New Super Mario Bros. was never really the next evolution of 2D Mario. Even the clunkily self-aware name clearly designates it as a retro throwback meant to evoke the classics, not reinvent them. So while it's been 10 years since we've gotten a new 2D Mario game, it's actually been much longer since we've seen Nintendo approach a 2D Mario with the thoughtful, evolutionary design philosophy that defined his earliest sequels. However, based on a brief play session, Super Mario Bros. Wonder may very well be the next true successor in a continuum of 2D Mario design.

　　The titular wonder of Mario Wonder comes from its fantastical stage effects: unique, tailored mechanics that are custom-made for each stage. When you find a Wonder Flower, the entire stage changes to conform to some wild new reality. Most if not all of the Wonder Flowers are entirely missable, which means that each stage is designed to function on two levels--as a regular, well-crafted Mario platforming stage, and also as a zany, mechanic-changing, one-off gameplay experience. At least in the stages I sampled, it is astounding how well the design worked on both levels.

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　　Now Playing: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Preview

　　Transforming the world with a Wonder Flower starts a hunt for a special Wonder Seed, which then turns off the Wonder effect. The Wonder Flower effects are so varied and change gameplay so much that I hesitate to even share the handful that I played, because discovering the delightful surprises was like unwrapping a birthday present every time. But in the interest of illustrating how inventive they are, I simply have to explain.

　　The first stage showed the effect seen in the debut trailer, transforming all of the pipes into living creatures, including one that moves along the stage like an inchworm that you can ride to reach the Wonder Seed. It was a cute, inviting way to explain the concept of the Wonder effects. Likewise, the second stage provided an endless shower of Mario's iconic Super Stars, letting you remain invincible for as long as you continued to grab them. That one showed how the Wonder Flower can have huge, game-changing effects on Mario and company. But other effects were even wilder.

　　In a stage full of tough, bull-like enemies, the Wonder Flower created a stampede that charged right past the first goal line and carried you to a second one. In a stage with a series of Thwomp-like crushing enemies, the Wonder Flower summoned an enormous one that covered the entire stage and slowly made its way down, cracking through the crystalline stage elements and turning the entire stage into a harried, vertical escape sequence. A later stage introduced Maw-Maws, a new enemy that eats Goombas--only to have a Wonder Flower that turns you into a Goomba. That effectively made the rest of the mission a Mario-flavored stealth challenge, as a Goomba-fied Mario--with a stubby little jump--had to sneak past the creatures by hiding behind bushes and then fleeing in terror while their backs were turned. Similarly, the last stage I saw revolved around the balloon-like Bloomps, with the Wonder Flower turning Mario and his friends into balloons themselves. As I was playing co-op at this point, Mario and his friends had to float their way up to the goal while bouncing and ricocheting off of the walls and each other.

　　Completing a stage with a Wonder Flower effect is one surefire way to obtain a Wonder Seed, which in turn can unlock certain new courses. Rather than gate progression behind an arbitrary goal like specialized coins, this seems aimed at gently steering you towards seeing a good selection of the weird specialized mechanics.

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　　The Wonder Flower comes as part of the new setting, the Flower Kingdom. Venturing from Peach's domain, a short opening movie shows Mario and his friends paying a visit to the caterpillar-like monarch of a neighboring kingdom, apparently as visiting dignitaries. The ruler is showing off a Wonder Flower, but wouldn't you know it, Bowser interrupts the ceremony and takes the flower, merging himself with the Flower Kingdom castle and becoming a monstrous living castle-ship. The Bowser castle then proceeds to roam around the kingdom using its flower power to corrupt everything in sight. The king wonders who can possibly help, and Mario, being fairly experienced in this regard, volunteers. Like many Mario stories, the quick, snappy opening cutscene tells you all you need to know to go off on a rollicking adventure. This is also when I heard the most of Mario's new voice, which is distinct enough from Charles Martinet's performance to be noticed if you're listening for it--but to be honest, I probably would not have realized the change if Nintendo had not announced it.

　　As varied and surprising as the stage effects are, they're far from the only new addition in Wonder. Elephant Mario was a breakout star in the first trailer, but strange as it is to see Mario turn into a plumbing pachyderm, that isn't a Wonder effect at all. Instead, this is a standard power-up you can find in "?" boxes like any other, and imbues you with its own special powers. For one, you're extra strong and can push things, including entire rows of pipes. Plus, you can gather water in your trunk to throw at enemies. The elephant power-up also signifies a break from traditional Mario items by significantly changing your physical size, as opposed to the relatively small difference between Mario with or without a Super Mushroom. The Mega Mushroom introduced in the New SMB series changed your size, but it was a temporary effect similar to a Super Star. The Elephant power-up stays as long as you avoid getting hit, like any other Mario power-up, and in Wonder you can bank one for later in case you need it.

