st228

GAMING FEATURE

visit jbhifi.com.au/stack

KONKS: Remember Thwomps?

Konks have a similar M.O., throwing their weight around

Mario and friends are back, in their first all-new side-scrolling platform game since New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012.We went exploring to discover some of the cool new stuff that we can look forward to when Super Mario Bros.Wonder releases this month. Words Amy Flower The story WELCOME TO A WONDER WORLD!

while trying to squish you. MAW-MAWS: These things like to swallow anything that gets too close to them, before eventually spitting them out. MUMSIES: These tall,

Pokey-like creatures

are, as their name suggests, mummified, so defeating them will require their unwrapping first. How will we power up?

As well as some classic powerups such as the Fire Flower, three new ones join the fray in Super Mario Bros. Wonder… BUBBLE: This lets the recipient blow bubbles that can catch

Rock Plateau to the marshmallow cloudiness of Fluff-Puff Peaks, and beyond. While not a traditional open world game, there will be areas where you can take on a selection of courses in whichever order you like. How many of us can play? Four players can take up the fight locally, working together to conquer Bowser, and saving fallen comrades along the way if necessary. Things are different online, with co-op rooms and other opportunities to join with friends, such as competing in races. Who’s against us? Many of the enemies that you encounter will be familiar, such as Boos, Dry Bones, Goombas, Koopas and Lakitu. But there’s also a whole new cast of baddies, which includes… CONDARTS: Flying in from all directions, these pointy birds have sharp beaks that can lodge them into walls –

We’re welcomed to the Mushroom Kingdom’s neighbour, the Flower Kingdom, by its Prince Florian. Unfortunately, however, calamity strikes as big bad Bowser invades, touching a curious Wonder Flower which transforms him into a flying castle. Naturally, he begins to cause all manner of havoc across the land – if only there was a group of heroic types at hand who could

and defeat enemies, including otherwise impervious ones, and can also be used to

access higher areas.

DRILL: Great for defeating well armoured foes, this also allows the

save the Flower Kingdom! Wonder Flower?

user to burrow through various hard surfaces. ELEPHANT: The big one – in so many ways! This makes your character larger and decidedly elephantine, able to

As we learned from Bowser’s transformation, this thing is pretty powerful. It has the ability to shift

barrel through obstacles and swing your trunk to attack, spray water, flip items, and more.

realities – maybe hurling your protagonist into space or emitting a barrage of bubbles – and can be a good thing or a bad thing. Finding a Wonder Seed will negate its effects. The areas The Flower Kingdom, set up with the central Petal Isles surrounded by six others, will give us a total of seven new areas to explore. These will range from the quite classic look of Pipe

and unsuspecting players! HOPPYCATS: These spiky creatures jump when you jump, requiring

What’s with those talking flowers?

strategy to get around.

These are here to do everything from offering encouragement to divulging hints at getting further through levels. Oh, and we’re told that they can be silenced if you really want.

Who to play as? Players will be able to choose to take on the adventure as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad, Toadette, Yoshi (in green, light blue, yellow, or red), or Nabbit. The latter two are designed to make the game easier for younger or new players, as they don’t take damage.

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder is out Oct 20

16 OCTOBER 2023

jbhifi.com.au