Super Mario Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Everyone to Bellabel Park

Super Mario Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Bellabel's Park Getaway is the version of Super Mario Wonder for Nintendo's new console, released on the original Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023. It includes the Bellabel's Park Getaway expansion, which specifically enhances the local and online multiplayer experience. Among the new features, in addition to Bellabel's Park, which will represent a new central hub as explained below, is Rosalina as a playable character for the main adventure, including Sliver as a helper in co-op mode, GameShare support, and the exclusive mouse-style controls of the Nintendo Switch 2's Joy-Con 2 (NSW2). But let's proceed in order.

Rosalinda and Sfivilloto in mouse mode spring into action!

For the main game campaign, as mentioned, Rosalina and Luma are available right away, the latter specifically for local multiplayer. Rosalina, like all the other available characters, doesn't have an exclusive moveset but will certainly please fans of Mario Galaxy and its protagonist, the guardian of the comet observatory. Luma, on the other hand, allows a local player to take control of her with the mouse and assist the main player throughout the level. In practice, the main player is practically invincible and can flit from one screen to the next without taking any damage. As for power-ups, the Super Flowerpot is introduced, which transforms Mario and the other characters literally into a flower capable of double jumping or throwing flowers at enemies. Certainly less memorable than the elephant power-up, the Walking Flower is nevertheless very useful for tackling the new single-player challenges introduced with this expansion.

The individual player has not been forgotten…

South of the Bellabel Amusement Area is the Base Camp, which introduces a series of increasingly difficult challenges requiring the completion of specific objectives, such as eliminating all enemies or meeting strict time limits, specifically making use of the powers of the new Pins. Double Pins are another new addition to this add-on. In the standard game, pins unlock an additional move and can be swapped at will at the start of each level. Double Pins promise the same thing, but instead of one move, they offer two. For example, while one pin allowed you to glide with your hat and another to run very quickly, the double pin now allows you to do both. Returning to the Base Camp, the challenges offered require the use of unique skills on specially designed courses. In addition to the challenges, the Browserotti, Bowser's henchmen who stole the Bellabel Flowers from the amusement park, have been introduced. Essentially, it involves revisiting familiar levels in a different guise, attempting to recover the Bellabel Flowers stolen by the henchmen. In other words, these are essentially reworked levels, serving as an alternative to the dimensions altered by the Wonder Flowers, following the same concept as Kirby and the Lost Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + The Starry Sky. With the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonderland, Nintendo introduced a single-player reimagining of familiar levels without significantly altering their foundations, introducing the henchman boss who stole the flower at the end of each stage. The only drawback is the number of these reworked levels, which are very few and not particularly long-lasting.

A Platformer themed Mario Party

However, the real strength of this expansion lies in its multiplayer, where the attractions of Bellabel Park feel like a sort of mini Mario Party of platform minigames integrated into a traditional, two-dimensional installment of the franchise. We mention one species, so in the absence of other players, it will not be possible to visit these activities alone with the CPU. Bellabel Park is divided into three large areas dedicated to social play: one for competitive versus local challenges, one for other players in cooperative play (also local), while the last focuses on online play. The similarity to Mario Party is not in the heterogeneity of the games, but rather in the simplicity of the minigames offered, perfectly integrated with the platform gameplay of Super Mario, which makes this add-on a riot of ideas that encourages you to try them all. Local multiplayer Plaza is certainly the park's mode with the most attractions, with a total of 17, and offers minigames such as a sort of block builder (while the other uses a standard character), or hot potato-style minigames. The other mode, local wireless or online with other copies of the game or using GameShare mode, allows up to 12 players to participate in fewer recreational activities, but certainly more chaotic.

Technically, on Nintendo Switch 2, the title significantly benefits from the new hardware architecture, delivering a native 4K resolution in docked mode and a solid 1080p in portable mode. Thanks to the increased processing power, the frame rate remains locked at a rock-solid 60 fps, eliminating any possible uncertainty even in the most chaotic situations with four players and "Wonder" effects active simultaneously. Loading times are almost instantaneous between Bellabel Park and individual levels, while HDR support enhances the vibrant color palette of the Flower Kingdom, making character animations and transformations even more fluid and detailed than in the original version.

Bellabel Park is certainly a substantial add-on that's worth the asking price (CHF 19.90), especially suited to those with families or who want to try their hand at multiplayer in the side-scrolling Mario universe. Of course, given the robust multiplayer experience, we might have expected a little more in terms of single-player features.