Summary
Super Mario Bros. Wondercould have its roots in the most bizarre feature of the classicSuper Mario World. There will doubtlessly be similarities between the two by virtue of both beingSuper Marioplatformers, there are more potential connections than just a shared series. Even beyond that, there’s a chance thatSuper Mario Bros. Wondercould end up providing one of the most unexpected throwbacks that the series has seen to date. The most amusing part is that the part ofSuper Mario Worldthat most resemblesWonderis one that many players may have forgotten about.
Players already know howSuper Mario Bros. Wonderwill be differentfrom other games in the series based on the trailers alone. Of course, the side-scrolling platforming formula that theSuper Marioseries has mastered over the decades will be the driving force of the game. However, it’s the game’s quirkier aspects, such as the talking flowers and level-altering Wonder Flowers that give it its trippy, dreamlike identity. Granted,Super Mario Bros. Wonderwould have probably been notable anyway for being Daisy’s debut playable appearance in a mainlineMariotitle. The game’s overflowing creativity will just make it more memorable in the long run.
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Super Mario World’s Alternate World Would Fit Well into Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Worldis an easy contender for thebestMariogame on the Super Nintendo, and it also hid one of the series' most unusual secrets. InSuper Mario World, players could access Star Road through certain secret exits, and completing Star Road would unlock a second set of secret levels called the Special Zone. Upon beating the Special Zone, the entire game world would change dramatically. The map’s color scheme would change, as would many enemies. Most prominent would be Piranha Plants becoming grinning pumpkins, and Koopas wearing Mario masks instead of shells. It made the game into a bizarre, yet unforgettable experience.
It’s not difficult to draw a line betweenSuper Mario World’s Special Zone rewards andSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s new feature, the Wonder Flower. The Wonder Flower does weird things when it gets picked up, turning a level into a new experience. There’s a correlation between that and whatSuper Mario Worlddoes after beating the Special Zone. The main difference is that the Wonder Flower can actually change levels mechanically, whileSuper Mario World’s odd changes were solely aesthetic. While unconfirmed, one can wonder ifSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s odd effects were inspired in some way bySuper Mario World.
Considering the varied effects of the Wonder Flower, it’s possible thatSuper Mario Bros. Wondercould pay tribute toSuper Mario World’s alternate designs.Super Mario Bros. Wondercan revive older ideasfrom the series, and probably find new ways to work with them in the process. In addition, it would be a fun throwback to see Mario-headed Koopas again, even for just a single level. With the way that the Wonder Flower seems to work, it could even give them new functions within the level. It may be a relatively obscure reference, but it would fit well inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
The aftermath ofSuper Mario World’s Special Zone was one of the series' first dives into absurdity, andSuper Mario Bros. Wondermay be the best time to pay tribute to it. It looks likeSuper Mario Bros. Wonder’s directionis the right one for the series, taking the whimsy of the Mushroom Kingdom to a whole new level. After all, theSuper Mariogames have always managed to make exciting adventures in its rather wacky world. WithSuper Mario Bros. Wonderstepping up in terms of creativity,Super Mario World’s weirdest easter egg could see a revival.
Super Mario Bros. Wonderwill be released on June 30, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
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