I know it’s been sacrilege for nearly three decades now, but I’ve always preferred 2D Mario games to those newfangled 3D ones. (I’m an elder Millennial; leave grandpa to his ramblings). So I couldn’t be happier Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting the “Switch 2 Edition + expansion” treatment in March. To celebrate the new-gen upgrade and the Meetup in Bellabel Park DLC, Nintendo is releasing three new amiibo based on the game. They cost $24.99 each, and are set to release March 26, the same day as the game’s new content. They’re available to preorder now (see them at Amazon).
Super Mario Bros. Wonder amiibo
The new amiibo are Elephant Mario, Captain Toad & Talking Flower, and Poplin & Prince Florian. Elephant Mario is a delightful amiibo, with the pachyderm plumber squeezing his portly torso into a pipe. As for the Poplin amiibo, the orangesicle-colored character holds a watering can while Prince Florian sits on his head. And in the Captain Toad amiibo, our hero is doing a victory pose in front of the Talking Flower.
Talking Flower Preorders Are Live
Talking Flower
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Speaking of talking flowers, Nintendo is also releasing another plastic curiosity to add to its lineup of weird hardware. This one is a toy version of the Talking Flower that actually talks to you. It’s available to preorder now as well.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) on Sale
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
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As for the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo is pulling a Nintendo and charging $79.99 for the game. That’s obviously absurd, so here’s a workaround if you don’t already own the original Switch game. You can buy a copy of the original Switch game on sale now at Woot for $46.99 and then upgrade it on the eShop for an additional $19.99 once the expansion comes out. That gets you the full Switch 2 experience of the game for $64.99, which saves you $15. Not too shabby.
And in case you’re wondering if the base game is any good, you can rest assured that it is. In our 9/10 Super Mario Bros. Wonder review, Ryan McCaffrey wrote:
“Super Mario Bros. Wonder establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like. It is colorful, it is alive, and it is joyful. It also managed to surprise and delight me in continually more creative ways thanks to its unpredictable Wonder Effects, which transform levels into something completely different for a brief while. Like dessert in the middle of the main course of each stage, they were irresistible and always put a smile on my face – as did the absolute beast that is Elephant Mario. In every way other than advanced challenges, Wonder feels like a 21st-century successor to Super Mario World, and I’m not sure I can give it a higher compliment than that.”
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
