Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Edition: Bellabel Park Expansion Review
Nintendo has unveiled the Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, featuring the new Bellabel Park expansion. This update aims to enhance the already celebrated 2D platformer with fresh multiplayer experiences and additional single-player content. As the gaming community evaluates whether this upgrade justifies its cost, we delve into the specifics of what this edition offers.
Switch 2 Editions: A Strategic Move by Nintendo
Nintendo's strategy with the Switch 2 involves releasing enhanced versions of existing Switch 1 titles to bolster the new console's launch lineup. This approach mirrors the company's previous tactic of remastering Wii U games for the original Switch. However, a key difference emerges: while Wii U games often benefited from significant updates due to their limited audience, Switch 1 games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder are already highly polished, leaving little room for substantial improvements.
Switch 2 Editions are categorized into two pricing tiers. The cheaper upgrades, such as those for recent Zelda titles, cost around £8 and offer minor graphical enhancements. In contrast, the more expensive versions, priced at approximately £17, include substantial new content, as seen with Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby And The Forgotten Land. The Bellabel Park expansion for Super Mario Bros. Wonder falls into the latter category, focusing primarily on multiplayer additions.
Bellabel Park: Multiplayer Minigames Galore
The centerpiece of this Switch 2 Edition is Bellabel Park, an in-game theme park hosting a variety of multiplayer minigames. These are split between online and local play, with GameShare allowing only one player to own the game for participation. Despite this convenience, a puzzling design choice persists: all characters appear as ghosts in online modes, even among Best Friends who own the game, creating an oddly disconnected experience.
Online minigames include six competitive options, such as horizontally scrolling races involving flowers, spaceships, and roller-skates, plus maze-like challenges and platforming tests. Highlights include a hide-and-seek variant and a roller-skate race, though these modes lack depth and innovation.
Local minigames offer 11 options, divided into competitive and co-op categories. Competitive games leverage the title's platforming mechanics, with tasks like coin collection, power-up battles, and enemy arena fights. Co-op minigames shine brighter, featuring creative collaborations like a Bob-omb hot potato game, platform-building with cursor controls, and a split-control challenge where one player handles walking and the other jumping. After initial plays, players can engage in structured sequences of three minigames for a more cohesive experience.
Single-Player Enhancements and Accessibility
Beyond multiplayer, the Switch 2 Edition introduces new single-player content, including additional levels and boss battles centered on the seven Koopalings. A notable addition is the debut of Rosalina as a playable character, with Luma assisting in star collection and enemy attacks via optional mouse controls. An assist mode also makes the game more accessible by granting immunity to damage and falls, catering to less experienced players.
New features include a flower power-up enabling hovering, double jumps, and projectile attacks, plus a reward system where water droplets earned in multiplayer or challenges unlock random items like instruments, dual badges, and park decorations. While these additions are enjoyable, they feel somewhat fragmented and non-essential.
Graphics, Pricing, and Overall Value
Graphically, the Switch 2 Edition offers a 4K resolution in TV mode, though as a 2D game, the visual upgrade is minimal. The expansion is priced at £16.99 as an upgrade pack or £66.99 for the full game, raising questions about value. For players who frequently engage in local multiplayer, Bellabel Park provides enough content to warrant the cost. However, since the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, opting for the Switch 1 version without the DLC remains a viable alternative.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder continues to stand out as one of the best 2D Mario games since the SNES era, praised for its imaginative level design and Wonder Flower mechanics. The Bellabel Park expansion, while not groundbreaking, adds fun distractions and slight improvements. Nintendo faces the challenge of enhancing near-perfect originals, and this edition reflects that difficulty without detracting from the core experience.
Review Summary
In Short: An enjoyable but non-essential expansion for a top-tier 2D Mario game, offering fun multiplayer minigames and modest single-player additions.
Pros: The core game remains highly creative and entertaining; new stages, characters, and power-ups are welcome; most multiplayer games are fun despite some shallowness.
Cons: Art design and music are still underwhelming; the upgrade is expensive for those not focused on multiplayer; ghosted online players are an odd choice.
Score: 10/10
Formats: Nintendo Switch 2
Price: £66.99 or £16.99 upgrade pack
Release Date: 26th March 2026