　　The other new major power-up during our preview session was a simple concept executed well, in classic Mario fashion. The drill power-up lets you crack through breakable surfaces, like the aforementioned crystalline structures in the caverns, as well as burrow underground or even into the ceiling and then move around freely inside, digging your way under otherwise impassable walls. It's the kind of easygoing "a-ha" power-up concept that could have huge gameplay implications. The stage with the Bloomps also featured a bubble power-up that lets you blow bouncing bubbles. At one point, the Bloomps stage spontaneously turned into a playful, impromptu game of keepy-uppy with one of the balloon-like creatures with a quick coin reward for keeping it in the air for a handful of seconds.

　　Mario Wonder takes an "everyone is here" approach to character selection. The roster includes Mario and Luigi, of course, along with Peach, Daisy, two Toads, Toadette, four Yoshis, and Nabbit. The Yoshis and Nabbit collectively occupy the space previously taken by Nabbit alone, as simple introductory characters for newcomers. They can't take damage, but they also can't equip power-ups like the Elephant and Drill. That might seem like a severe downside, but I expect that this is also a way to keep things simpler for novices, as someone not used to Mario might get disoriented by the sudden mechanical changes that come with power-ups. Everyone else can equip any power-up, which, yes, means we got to see the adorable elephant-ized versions of characters like Daisy and Toad.

　　Another major twist to the Mario formula comes in the form of Badges, which come in two forms: action, which gives you new abilities, and boost, which provides a passive benefit. The action Badges may give you a floating high jump similar to Peach's traditional jump, a high jump that you power up with a crouch, a wall climb jump that will boost you straight upwards, or the ability to use your cap as a parachute to float slowly downwards. The boost abilities could let you earn coins for defeating enemies, a "Safety Bounce" to save you from lava, pits, or poison once per jump, or an auto Super Mushroom to start you in each stage with a mushroom. One of them even adds "!" blocks, which I didn't experience, but the description says they could act as extra platforms, contain items, or serve some other purpose.

　　You can equip one Badge at a time, giving you some degree of customization and the ability to adapt to stage challenges by editing your equipment. Crucially, the action abilities fit right into Mario's traditional mechanics and feel perfectly at home. The system feels more about finding your own rhythm than breaking anything fundamentally about the Mario experience.

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　　Badges also help facilitate a new type of stage, Badge Challenges. These quick, one-off stages let you test your skill using a badge's unique ability, like wall-jumping across a stage with more verticality than usual. Quick "Break Time" stages also give you a brief, fun diversion from the standard stages. And when it comes to picking a regular stage, each is designated with a star-based difficulty rating, letting you know just what you're about to get into.

　　Both local and online multiplayer have also gotten some nice refinements and new features. Couch co-op will probably be the preferred method of play for many players, and the camera tracking now follows the leader, which swaps intuitively when one player dies. If you play online, you can pair with a couch co-op buddy and team up with another online duo to make your way through stages. And with online play enabled, even solo, you'll automatically see shadows of other players from around the world, which might help clue you into hidden secrets. You can even lend a hand to other players intentionally by dropping a cardboard standee of your character, which will revive other players who find it, and grant you Heart Points in return--a way to show other players that you've been helpful and courteous.

　　All of this is delivered with a visual style and polish that is, in a word, gorgeous. This was readily apparent from the debut trailer, but seeing it in action feels like a kind of magic. The individual characters are more expressive and animated than ever before, with faces that change dynamically based on what's going on in the world around them. The facial features themselves look almost like hand-drawn art mapped on top of their 3D character models for a distinct effect that sets itself apart from other Mario games. Character designs have thoughtful little touches, like a spiral pattern on Peach and Daisy's dress when they get the drill power-up, that made me eager to see every possible character permutation. And those attributes extend far beyond the core cast of Mario and his friends. Enemies are brought to life with the same playful spirit--Goombas' eyes bulge with terror when they see a Maw-Maw approaching, and they sweat as they run away. The squirrel-like Skedaddler looks like something out of Looney Tunes as it flees from Mario. It's the most Mario has ever looked like playing a fully animated cartoon, absent perhaps Paper Mario.

　　And the world itself is just pulsing with personality. From the jazzy acapella-infused music that accompanies each stage to the running commentary from the living flora of the Flower Kingdom. Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels alive in a way that 2D Mario hasn't for years, and may launch an entirely new trajectory for the series going forward.