Super Mario Wonder Meet Up in Bellabel Park Review Switch 2
There are some games that remind you why you love gaming in the first place, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder is absolutely one of them. When it originally released on the Nintendo Switch, it delivered one of the most enjoyable 2D Mario adventures in years, bringing fresh ideas to a formula that Nintendo has been refining for decades. Now, with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, it's a great opportunity to revisit that experience, and I honestly think this is one of the best games available on the Switch 2, if not the best.
What makes Wonder so special is how effortlessly it manages to feel familiar while constantly finding new ways to surprise you. At its core, it's still the classic Mario platforming we all know and love. You run, jump, stomp enemies, collect coins and make your way towards the finish line. But Nintendo has taken that familiar formula and filled it with so much creativity that you never quite know what the next level is going to throw at you. Just when you think you've figured out a stage, you collect a Wonder Flower and everything changes. Pipes might come alive, the environment can transform around you, and the game can suddenly turn into something completely different from what you were doing seconds earlier.
It's this unpredictability that makes Wonder such a joy to play. Rather than simply repeating the same platforming challenges across different worlds, Nintendo constantly introduces new ideas that keep the experience feeling fresh. There are levels that make you laugh, moments that genuinely surprise you, and plenty of occasions where you'll want to replay a stage simply because you enjoyed it so much the first time. It's the sort of creativity that makes you appreciate just how talented Nintendo's developers are at understanding what makes a game fun.
A Masterclass in Level Design
The level design is easily one of Wonder's biggest strengths. Every world has its own personality, and the individual stages are packed with clever ideas, secrets and little surprises that reward exploration. The Wonder Flowers are the obvious highlight, but even outside those moments, there's a constant sense that Nintendo has put real thought into how each level plays.
Some stages are built around precision platforming, others focus on timing and movement, while some throw the usual rules out the window entirely. The game keeps introducing new mechanics at a pace that makes the adventure feel exciting without becoming overwhelming. There's a lovely balance between challenging players and making sure they're having fun, which is something that can be surprisingly difficult to get right.
The badge system also adds another layer to the gameplay. Different badges give you abilities or alter the way you approach a level, encouraging experimentation and giving you options for how you want to play. Some make platforming easier, while others offer more interesting movement options that can change how you tackle a particular challenge. It's a simple system, but it adds enough variety to make replaying levels worthwhile.
What I particularly appreciate is that Wonder doesn't rely on punishing difficulty to keep things interesting. There's a satisfying challenge here, especially when you're chasing collectibles or trying to complete everything, but the game rarely feels unfair. It's accessible enough for younger players and newcomers while still offering plenty for experienced platforming fans to enjoy. That makes it a fantastic game to play on your own or with family.
Colourful, Charming and Full of Personality
Visually, Wonder is an absolute treat. The art style is colourful, expressive and full of personality, with animated environments and character movements that make the Flower Kingdom feel alive. Mario and the gang have never looked more expressive in a traditional 2D adventure, and the game does a brilliant job of making even the smallest details entertaining to watch.
The Switch 2 Edition builds on an already beautiful game with improved visual presentation, including support for higher-resolution output and HDR. These aren't the sort of changes that completely transform the experience if you've already played the original, but they help make an excellent-looking game even more appealing on the newer hardware.
The sound design deserves plenty of praise as well. The music is catchy, the sound effects are full of character, and the game constantly finds little ways to make its world feel playful. Even after spending hours exploring different levels, Wonder maintains that sense of charm that makes you want to keep playing.
It's also worth highlighting how well everything comes together. The visuals, music, animations and gameplay all work towards the same goal: making every moment enjoyable. There's no need for a complicated story or an enormous open world when the core gameplay is this good. Wonder understands exactly what it wants to be, and it executes that vision brilliantly.
Great for Solo Play and Playing Together
Mario games have always been great for multiplayer, and Wonder continues that tradition. Playing alongside friends or family adds another layer of fun, especially when the levels become chaotic and everyone is trying to make it to the finish line together.
