Have you ever wondered what happens after stepping on a Goomba? Surely, its friends aren’t just milling back and forth like nothing ever happened. Well, Nintendo has made the bizarre, but morbidly hilarious decision to answer that very question in its upcoming title, Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
As you might expect, Goombas aren’t exactly thrilled when you squish one of their buddies. If they catch the gruesome attack, their maws will hang open as they display their horrifying shock. Honestly, it’s a pretty believable reaction for a species that knows it’s too weak to fight back. But that just makes it even more pitiful.
Mario players are sure to experience some conflicting emotions when they crush these little goons (as if they haven’t been for nearly 30 years now). Since enemies used to never react when you attack their comrades, it was easy to crush one and spare their friends and scroll past without a second thought. But this change might be enough to fill some players with guilt and inspire some pacifist runs to make up for their sins. Or an even greater evil might emerge; in the name of suppressing that guilt, players might opt to spare no prisoners and leave nobody alive.
Perhaps the most head-scratching feature is the messages displayed when you jump on any enemy. Instead of points being displayed that increase for each enemy squished before landing on the ground, now there will be words of encouragement—think “Good,” “Great,” etc. So imagine the roller coaster of emotions that players will experience when a bunch of Goombas scream in terror and the game responds with something like, “Groovy!” Try shouting that at a funeral.
With every piece of news that we hear about Super Mario Bros. Wonder, it sounds more and more like the breath of fresh air that the 2D Mario Bros. series has been seeking for a long time. Every detail is so artistic and quirky and gives the Flower Kingdom that the game will be set in an organic feeling that makes it feel alive. If only the squished Goombas could experience it with us.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is set to release on Oct. 20, 2023.
