Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Starfield, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder will all sell very well at the end of the year. As a matter of fact, Starfield’s numbers already suggest that it’s a bigger hit than people give it credit for despite launching on the Game Pass on the same day that it hit the storeshelves. But, while the finances of the aforementioned exclusive games will likely mirror each other, the critical reception paints a different picture, and you wouldn’t guess which one is the best among them.
After propelling the Nintendo Switch to unexpected heights in Japan this late into the console’s lifecycle with its themed OLED console, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is winning the hearts of critics over.
A quick glance at Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Metacritic shows it’s not just an excellent Mario outing, it’s one of the best games to come out in recent years. With an average score of “93”, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has earned “universal acclaim” and the “Metacritic Must-Play” badge from the reviews aggregate website.
Of course, the score can and will still change. With 80 different outlets letting everyone know their thoughts on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, it’s only fair to, well, wonder, how much better (or worse) the game’s rating can get.
Unfortunately, while 93 is an impressive Metacritic score, it still falls short of matching the frontrunners for the Game of the Year award this year, Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Both sit atop this year’s list as they garnered a jaw-dropping score of 96. The only games to score better since 2013 are The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey, which coincidentally were released in 2017 as well. Let it not be said that Nintendo doesn’t know how to open and close the lifecycles of their consoles.
If you’re curious to see what critics are saying about Super Mario Bros. Wonder, here’s a round-up of the scores that the game received and from which publications:
- VG247 – 5/5
- Metro – 5/5
- Video Games Chronicle – 5/5
- ComicBook.com – 5/5
- IGN – 9/10
- GameSpot – 9/10
- Digital Trends – 4/5
- Inverse – 8/10
It isn’t uncommon for video game consoles to get exclusives that are this good this late in their lifecycle. The Last of Us, for example, was released just as the PlayStation 3 was bidding the market farewell. But, what makes the Switch special is that it’s getting multiple exclusives of this caliber. Aside from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Metroid Prime Remastered was also a critical hit when it shadow dropped earlier this year. With the likes of Super Mario RPG, Mario vs Donkey Kong, Princess Peach Showtime, Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door remaster, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, all coming out within the next twelve months, it’s no wonder Nintendo isn’t rushing to come out with a new video game system. The Switch is selling so well that the long-rumored Switch 2 can take as much time as it needs.
This begs the question, why would Nintendo release so many Switch exclusives this late in the game? If anything, the lineup debunks the rumors that a non-backwards-compatible Switch 2 is in development.
As the year closes, we’re not closer to finding out which game the outlets will reward with the Game of the Year award. Unlike last year, where God of War: Ragnarok and Elden Ring dominated the conversation, late entries like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder are spicing things up. This doesn’t include other potential critical hits that’s coming out later this October and before the year ends.
With a smorgasbord of titles coming out in close proximity from each other, it’s become impossible to remember a time when the video game industry is enjoying such a selection.
Perhaps it’s best not to worry too much about being spoilt for choice and focus on enjoying this bountiful lineup while it lasts.
