History YMMV / SuperMarioBrosWonder

* GeniusBonus: The talking flowers dotting the levels as [=NPCs=] appear to specifically be a kind of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugmansia Brugmansia]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura Datura]], both members of a family of flowers known as ''Nightshades'' that is known to cause hallucinatory effects [[note]] Datura and Brugmansia poisonous on top of producing extremely unpleasant hallucinations. [[/note]] -- tying into the game's whimsical, "trippy", and mildly ''Literature/AliceInWonderland''-inspired art direction.

** The Talking Flowers are usually friendly, but the ones in the the Pyramid Wonder event in "The Desert Mystery" are the exception. You see reddish ones (keep in mind that red ones usually hang out in Badge stages and are encouraging) that will outright shout "Intruder!" as you enter the pyramid, with strong implications that they set up a trap as well. This is definitely something when most Talking Flowers are either friendly or just want to provide their own commentary and exposition.

** [[HalloweenEpisode "Upshroom Downshroom"]] and [["BigBoosHaunt Light-Switch Mansion"]] both stand out due to their Halloween aesthetics; the former features a jack-o'-lantern-lit dance party and the latter features the surprise appearance of [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/LuigisMansionSeries King Boo]], who leads his ghostly subjects in an operatic music number as he chases you down]].
** "[[LethalLavaLand Pull, Turn, Burn]]" has you pulling handles to move the fire obstacles out of your way while avoiding the lava. It's a decent challenge all around, but the Wonder Flower in this level is the absolute highlight, as you gain immunity to fire, falling into the ruins below and searching for five Wonder Tokens, all while ''[[LavaIsBoilingKoolAid swimming in the magma and the lava geysers]]''. [[RuleOfCool How cool is that?]]

** "[[JungleJapes Piranha Plants on Parade]]" became an instant fan-favorite, as the sheer imagination of having an army of Piranha Plants ''sing'' for Mario and co. while marching around is as adorable as it is catchy. [[spoiler:The plants even get an encore in "[[BrutalBonusLevel The Semifinal Test Piranha Plant Reprise]]"!]]
** "[[JourneyToTheSky Cosmic Hoppos]]" is a memorable early-game level. For one, it's among the few vertical levels in the game, and you can cover ludicrous distances ''ludicrously fast'' through serial Hoppo-bouncing. The highlight is the Wonder Effect, which ''[[SpaceZone sends you into space]]'', where you can float around freely in a scenario resembling the Star Maze from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins''. It comes towards the end of a meaty secret path in World 1, and leads to the [[spoiler: first special world entrance]] after a quick badge challenge.
** Petal Isles houses unique level themes not found anywhere else in the game. Highlights include [[PalmtreePanic Downpour Uproar]], a lazy beach level with clouds whose rain you can swim in, [[LevelAte Maw-Maw Mouthful]], a candyland that becomes a StealthBasedMission when you're transformed into slow and defenceless Goombas who must hide from ravenous Maw-Maws, and [[BleakLevel Muncher Fields]], a quiet level reminiscent of ''Mario 3's'' Piranha Plant courses where a soft rain falls and Castle Bowser observes you from the background.
** "[[HalloweenEpisode Upshroom Downshroom]]" and "[[BigBoosHaunt Light-Switch Mansion]]" both stand out due to their Halloween aesthetics; the former features a jack-o-lantern-lit dance party and the latter features the surprise appearance of [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/LuigisMansionSeries King Boo]], who leads his ghostly subjects in an operatic music number as he chases you down]].

** "[[LethalLavaLand Dragon Boneyard]]" starts out as a fun, yet fairly typical lava-themed level where you have to jump between circular, rotating platforms made out of dragon fossils. Then you get the Wonder Flower, and one of the fossils ''springs to life'', turning into a giant blue dragon that gives Mario and co. a ride through the volcanic terrain. Even the Talking Flowers think it's awesome!

** [[spoiler:"[[FinalBoss The Final Battle! Bowser's Rage Stage]]" and "[[DiscOneFinalDungeon The Final Test Wonder Gauntlet]]"]] are two huge conglomerations of several Wonder effects from all over the game, with the former containing an incredible final boss and the latter ending in a mad dash to the goal as tons of effects layer on top of each other.
** [[spoiler:"[[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon The Final-Final Test Badge Marathon]]" keeps up the series tradition of ''extremely'' [[BrutalBonusLevel difficult]], yet ultimately fair and creative final levels, in the same vein as [[VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld "Champion's Road"]] and the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey Darker Side of the Moon]]. It also helps that CheckpointStarvation is averted, as there are two checkpoints to make dying less frustrating.]]

** Heck, how he wrecks havoc across the kingdom is pretty creepy. He converts all of the Popplins' houses into jail cells and has Bowser Jr and Kamek cause their own chaos in several of the lands.
** Bowser Jr himself looks creepy during some of his battles, specifically adopting a similar color scheme to [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Dark Bowser]] and a creepy mask that happens to have sharp teeth itself.

