All Power-Ups in Super Mario Bros Wonder

Power-ups are one of the defining features of practically every installment in many gamers’ favorite plumber mascot’s adventures. It’s hard to forget the iconic Super Mushroom you get almost right at the start of World 1-1 in the original “Super Mario Bros.”

So what about “Super Mario Bros. Wonder?” Let’s take a look at the game’s power-ups and see how they live up to this decades-long legacy.

The Power-Up Panorama

“Super Mario Bros. Wonder” has an impressive array of power-ups. Many returning classics are here, but there are also some nifty newcomers. Here’s a list of what you can expect in the game to boost your power and shake up your playstyle:

• Super Mushroom – This is an iconic power-up that’s been around almost as long as the franchise itself. It makes Mario and his friends bigger and more “durable,” meaning they can take an extra hit.
• Drill Mushroom – Something fresh that Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings to the table, this power-up lets your character burrow through the terrain. You aren’t just limited to drilling down, either. With this item, you can even drill into ceilings. The drill tip can also defeat enemies that land on top of it.
• Fire Flower – As another classic, the Fire Flower lets you shoot fireballs to defeat enemies for a time. The twist this time is that you can only get the Fire Flower after you already collected a Super Mushroom.
• Bubble Flower – This power-up is a newcomer. It lets you blow bubbles that serve a dual purpose. They can trap enemies so you can turn them into coins when you capture them, but you can also use them as makeshift platforms to reach higher places or cross great chasms.
• Wonder Flower – The Wonder Flower is one of the defining items in this game. It activates the level’s Wonder effect, with each level having a different Wonder Effect. For example, in Piranha Plants on Parade, the Wonder Effect makes the Piranha Plants break out into singing and dancing, and the game starts auto-scrolling you forward. The Wonder Effects ends by getting to the Wonder Seed.
• Elephant Fruit – Another newcomer that follows the tradition of animal transformations – this power-up turns your character into an elephant. In this form, you can destroy any block and smack enemies with your trunk. They’ll be sent flying and can even take down other enemies on collision.
• Super Star – Here’s another “Super Mario” classic power-up. This one gives you temporary invincibility so you can power through enemies with ease. But be careful where you go because if you fall into a pit, you still lose a life.

Strategy and Gameplay

The power-ups in the Super Mario games, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder, can be something to use casually, ignore, or turn into a strategic tool if you get a bit creative.

For example, the classic Fire Flower is excellent for levels with many enemies. It’s so much easier to fry your enemies as they come rather than constantly jumping on their heads. Bubble Flower is convenient for creating makeshift platforms that you can position wherever you feel suits them best. Transforming into an elephant turns your character into a powerhouse that can slam through hordes of enemies, but it can also let you dash over sizable gaps.

Many of the game’s levels are designed around using certain power-ups. Of course, as in many other Super Mario games, many levels are beatable even without a power-up. This game is also one of the most non-linear 2D Super Mario platformers so far, so you can find multiple ways to beat a level, including avoiding a power-up. However, these items are deeply integrated into the level design and let you overcome challenges in fun and fresh ways.

The Evolution of Power-Ups in Mario Games

Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes the legacy of Mario’s power-ups and runs with it. Items like the Super Mushroom, with its consistent appearance in many installments from the original Super Mario Bros. On the NES, they are there to keep things familiar and easy to pick up and play for the returning fans.

Back in the day, the Super Mushroom was a big deal. It was simple but effective – it made Mario bigger and stronger, just as it does now. Then came the Fire Flower to add a bit of firepower to Mario’s arsenal, allowing players to tackle enemies from a distance.

As the series progressed, the power-ups got more creative. Remember the first time you saw the Tanooki Suit in “Super Mario Bros. 3?” It made you fly, probably not what you’d expect from a raccoon-looking creature. And turning into a statue was a quirky, unexpected twist. And then, Super Mario World introduced the Cape Feather, which brought a whole new dimension to the gameplay with the gliding mechanic.

Fast forward a bit, and you have the Super Bell in Super Mario 3D World. This power-up turned Mario into Cat Mario and his friends into the corresponding cat versions of themselves, letting them climb walls and pounce on enemies. It was a fun, playful addition that fits perfectly with the game’s 3D environments within a side-scroller perspective.

Now, in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, while the power-up variety isn’t as extensive as in some previous titles, the innovations keep giving. It’s not just about getting bigger or shooting fireballs anymore; it’s about adding new ways to interact with the game’s environments, treating them as clever puzzles to solve in order to find the best or fastest way ahead.

The Role of Power-Ups in Multiplayer

Multiplayer co-op in Super Mario Bros. Wonder lets you go wild with power-ups. You can play online or try your hand in the good old couch co-op. And this is where you can use power-ups in uniquely strategic ways. Let’s say you’re playing with friends, and one of you grabs the Elephant Fruit, turning into this massive, block-smashing powerhouse. Meanwhile, another player picks up the Bubble Flower, perfect for taking out enemies from a distance. Suddenly, you’re not just playing alongside each other to get to the finish line. Instead, you’re combining your abilities to tackle the levels in ways you couldn’t do alone.

Wonderful Power-ups

Super Mario Bros. Wonder continues a legacy of fun, creative, and quirky power-ups that fans of the Super Mario video games know and love. While you can try to avoid them, power-ups are integral to the gameplay. They contribute to both the strategic depth and level design. Many power-ups in this game follow a familiar formula but with a fresh new twist and coat of paint to make each one feel unique and wondrous. The pinnacle of these items is the Wonder Flower, which considerably alters the core mechanics of a level and gives this game its identity.

What’s your favorite power-up in any Super Mario game, and why? What missing power-up should have been in Super Mario Bros. Wonder? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.