The Switch 2 Edition also introduces additional ways for players to get involved, including Rosalina as a playable character and a Co-Star Luma option that lets another player participate in a supporting role. The expanded Assist Mode is particularly welcome for families or less experienced players, helping make the adventure more approachable without taking away the fun for everyone else.
This is one of the reasons I think Wonder is such a fantastic game for the Switch 2. It's easy to pick up, doesn't require hours of learning complicated mechanics, and offers enough variety to keep players entertained. Whether you're a lifelong Mario fan or someone who hasn't played a 2D platformer in years, there's a lot to love here.
The Switch 2 Edition: A Great Excuse to Return
For anyone who missed the original game, the Switch 2 Edition is the obvious version to consider. You get the excellent base game alongside the additional content and quality-of-life improvements, making this the most complete way to experience Wonder.
For returning players, the improvements and extra features are welcome, although the real appeal will depend on how much you enjoyed the original and whether you're keen to jump back into the Flower Kingdom. The new content doesn't replace the brilliance of the original adventure, but it gives you another reason to return to one of Nintendo's strongest platformers.
And that brings us to the expansion itself.
Meetup in Bellabel Park: A Solid Expansion That Doesn't Quite Match the Original
Meetup in Bellabel Park is a welcome addition to an already brilliant game. It gives players more reasons to return to the Flower Kingdom, introduces a new area built around multiplayer activities, and adds extra challenges and features that expand the overall package. There's a decent amount of content here, and I appreciate that Nintendo has tried to offer something beyond a simple visual upgrade for the Switch 2.
However, while the expansion is good, it doesn't quite reach the same heights as the base game. Wonder sets an incredibly high standard for creativity, level design and the constant introduction of fresh ideas. Bellabel Park has some enjoyable additions, but not everything feels as inventive or as substantial as the original adventure. It's a good expansion to an excellent game, rather than something that manages to be just as memorable in its own right.
Bellabel Park and Its Multiplayer Attractions
The main addition is Bellabel Park, which acts as a hub for a collection of cooperative and competitive activities. There's a variety of attractions designed to be enjoyed with friends or family, with different challenges that put your platforming skills, timing and coordination to the test.
The multiplayer focus is a nice change of pace from the traditional platforming. Some activities are genuinely entertaining, particularly when you're competing against other players or trying to work together to complete an objective. There's a casual, party-game feel to the experience, and it makes sense as an extension of a game that's already well suited to playing with others.
The problem is that the attractions vary in how enjoyable they are. Some are fun for a few rounds but don't offer enough depth to keep you coming back for long sessions. Others feel like they're built around a good idea that could have been developed further. There's enough variety to make exploring Bellabel Park worthwhile, but I didn't come away feeling that the multiplayer additions were as consistently brilliant as the base game's levels.
That's the key difference between the two. Wonder's original stages constantly surprise you with new mechanics and creative twists, whereas some of Bellabel Park's activities feel more like short diversions. They're enjoyable additions, but they're not the sort of experiences that will necessarily become the centrepiece of your next gaming night.
The Toad Brigade Training Camp Adds More Challenge
The Toad Brigade Training Camp is another welcome inclusion, offering a collection of challenges based on the game's platforming mechanics. These activities give you objectives to complete and provide a reason to revisit familiar gameplay in a slightly different way.
For players who enjoy mastering a game's mechanics, this is one of the more appealing parts of the expansion. The challenges offer a different type of progression from simply completing the main adventure, and they're a nice way to test your abilities once you've become comfortable with the core gameplay.
There's a satisfying feeling in working through challenges and improving your performance, particularly if you're the type of player who enjoys getting the most out of a platformer rather than simply reaching the end credits. It adds some worthwhile content for players who want more to do after completing the original game.
Even so, I would have liked to see more of this creativity carried throughout the expansion. The training challenges show that there's still room to do interesting things with Wonder's movement and level mechanics, but the overall package doesn't consistently deliver the same sense of discovery as the main campaign.
