Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the start of a “new phase” for the plumber’s side-scrolling adventures, according to Nintendo staff.
In an interview with Game Informer, the team behind Mario’s newest reinvention was optimistic about the series’ future, but they aren’t quite ready to commit to anything solid for the future. “I believe that we have transitioned from the New Super Mario Bros. series into a new phase,” producer Takashi Tezuka said, “but at this point, we have no idea what the next game style will be.”
In 2006, after a decade-long hiatus, Nintendo returned to the series’ 2D roots with New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. The success of that platformer paved the way for three uber-successful sequels - New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2, and New Super Mario Bros. U. Along with the naming conventions, the games themselves arguably stagnated, which might be the reason it’s been 11 years since Mario’s last 2D romp.
Art director Masanobu Sato says that Wonder might just kick-start the next generation of Mushroom Kingdom jump-a-thons, in the same way that New Super Mario Bros. did: “what we do know is that Super Mario Bros. Wonder has set a bigger stage for adventures for Mario and friends.”
Tezuka acknowledges the long wait between new 2D adventures, though - Mario Maker aside. “There’s been quite a bit of time since the last installment in the New Super Mario Bros. franchise,” Tezuka said, “but when we’re creating another iteration in the series, we understand that we have to go above and beyond the last title.”
From what we’ve seen thus far, Super Mario Bros. Wonder does seem to be going “above and beyond.” Its asynchronous multiplayer features emulate the best bits from Elden Ring, it’s finally giving Daisy fans the respect we deserve, and we can now stomp around the Kingdoms as hulking elephants - something I never knew I needed.
