What a great day for Switch co-op news! During the recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the surprise Switch release of Pikmin 1 and 2, shared a new trailer for Pikmin 4, and announced the Switch version of Vampire Survivors. Perhaps more exciting than those announcements, though, are the announcements of the (single-player) Super Mario RPG remake and a NEW mainline Mario game: Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The new game will be 2D and feature 4-player local co-op.
That's right, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a brand-new 2D Super Mario game. Nintendo isn't calling this "New Super Mario Bros.," which seems to indicate that Wonder is closer to classics like Super Mario Bros. 3 than New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. The reveal trailer certainly seems to show a game that overflows with creativity and new ideas rather than playing things relatively safe like the New Super Mario games. Roller-skating Koopa Troopas, pipes that slink around like caterpillars, Mario's silhouetted body stretching to incredible heights: this game is bursting at the seams with fresh ideas and wonder.
Many of those wondrous new effects are the direct result of Wonder Flowers, "game changing items" that alter the fabric of Mario's reality. On top of that, Mario can find a new, elephant-shaped red berry that transforms him into Elephant Mario. This fresh animal form bulks up our favorite Italian plumber and allows him to kick Goombas away like they're nothing. It's certainly a more interesting form than Super Mario 3D World's Cat Mario.
One feature that Super Mario Bros. Wonder borrows from New Super Mario Bros. U is 4-player local co-op. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi and Toad are all confirmed as playable characters. The trailer also shows Mario riding on Yoshi, so it looks like Mario's dinosaur friend doubles as both a playable character and a mount this time.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be released exclusively on Switch on October 20. The digital version can be preordered now for $59.99. We can't wait for this one!