Summary
Ahead of the release ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, the game’s producer Takashi Tezuka is sharing his thoughts about the 2D side-scroller releasing just days afterSonic Superstars. Mario and Sonic have been rivals since the early ’90s, so seeingSuper Mario Bros. Wonderlaunch the same week asSonic Superstarsmight be a bit jarring for longtime fans who have been around since the SNES and Sega Genesis era.
Both Mario and Sonic are returning to their 2D roots with their respective new games. However, despite looking somewhat like a throwback adventure,Super Mario Bros. Wonderappears to be a game of many firsts. Nintendo has already detailed several new power-ups and features, leavingSuper Mario Bros. Wonderlooking to be one of the series' more affectionately bizarre entries. Meanwhile, Sonic and his friends are also going back to 2D after their open-world adventure inSonic Frontiers.
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In a recent interview with Game Informer,Super Mario Bros. Wonderproducer Takashi Tezuka referred to the two games launching so closely together as an “interesting coincidence.” He went on to warmly state that the team is “looking forward to as many people as possible having the opportunity to play these 2D side-scrolling action games, Mario and otherwise.” As the first wholly new 2DSuper Mario Bros.game in quite some time, fans are understandably excited. Early word of mouth is also stoking the flames of anticipation as evenXbox head Phil Spencer is praisingSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
These comments obviously feel like a far cry from the console wars that pitted Nintendo and Sega against each other. The kind words aren’t surprising, however, as Mario and Sonic have come a long way since their heated rivalry of the ’90s. They’ve starred in several games together at this point. Still, for longtime fans, it might be weird to see Mario and Sonic go head-to-head during the holiday shopping season. Either way, it seems like fans of both franchises will be happy this fall asSonic Superstarpreviewsare also widely positive.
Interestingly enough, both games appear to continue a trend of historic franchises returning to their roots.Assassin’s Creed Mirageis scoring positive reviewsafter bringing back the stealth gameplay mechanics that first put the franchise on the map. Additionally, the early 2024 release,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, also looks like a throwback to 2D side-scrolling action platformers, and it’s also reminding gamers of another Nintendo franchise that recently rewound the clock withMetroid Dread. The aforementioned titles that have already been released were received well by critics and fans, and the games that are still on the horizon are generating some solid buzz.
