Unexpected Transformations and Emotional Support Flowers
Early on in “Super Mario Bros. Wonder,” nemesis Bowser, up to no good in a new kingdom, transforms himself into a heavy metal-loving sentient castle. Mario and Co. need to come to the rescue. But before the run-and-jump platforming action begins, a little yellow flower has a message for Team Mario: “I believe in youuu!” it says in a chirpy, sing-songy voice. The statement arrives like a hug. And there will be more.
A Return to Tradition with a Twist
“Super Mario Bros. Wonder” arrived last week at a time of renewed interest in the Nintendo mascot, thanks in part to the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and the U.S. opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. It could be seen as a return to tradition, as it’s the first traditional side-scrolling “Super Mario Bros.” game in 11 years, but despite familiar foes and save-the-kingdom objectives, it is a game full of surprises — not to mention magical fruits and flowers that play with our expectations of what a “Mario” game can be.
The Healing Power of Play
“Super Mario Bros.” games are often seen as lighthearted fare, interactive works about play for play’s sake. But “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” was a reminder to me that they’re much deeper than that. With revelations like the emotional support flowers appearing throughout the surreal world, the game is a treatise on the healing power of play. Playing it has been akin to injecting pure serotonin, and I’d argue it’s done more to boost my mood than any of the self-help audio books I’ve devoured over the last 11 months.
Finding Awe in Unexpected Places
Each level in “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” seems to build upon and tweak the rules of the prior one. Such attention to detail is how I explain that I, in what’s been an extended depressed state, suddenly stood transfixed by the agate swirls found in the travertine walls of the Natural History Museum last weekend, or got lost the other week by the moon-like shadows on downtown Los Angeles sidewalks inspired by an eclipse. Cracks and crevices became hidden patterns, and our walls, floors, ceilings and sidewalks are filled with designs worthy of an astrologer’s star map. That is, if we just stop to absorb them.
The Video Game of Self-Care
A key component of “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is the so-called the “Wonder Flower,” which, when collected, essentially turn the world on its head. Everything we’ve come to know about a “Super Mario Bros.” game is momentarily twisted and turned — at once Mario is zooming on a track, transformed into a spike-enhanced slug. They’ve been described as something akin to an acid trip, but I’d argue they’re more like a wake-up call, a gentle knock on the head that says we should workout our imaginations as much as we do our bodies.
A World That is Extraordinary Yet Magnificent
Sprung from the mind of game design master Shigeru Miyamoto, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is often said to be inspired by childhood playgrounds. But as Mario has evolved and his worlds have gotten bigger, brighter and more colorful, they’ve also become about something bolder. The interactive digital world evokes joy, nostalgia, and a little heartbreak, and its outlandish weirdness suddenly feels familiar, an extraordinary world that is as ordinary yet magnificent as our own.
