Summary
Super Mario Bros. Wonderhas seen success and acclaim far beyond that of other recent 2DMariogames. Given its critical prowess, many gamers are curious as to howSuper Mario Bros. Wonderwill impact the series' next 3D entry.
With a long line of solid games that have been brought down by a lack of imagination, 2DMariohas been falling behind since the ‘New’ era of the franchise began. The games had begun to feel like clones of one another. Fortunately,Super Mario Wondercame along this year to breathe new life into the series. Alongside a unique soundtrack and animation style,Wonderbrought a smorgasbord of new mechanics, power-ups, and enemies that deviate from the norm. Its vibrant worlds and injection of variety mixed withMario’s ever-strong platforming helpedliftSuper Mario Wonderto a nominationfor Game of the Year.
Wonder’s Success Might Change The Course Of A Mario Odyssey Sequel
Super Mario Odysseymade similar strides for 3DMario. After a number of linear entries,Odysseyopened up its worlds. Levels inOdysseyare more based on exploration rather than granular obstacle design, bringing that line of games back to its roots and going beyond said roots with a modern expansion. The title has been influential enough to seemingly have some impact onWonder—not only with the game’s deviating aspects, but its Prince Florian, who plays a similar roletoOdyssey’s Cappy companion. If a theoretical Odyssey sequel is in the works, it’s likely the reverse might happen;Wondercould inspire Odyssey.
Mario Wonder Has Many Fresh Ideas For An Odyssey Sequel
The main thingWondercould bring to anOdysseysequel is its level design. Whilst the originalOdysseyhas a brilliant array of platforming-based challenges (especially its final gauntlet), the title is far more focused on its exploration than hard level design. On the other hand,Super Mario Wonderfocuses on strong platforming. With a whole array of strong gimmicks, from ziplines to ghost-busting light switches, taking inspiration from these weird and wonderful systems would work very well alongsideOdyssey’s Cappy. Cappy is the major platforming mechanic ofOdyssey; what he brings to Mario’s moveset is the core system, as opposed to any individual level gimmick. Combining complex levels with the depth of Cappy would really up the gameplay of anOdysseysequel.
On the subject of Cappy,Mario Wonder’s variety of bossesand enemies would make perfect vessels for the googly-eyed hat to possess.Odysseybrought a whole host of new minibosses and foes to the canon, often taking advantage of their attributes for Cappy puzzles.Wonder’s menagerie of strange creatures would make for some great Cappy moments. Some highlights include:
There’s Still Time For Wonder To Make A Mark On An Odyssey 2
Of course, there is the question of the extent to whichSuper MarioWondercan impact any nextOdysseygame.Mario Wonderis likely a swan songfor the Switch, so if there is a sequel toOdysseyit will probably be featured on the next Nintendo console. If that theoretical sequel is a flagship title, there’s only a very small window forWonder’s success to impact it. However, the design process ofWonder —with the game being a turning point inMariogames with its art style, overworld, and new mechanics — will likely have impacted anyOdysseycontinuation in development.
This is all based on speculation; noOdysseysequel has yet been confirmed. However,the incredibly successfulSuper Mario Wonderwill undeniably impact anyOdysseysequel. Even if its success doesn’t leave time to impart inspiration onOdysseyspecifically, its wonderful freshness will undoubtedly be reflected in 2D and 3DMariogames for years to come.
