Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the latest 2D Mario game - and you can turn Mario into an elephant

Elephant Mario jumping
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The brand-new side-scrolling Mario title, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been announced and it looks slightly surprising. 

It looks like you can play as the classic crew with the fantastic new addition of Daisy in the new side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The announcement trailer was shown at Nintendo Direct June 2023, and there is a bunch to unpack. 

Similar to older 2D Mario titles Wonder sees you glide across clouds, skid through pipes, and navigate unfriendly boiling-hot lava. However, this new title has some unique additions. There are pushing puzzles, new enemies, and even something called a 'wonder flower'.

It looks like fun chaos will abound, and Nintendo tells us that "surprise and wonder await at every corner" in the game too. This seems very accurate - especially toward the end of the trailer when we can see Mario morph straight into an elephant version of himself.

This bright-looking flower could mean absolutely anything once you touch it. The ground could start moving, you could become an elephant, or flowers could start talking, you know, usual Mario stuff. 

As mentioned briefly above, the game looks like it'll offer multiple characters to play at, and with all of them appearing on screen at once several times in the trailer, could that mean we're on for some co-op Mario action with Wonder? Colour us intrigued.

While there's not much else in terms of specific, listed-out details to go on yet Wonder looks like a joyful next title in the long-running Mario series that'll provide fans with tons of funny moments and nail-biting action. Just make sure you expect the unexpected. 

With a release date of this October, too, we're hopeful of finding out some more information in the near future - it's only four months away after all. But if you're sold already you can pre-order the digital version right now, and then even pre-load it straight away too!

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be available to play on October 20, 2023, on the Nintendo Switch

Elie Gould
Features Writer

Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications. 

Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they've taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.