Since the Switch 2 released, Nintendo has steadily released a series of upgraded editions of its first-party titles. The major selling point for Switch 2 editions of older games is the graphics and performance enhancement, but many also come with new features that take advantage of the new console’s capabilities. This year, the latest Nintendo title to get an enhanced Switch 2 edition release is Super Mario Bros. Wonder. And this game launches bundled with a new add-on, Meetup in Bellabel Park, which I recently got to experience firsthand.
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder released back in 2023, offering a side-scrolling return to form for the series. It has proved to be immensely popular, which is perhaps part of why Nintendo is putting out Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. The original game will get a few new bells and whistles when it launches for Switch 2, but the highlight here seems to be the new Meetup in Bellabel Park feature. At any rate, that’s what Nintendo was eager to show off during its recent Switch 2 preview event. After experiencing it, I can certainly see why.
Meetup in Bellabel Park Scratches the Itch for a New Mario Party Game
The new Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder comes automatically bundled with Meetup in Bellabel Park. This brand-new addition is exclusive to the Switch 2, though you will be able to invite friends to join with GameShare. It adds a new multiplayer area where you can take on a variety of mini-games with friends, ranging from competitive to cooperative options. It’s a lot like a little version of Mario Party dropped right into the most recent Super Mario title.
During the preview event, I got to try out a handful of the new mini-games on offer. In all, it looks like there will be a decent variety of game types and options to keep things interesting for a while. Some of the mini-games use the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, so you’ll need to be ready with a flat surface if you select one of those. The one we tried involves two players using mouse controls to draw donut-brick platforms for the other players to run across. From what I experienced, the mouse controls were pretty responsive and worked exactly as intended. I’ll chalk those uneven paths my fellow players had to deal with up to user error.
Along with this cooperative game that made use of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, I got to sample a few other, more competitive mini-games. Many of them involved racing across the screen to an end goal, pulling from the side-scrolling elements showcased in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. However, like a good Mario mini-game, they often put different obstacles in the way, from bouncing balloon hippos to freeze-tag style twists.
My favorite involved carrying a baby Yoshi and helping him enjoy some tasty snacks. The bigger Yoshi got, the heavier he’d be, causing you to slow down on your progress to the end of the map. The biggest Yoshi won. Another game featured a Bomb-omb relay race, with a twist. The Talking Flower would announce a new player to carry the bomb, and you only had a specific amount of time to trade off before it exploded. That led to some tense, but hilarious, moments in our group. We also tried a game where you had to collect coins while avoiding being spotted by a giant Boo. If you didn’t freeze in time, you’d lose your coins. This brought me back to the “I might throw a controller” days of losing stars to friends in my early Mario Party days. Thankfully, I managed to resist the urge, even as King Boo kept stealing all my coins.
The games might have been new, but the overall cadence felt familiar. Playing Meetup in Bellabel Park was like returning to Mario Party, minus the board game element. The mini-games we sampled weren’t anything too different from what you’d expect in Mario Party, but that didn’t make them any less fun. If you’ve been waiting for a new Mario Party, upgrading to the Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder might well be worth your while. Even at $20, one of the pricier upgrade packs, it still beats the likely asking price of a new Mario Party, if we ever get one.
Along with New Mini-Games, Super Mario Bros. Wonder Will Get a Glow Up for Switch 2
Given that buying a brand-new Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder will run you $80 USD, you may be wondering what else is on offer. If you don’t yet own Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Switch 2, it’s hard to justify paying $80 if all you’re interested in are the multiplayer mini-games. At its core, the base game will be much the same, with a few enhancements. I’m not sure the new additions justify starting a full new playthrough, but there are some features that could make jumping back into the game worth your while. And if you haven’t yet played it, this version could be a better way to experience the highly-rated Super Mario installation.
We didn’t get a chance to check out the new features during the preview event, which focused entirely on Meetup at Bellabel Park. So, I’ll just quickly run through what we know about the Switch 2 edition, so you have a sense of what else the new edition entails. Here are the highlights of what’s new with Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch 2:
- New boss courses for all 7 Koopalings
- Rosalina and Co-Star Luma as newplayable characters
- Super Flower Pot power-up
This, of course, comes alongside the typical smoother frame rates, faster load times, and enhanced resolutions you can expect with a Switch 2 edition. If you’re a big Super Mario Bros. Wonder fan, you could get some fun out of trying the new characters and courses. But by and large, I think the selling point for upgrading to the Switch 2 edition rests in the surprisingly enjoyable new array of multiplayer mini-games it will add.
What do you think about paying $20 for an upgraded Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder? Are the new mini-games and characters worth it? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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