** You endure the gauntlet that Castle Bowser throws at you and you're ready to take him on. Bowser Jr then activates a "super duper extra-cool Wonder" which backfires on him. This Wonder ends up being a distorted mass of everything that's been thrown in at you, with the music sounding very off and the Talking Flowers which appear have very unsettling voices compared to what you encountered beforehand.

** Those segments where a character turns into a Wubba that can stick to walls and ceilings? Already done decades earlier in ''VideoGame/SmartBall''.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The recasting of Daisy has been met with some of this, but not mainly about Giselle Fernandez (who has been praised for being near-indistinguishable from Daisy's previous voice) replacing Deanna Mustard. Rather, it's the timing of the recast and Nintendo's handling of it. For the former, the recast happening the same time Daisy finally gets to be playable in a mainline console game can feel rather disappointing to some fans who were looking forward to hearing a new performance of Mustard's voice alongside the game. For the latter, while it's not known whether Mustard chose to retire, Nintendo gave no such advance notice about the recast, unlike the announcement of Charles Martinet's retirement from the series in advance of ''Wonder's'' release. While this isn't the first time Nintendo has recast certain characters between installments, fans felt the silently sudden recast was unfair to Mustard, as she had voiced Daisy since 2003[[note]]which is far longer than the timeframes of Peach and Toad's voice actresses before their current ones[[/note]] and helped shape Daisy's personality the same way Martinet did for his roles. This has left some fans feeling conflicted, saying that at the very least, Mustard should have been given some kind of send-off (assuming the recast was Nintendo's decision and not hers).

* MagnificentBastard: [[Characters/SuperMarioBrosBowser Bowser]] once again aspires for [[TakeOverTheWorld universal domination]]. Merging himself with a Royal Seed and Prince Florian's castle, he sets up a barrier to ward off anyone from stopping him as he absorbs more Wonder energy, having Bowser Jr. and Kamek distract Mario and friends from getting the Royal Seeds necessary for destroying his barrier. Having finished charging his energy by the time they accomplish this, he throws them into multiple gauntlets made by him before revealing his grand plan to [[spoiler:hypnotize the universe with his Wonder-powered music. [[RottenRockAndRoll Treating the final confrontation like a rock concert]] while nonetheless fighting to the end, Bowser comes [[NearVillainVictory a hair's breath]] from turning everyone in the universe into his "captive audience"]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: An extremely common interpretation among cynical adult gamers and streamers is that the various Poplins who ask for purple coins to "energize" themselves and [[BrokenBridge destroy obstacles or create shortcuts in the overworld]] are lazy scam artists demanding bribes from the player with transparent cover stories.

** There are only seven levels with secret exits, three of which are in World 1.

* Bowser Jr himself looks creepy during some of his battles, specifically adopting a similar color scheme to [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Dark Bowser]] and a creepy mask that happens to have sharp teeth itself.
** His battle in Deep Magma Bog deserves a mention, considering that he turns the battlefield into a silhouette one during some of his phases, with the platforms growing really creepy orangish eyes which look very similar to [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the Eye of Sauron]].
* The Talking Flowers are usually friendly, but the ones in the the Pyramid Wonder event in "The Desert Mystery" are the exception. You see reddish ones (keep in mind that red ones usually hang out in Badge stages and are encouraging) that will outright shout "Intruder!" as you enter the pyramid, with strong implications that they set up a trap as well. This is definitely something when most Talking Flowers are either friendly or just want to provide their own commentary and exposition.
* The entirety of the level of ''Muncher Fields'', which happens to be situated right in front of Castle Bowser in the world map. The atmosphere screams BleakLevel compared to everything that's been thrown at you so far - with rain being present, Bowser giving you an unsettling stare the whole time, and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEm0tZ43BT4&list=PL2XjmdkuVL-3wJKAC7hwQ3BADByBhhj8r&index=46 creepy Fungi Mines music]] playing in the background. Thankfully it's a BreatherLevel compared to the two worlds it's situated between (Fungi Mines and Deep Magma Bog) but it's still really creepy, even by Mario standards.
* You endure the gauntlet that Castle Bowser throws at you and you're ready to take him on. Bowser Jr then activates a "super duper extra-cool Wonder" which backfires on him. This Wonder ends up being a distorted mass of everything that's been thrown in at you, with the music sounding very off and the Talking Flowers which appear have very unsettling voices compared to what you encountered beforehand.

** Despite the usual [[FandomRivalry rivalry]] stemming between both fanbases and franchises, ''Mario'' and ''Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'' fans are both equally supportive of this game and the ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', both of which were released within three days of each other. Both games are looking to be a very nice return to form after past [[ContestedSequel controversial]] 2D game entries (''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros2'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'' respectively) with very beautiful and expressive animation and art-styles while also having completely new and unique looking environments and areas and multiple different playable characters (with Amy and Daisy being the biggest surprises). Plenty of crossover art celebrating both games were made within hours of the game's reveal.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: The Talking Flowers are widely popular for giving often [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} nonsensically silly]] commentary and being [[ButtMonkey the butt of much of the game's slapstick]]. It helps that their dialogue doesn't disrupt gameplay, and the audio can be turned off in the settings if the player wishes. Most choose not to, though.

