Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Upgrade

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is one of the best games released for the original Switch, and now it has made its way to the Nintendo Switch 2 with a native release and brand-new content. The new content in Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is available to owners of the original game if they’re willing to shell out $19.99 for it.

In an effort to give the Nintendo Switch 2’s library a boost, Nintendo has been releasing special Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of various Switch 1 games that come with enhancements and new features. Some major Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games released so far include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and, most recently, Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Some Switch 1 Owners Aren’t Happy About Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Some Switch 1 owners are unhappy with the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, reflecting broader concerns over Nintendo’s product strategy.

The Switch 2 upgrades for those other games are all cheaper than Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s $19.99 upgrade pack, and so some Nintendo fans may be hesitant about taking the plunge. After spending some time playing through the new content in Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, I have to say that I don’t think it’s really worth the asking price.

What Comes With the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Upgrade

After upgrading to the new version of the game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder whisks players to the new Bellabel Park area. The main quest here is about finding Captain Toad in each world to initiate a boss fight against a Koopaling, with the twist that the Koopaling has been given Wonder Power from Bowser. These boss fights are fun and imaginative, and even include brief mini-levels leading up to them. They’re a real highlight of the package, but they can all be completed in roughly 30 minutes or so, and are also bogged down by a surprising amount of yapping for a Super Mario game. There’s way too much talking to set things up and a lot of chatting between fights, too. It’s also inconvenient how the game forces players back to Bellabel Park after each fight instead of letting them simply go from one boss fight to the next.

Players have access to all of Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s power-ups and badges from the base game to help them fight the Koopalings, but they also have access to the new Super Flower Pot power-up. The Super Flower Pot turns players into a plant and gives them petal projectiles. It’s a fine addition, but I definitely prefer the elephant power-up myself.

Dual badges have been added, plus players can also play as Rosalina and Luma in all of Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s content. But besides going back through the base game’s worlds and fighting the new Koopaling bosses, players will also want to check out what’s available in the titular Bellabel Park.

Bellabel Park is quite busy, with players able to spend water they collect from completing challenges to unlock a variety of items, including decorations that can be used to spruce up the park. Like Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s standees, these items operate on a gacha system of sorts, where players never know what they’re going to get next. There are cooperative challenges and versus challenges available to get more water, but they frequently recycle areas from the base game and just add new things to them, like one that challenges players to play through a portion of a level while collecting coins and another that has players competing to see which Yoshi can eat the most.

Should You Buy Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Switch 2 Upgrade?

None of this stuff is particularly compelling, but can be fun with a group of friends. Personally, after beating the Koopalings, I felt little desire to get 100% like I did when I played the base game of Super Mario Bros. Wonder a few years ago, so I don’t imagine I will be returning to the Switch 2 version very often. If it were cheaper, it would be an easy recommendation, but $19.99 is steep for what Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park brings to the table.