super Mario RPG, which originally debuted on the Super Nintendo back in 1996, with a massive graphical facelift that will launch on the Switch on November 17. The 3DS game, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, is also getting updated for the Switch, and Nintendo even teased an entirely new game starring a playable Princess Peach, although both of those titles won’t be available until next year.

The most popular side-scrolling video game of all time is once again returning to a two-dimensional world. Today Nintendo gave us a first look at Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which carries forward a lot of gameplay mechanics from previous Mario side-scrollers (yay, Yoshi!) while introducing some interesting new ones. Elephant Mario, anyone?

Earlier today, Nintendo streamed its latest Nintendo Direct games showcase (you know, the recurring series of game reveals that helped put the final nails in E3’s coffin). Confirming rumors leading up to today’s livestream, Nintendo revealed a brand new Super Mario Bros. game, but unlike the fantastic 3D Mario titles already available for the portable system, Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World, the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be more in line with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, using retro side-scrolling gameplay enhanced with 3D graphics and character models.

In addition to the standard roster of playable characters including Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach, Yoshi will be making his return as Mario’s sidekick, and players can opt to play as Princess Daisy, too. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will include a feature called Wonder Flowers that change how players navigate a level. Per the video, new challenges will include pipes that come to life, more enemies appearing, or the lights going off, forcing players to rely on silhouettes of everything happening on screen. A new power-up for Mario is also being introduced, turning the plumber into an elephant. We don’t know much about him, though. Nintendo has promised more details on what capabilities Elephant Mario has at a later date.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be available for the Switch starting on October 20, but will be available for pre-order through the Nintendo eShop starting today.

Direct also featured several announcements related to Mario and Luigi, including a remake of Super Mario RPG, which originally debuted on the Super Nintendo back in 1996, with a massive graphical facelift that will launch on the Switch on November 17. The 3DS game, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, is also getting updated for the Switch, and Nintendo even teased an entirely new game starring a playable Princess Peach, although both of those titles won’t be available until next year.