** Despite the usual [[FandomRivalry rivalry]] stemming between both fanbases and franchises, ''Mario'' and ''Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'' fans are both equally supportive of this game and the new upcoming 2D ''Sonic'' game, ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', both of which were released within three days of each other. Both games are looking to be a very nice return to form after past [[ContestedSequel controversial]] 2D game entries (''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros2'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'' respectively) with very beautiful and expressive animation and art-styles while also having completely new and unique looking environments and areas and multiple different playable characters (with Amy and Daisy being the biggest surprises). Plenty of crossover art celebrating both games were made within hours of the game's reveal.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: An extremely common interpretation among cynical adult gamers and streamers is that the various Poplins who ask for purple coins to "energize" themselves and [[BrokenBridge destroy obstacles or create shortcuts in the overworld]] are lazy scam artists demanding bribes from the player with transparent cover stories.

** A particular Talking Flower shown in the August Direct is shown to wonder what Goombas taste like. With the reveal that there's a wonder effect that turns heroes into Goombas, this has spawned plenty of fanart depicting a Talking Flower ominously staring at a terrified Goomba Mario whilst questioning what he tastes like. Became HilariousInHindsight upon the game's release; if you pass by it while a Goomba, it'll question what ''you'' taste like, though after getting the Wonder Seed, it'll state it hopes the Goomba made it.

* GeniusBonus: The talking flowers dotting the levels as [=NPCs=] appear to specifically be a kind of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugmansia Brugmansia]], a member of a family of flowers known as ''Datura'' that is known to cause hallucinatory effects [[note]] Datura is poisonous on top of producing extremely unpleasant hallucinations. [[/note]] -- tying into the game's whimsical, "trippy", and mildly ''Literature/AliceInWonderland''-inspired art direction.

* AlternateJokeInterpretation: One promo short has Bowser trying to woo Peach with a flower, only for her to transform into Elephant Peach when an Elephant Fruit passes by. Bowser immediately swaps the flower with a ''bouquet''. Is this because Bowser loves Peach no matter what shape she is, or is he more of a ChubbyChaser?

** Each of the Airship levels ends with a pseudo boss battle against the factory production line itself: a very menacing-looking Bowser head that spits out obstacles down a conveyor belt. It has a very simple and linear way to defeat it: simply jumping over it and hitting the BigRedButton, ''once''. Like with Jr., each of its appearances involves a different obstacle to slightly spice things up, but each obstacle is too simple to really change how the fight plays.

** In terms of enemies, most of the returning ones are series mainstays, so it is a bit of a surprise to see Hothead from ''Super Mario World'' and Nipper Plant from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', both of which had been absent for over 20 years (counting [[UpdatedRerelease ports]] of said games) outside of the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' and ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' series, as well as ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach''.

** From the moment it was revealed, fans suspected that the Bubble Flower power-up could be used to cheese levels, and they turned out to be correct -- while it does require practice to get the timing down, the fact that the bubbles you blow can be used as temporary platforms with almost no cooldown makes it entirely possible to skip over massive portions of many of the game's levels.

** Many fans compared Prince Florian to [[ForcedTransformation Kibidango]]/[[DieForOurShip Prince Haru]] from ''Anime/TheGreatMissionToSavePrincessPeach'' anime film, leading to a ''ton'' of fan speculation ([[PoesLaw jokingly or otherwise]]) leading up to the game's release that Prince Florian would be [[BitchInSheepsClothing secretly the real villain]] in some way. It didn't help when ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' fans jumped in due to a history in their franchise of cute characters being introduced only to turn out to be [[BitchInSheepsClothing Bitches in Sheep's Clothing]]. Once the game was out, Prince Florian was shown to be [[SheepInSheepsClothing just as sweet as he appeared to be]], and reception of him warmed up.

* DifficultySpike:
** World 2's Jump! Jump! Jump! requires perfect precision platforming for about a full minute relatively early in the game, and most methods for reducing difficulty such as rescuing ghosts or using an invincible character don't work at all.
** [[spoiler:Fluff-Fluff Peaks Special: Climb to the Beat gives players a nasty spike. The platforming is now more precise and after getting the Wonder Flower, poison starts rising. One wrong move and the poison will instantly kill your character, forcing you to start from the beginning]].
** World 2 also houses the devilish Badge Challenge Wall-Climb Jump II, which is a long vertical level almost entirely comprised of single block-wide platforms and the risk of falling all the way back to the start. Towards the end is a very unusual setup with rotating platforms, which must be pre-emptively wall-jumped off of while vertical in order to be caught by the flat side as they turn around.

* ThatOneLevel: Fluff-Puff Peaks Special Climb to the Beat is surprisingly difficult even among the Special World levels, as it requires a few quick and precise wall jumps near the end of the level. If you jump too slowly or too low, you'll be unable to reach the next wall in time. For the whole level in general, you'll have to perfectly time your jumps and keep up with the level's steadily increasing speed -- adjusting time as you progress -- in order to avoid losing a life and starting over.

** Courses labeled "Break Time!" are incredibly short courses that can be completed in mere seconds, typically with no way to lose a life either, giving the player an easy-to-obtain Wonder Seed.