Video: Here's 20 Minutes Of Super Mario Bros. Wonder Gameplay From Nintendo Treehouse

Playable at Nintendo Live 2023

by Liam Doolan Sat 2nd Sep 2023

In case you missed the initial announcement, Nintendo Live 2023 is currently taking place this weekend in Seattle. The event is packed with all sorts of entertainment and as part of this Nintendo is also showcasing its upcoming Switch release Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Nintendo's Treehouse held a live hands-on gameplay demo - showcasing some earlier courses, the power-ups and the game's multiplayer. Thankfully, it's also uploaded the full recording on its YouTube channel. It's well worth a look if you want to see how the game plays with other people.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is also available to play for the first time at Nintendo Live 2023. In addition to this, the event features experience zones, live performances, a variety stage, NintendoVS tournaments and a special Nintendo pop-up store where you can get your hands on all sorts of merchandise.

This event run from now until 4th September, and the schedule over the next three days includes a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Championship, Zelda Orchestra, Super Mario Big Band, Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament and Splatoon 3 Championship. You can learn more on Nintendo's official website.

Like the look of Super Mario Bros. Wonder so far? Will you be watching Nintendo Live? Tell us in the comments below.

Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. He's also got a soft spot for Sonic the Hedgehog.

1
Anti-Matter
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

There is No Time Limit but still have limited lives?
Kinda still put me in pressure.

2
FishyS
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

The stampede and enormous thwomp chasing them looked pretty fun. I'm curious how the 'elephant Mario shoving pipes around' works.

@Anti-Matter If it's like other recent Mario games, you only lose a small amount of progress if you run out of lives. Plus there seemed to be hidden 1-ups and plenty of coins so I suspect it's not too hard to get up to 99 lives or at least a high enough number to allow plenty of deaths in the harder levels.

3
Snatcher
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

If I wasn’t convinced before, I’m 100% am now! I need this game in my hands!

4
DiamondCore
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

This may end up overthrowing NSMB2/NSMBWII as my favorite 2D mario.

And on a side note, I cannot wait for the eventual SMM3 so we can get the wonder theme!

5
LikelySatan
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

Yeah. I'd like to play that game, please.

6
Max_the_German
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

Why didn‘t Nintendo bring this to Gamescom? A shortened version of the Direct as (outstanding) part of the ONL, next day this Treehouse, plus dozens of stations at the Nintendo booth to play two stages of the game for every of those 300k visitors. Everybody would have talked about it, the clear highlight of the whole fair.
What a wasted opportunity!

7
PikaPhantom
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

@Max_the_German They did...behind closed doors for the first previews from the press. They probably wanted to emphasize it a bit more at Nintendo Live/PAX West, I guess, hence timing the Direct to air right before it began

8
Mommar
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

I don't know, in all of these New SMB games they keep trying to recreate the feel of the original Mario Brothers instead of iterating on the superior Mario World feel.

9
BASEDSAKRI
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

the fake laughs really sold the game for me.

10
mlt
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

Yeah that looks insanely good. The more I see the more I want to get it as soon as I can.

@DiamondCore
I feel like the levels of hate for the NSMB series are through the roof now that Wonder has been shown to be such a departure from it. And that's gotten to the point where it's quite ridiculous tbh. I love NSMBW and NSMBU and already consider them part of the main series. So when people say Wonder is SMB5 I actually say it's SMB7. Go figure.

That being said I've never been a fan of the portable NSMB. I feel like the DS was especially bland and 2 was actually the game that sealed the subseries reputation by being the one nobody really wanted. Can you tell me what is so good about NSMB2 in your opinion?

11
SuperDan64
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

So looking forward to the badge system. They are essentially power ups you can't lose :0

12
IronMan30
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

The more I see of this, the more I want it.

13
Giancarlothomaz
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

after the souless copy paste New Super Mario Bros games, is a relieve Super Mario Bros Wonder is such a huge departure for this games, finaly after so long Nintendo is making the true sequel to Super Mario World

14
Sonicka
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

It’s ridiculous how good this game is shaping up to be. We’ve dealt with the creatively lacking variations of NSMB for far too long, this is a real return to form and his roots.

Not that it needed the help, but Nintendo will certainly be able to capitalise on the success of the Super Mario Bros Movie as well - any newcomers that enjoyed the film will really get to see what the series is all about from here if Wonder becomes their first Mario game.

15
Neckcrane
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

Looks amazing!
This is hopefully going to be the gateway game to SMM3 🤞🏻

16
Manguy888A
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

I loved the Direct but these new waves of videos are officially showing me too much - gonna hunker down and wait for October

17
DiamondCore
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

@mlt yeah, the hate for NSMB is at its peak right now, one game shouldn’t be bought down just to lift the other up.

As for why NSMB2 is my favorite 2D mario?
There’s a number of reasons:
1. Nostalgia, of course
2. The level design (I don’t know why, but the design just feels a lot better then the other NSMB games, the improved cannon also factors into this)
3. Visuals (I love the more approach this game takes by actually using a full color palette compared to other NSMB games, in 1-1 alone you can see numerous differently colored semi-solid blocks which is something you did not see in the other games)
4. Coin Rush (Genuinely a fun mode, and makes you strategize how to efficiently get coins fast off of a lot of levels)
5. Music (I know it’s mostly reused, but I actually like the inclusion of more “bah”s, it makes the music feel more alive

There’s more reasons why I think it’s the best but that’s the general gist of it

18
ear_wig
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

I keep flip-flopping on this game. It looks beautiful and magical but far, FAR too easy. I’m hoping that levels they’re not showing are infinitely more challenging than what’s being shone here.

19
sd7232
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

I don’t know who would want to watch so much footage without ruining any surprises the game has to offer.

20
Yalloo
Sat 2nd Sep 2023

I couldn't resist watching the first 5 mins .. looks really cool and fun, and room for a challenging game. Really looking forward to it!

21
Wiiiiiiiiiii
Sun 3rd Sep 2023

Wow, this is even more wonderful than I had thought!

22
Smug43
Sun 3rd Sep 2023

That's so Wonderful!!!!

23
kalosn
Sun 3rd Sep 2023

This should be an annual event, it's looking really fun

24
Atariboy
Sun 3rd Sep 2023

Looking forward to it, even if I don't see why most view it as a huge leap past New Super Mario Bros. U.

25
Serpenterror
Sun 3rd Sep 2023

@Mommar Not sure what you're trying to refer here but elements from all the 2D Super Mario Bros. games were implement into each of the New Super Mario Bros. game indefinitely. The objective of collecting coins, Yoshi's inclusion, levels having multiple exits, being able to re-enter completed levels, and holding an item power-up for later usage within a level were all features taken directly from Super Mario World. You also had to realize that Super Mario World was also part of the older SMB games and not something totally different from them, it is called Super Mario Bros. 4 after all.