Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park Review

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the best 2D platformers ever made.

Honestly, this game is bursting with creativity! The way it’s built, the levels, everything just flows perfectly from start to finish. The level design feels like classic Super Mario at its absolute best, and those Wonder Flowers? Seriously inventive! I couldn’t stop grinning the whole time I was playing – it’s just pure fun.

The new Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which includes the Meetup in Bellabel Park experience, is somewhat underwhelming. It does come with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a fantastic game that’s worth the cost if you haven’t played it yet. However, if you’ve already enjoyed everything Wonder has to offer, the additional Bellabel Park content probably isn’t worth the extra expense.

The Best Part about Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the Switch 2 is Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Looking back, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a unique entry in Nintendo’s long history of platforming games.

Okay, so Super Mario Odyssey was incredible and really showed everyone what 3D platformers could be. But I’m still a big fan of 2D games, and it seems a lot of other people are too! Nintendo didn’t just stop there after Odyssey, though. They dropped Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and honestly, it’s wild. I was completely surprised when a full-on musical number hit me in just the second level! This game isn’t holding back, and it’s awesome.

This game is incredibly imaginative and keeps you engaged from start to finish. The levels are brilliantly designed, the Wonder Flowers are wonderfully creative, and it’s impossible not to enjoy playing with a big smile.

Even though I played Super Mario Bros. Wonder years ago, it’s still incredibly fun! I suspect I’d react with the same joy and laughter at many of the same moments if I played it now. That really shows how well-made and enduring the game is.

Wonder Flowers continue to be a delightfully surprising and fun part of the game. If you haven’t encountered them yet, they completely change up the levels, turning them into everything from musical stages to sneaky stealth missions. They’re similar to the constant stream of fresh ideas in Super Mario Odyssey, taking an already amazing 2D platformer and making it even more special.

The Koopalings Make Their Presence Known

The biggest highlight of Mario Wonder on the Switch 2 is Bellabel Park, but the game also features the Koopalings as challenging bosses, each with their own unique stage.

Honestly, I’m a little bummed by the Koopaling stages. They really show up what I think is the biggest problem with Super Mario Bros. Wonder: the boss battles. You actually find Captain Toad in every world, and he lets you challenge each Koopaling directly. It’s cool that you get a fun, creative platforming section before the boss, but then the actual fight itself just feels… kind of boring.

Once you stop running and jumping, the magic that makes Mario Wonder so fun disappears. While the boss fights are inventive, they disrupt the game’s momentum. They lack the smooth, energetic feeling of the regular levels, and I found myself spending too much time simply waiting for an opening to attack.

This game doesn’t really feel like a traditional platformer; it often feels like I’m just waiting for my turn to play. I’m not sure if the levels featuring the Koopalings were added later, because they don’t feel very inspired and remind me a lot of New Super Mario Bros. U. They’re okay, but they could have been much more exciting.

Bellabel Park, On the Other Hand, is a Miss

That being said, I’d rather play through the Koopaling stages than Bellabel Park.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Switch 2 includes Bellabel Park, a fun area filled with lots of different mini-games where you can challenge your skills. Think of it as a complete Mario experience within the game! You’ll find classic jumping challenges, hidden items to collect, and ways to improve Bellabel Park as you play. It unlocks after you finish the first world, so it’s easy to jump into early on.

Even with challenging boss battles, the game’s momentum completely stops. These fights, no matter how inventive, break up the smooth, fast-paced action you’d expect from a classic platformer.

On paper, Bellabel Park sounds fantastic and should enhance an already wonderful Mario game. I enjoy classic platforming and collecting items, and I was excited to do more of both! However, Bellabel Park unfortunately feels like it was taken from a less successful Mario title. It’s possible this park just isn’t for me, but it strongly reminds me of the New Super Mario Bros. U games – and not in a good way.

This game feels less like a creative and fun platformer and more like a demonstration of the Switch 2’s capabilities played with a friend. While it can be enjoyable to simply play through, it reminds me of the children’s area at an amusement park – fun, but I’d rather experience something more thrilling and substantial.

The Gameplay of Bellabel Park is at Odds With the Core Super Mario Bros. Wonder Experience

The mini-games in Bellabel Park are reminiscent of Mario Party, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, the biggest downside is that you can only play them online with friends. While local co-op is enjoyable, it’s frustrating to be limited to friends being online to experience the new mini-games, especially in 2026. It would be much better to have an online lobby where you could play with anyone.

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Bellabel Park has some fun ideas in its mini-games, but it’s frustrating to play because it lacks basic features that would make the experience smoother. Honestly, I’d rather be playing almost any other cooperative game.

Bellabel Park’s biggest problem is that it feels unoriginal, like a concept borrowed from a less-inspired Super Mario game.

My biggest disappointment with Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park (the name is a mouthful!) is that it doesn’t feel like a step forward for the series. After really enjoying Bowser’s Fury, I was hoping this would be innovative and show where Mario is headed. Instead, it feels like a return to older, less exciting ideas.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder generally does a great job of keeping you moving and building on what you’ve learned as you play through levels. Each stage feels like a chance to use your skills and the new power-ups you’ve collected. However, Bellabel Park feels different. It’s mostly a series of short mini-games, and I found myself spending more time waiting in the lobby than actually playing them.

Closing Comments

Honestly, getting Super Mario Bros. Wonder + the Bellabel Park add-on feels a little tricky. Mario Wonder itself is still a fantastic game, but it’s been out for three years now, and you can find the Switch version for a good price without missing much. Even though I had some problems with Bellabel Park, it doesn’t ruin Mario Wonder at all. It just feels like this new version is really best for playing with kids or younger siblings – they’re going to love it. I was hoping for something with the scope of Donkey Kong Bananza, Odyssey, or even just more of the original Wonder game, and it didn’t quite hit that mark for me. If you’re like me and were expecting that, you might be a little let down.

2026-04-02 22:13