The New Koopaling Battles Are a Nice Bonus
The expansion also introduces new encounters with the Koopalings, who have taken over familiar levels and turned them into new challenges. These encounters give players another reason to revisit parts of the Flower Kingdom, and they help add some extra single-player content to what could otherwise have been an expansion focused almost entirely on multiplayer.
I enjoyed the idea of taking familiar locations and changing them around to create new encounters. The bosses bring some welcome variety, and the way they use Wonder-inspired effects gives the fights a little more personality than simply repeating the same old formula.
However, these additions don't quite feel like a substantial new campaign. They're enjoyable bonus encounters, but they don't offer the same depth or sense of progression as working your way through the original worlds. I would have loved to see more entirely new levels or a larger standalone adventure built around these ideas.
The expansion has some good moments, but it's hard not to wonder what Nintendo could have achieved with a little more ambition in the single-player content.
More Features and Ways to Play
Beyond Bellabel Park itself, the Switch 2 Edition adds a handful of other features, including Rosalina as a playable character, the Co-Star Luma option, additional badge combinations and the new Flower Pot power-up. These additions help round out the package and give returning players some extra things to experiment with.
The improved accessibility options are particularly welcome. Making it easier for younger or less experienced players to join in is a good move, especially for a game that works so well as a family experience. Nintendo has clearly considered how to make Wonder enjoyable for a broader range of players, and that fits perfectly with the spirit of the series.
The extra features are nice to have, but they don't fundamentally change what made Wonder so good in the first place. The base game remains the star of the show, and the new additions are best viewed as bonuses rather than reasons to expect a completely different experience.
Is Meetup in Bellabel Park Worth It?
I think the answer depends on how much you want more Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
If you've never played the original, the Switch 2 Edition with Meetup in Bellabel Park is an excellent way to experience the game. You're getting one of the best 2D platformers Nintendo has produced in years, along with extra content and improvements that make the package more complete.
If you've already played through the original and are looking for a reason to return, there's still a decent amount to enjoy. The new challenges, boss encounters and multiplayer attractions add variety, and there's enough here to make another visit to the Flower Kingdom worthwhile.
However, I wouldn't say the expansion is essential for everyone who already owns the original. The additional content is good, but it doesn't quite match the creativity or depth of the base game. Bellabel Park's attractions can be fun in short bursts, while the new single player additions feel more like bonus content than a substantial new adventure.
An 8/10 feels right to me. This is a good expansion that adds meaningful content to an already excellent game, but it falls short of the incredible standard set by the original.
Final Verdict
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an absolute must-play on the Nintendo Switch 2. It's creative, colourful, endlessly charming and packed with the sort of clever level design that reminds you why Nintendo remains one of the best developers in the business. The way it constantly introduces new mechanics and surprises makes the adventure feel fresh from beginning to end, and the Switch 2 Edition gives players even more reasons to enjoy it.
I'd go as far as saying it's one of the best games on the Switch 2, if not the best. It's a game that works brilliantly for solo players, families and multiplayer sessions, and it delivers an experience that's easy to recommend to just about anyone. The original game was already fantastic, and this edition makes it an even more complete package.
Base game score: 10/10. If you own a Switch 2 and haven't played Wonder yet, this belongs near the top of your list. It's one of those rare games where almost every element comes together perfectly, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Meetup in Bellabel Park is a different story, although still a positive one. It adds a decent amount of extra content, gives you new ways to play with others and provides some worthwhile challenges for those who want to spend more time in the Flower Kingdom. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to the quality or depth of the original adventure. The multiplayer attractions are enjoyable but inconsistent, and I would have liked to see a more substantial single-player expansion.
Meetup in Bellabel Park score: 8/10. It's a good addition to an already outstanding game, and there's enough here to make it worthwhile for fans who want more. Just don't expect the expansion to deliver the same constant stream of creativity that made the base game so special.
The bottom line is that the original Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the real star here. Bellabel Park is a welcome bonus, but the base game is the reason this package deserves a place in your Switch 2 library.
