Super Mario Bros. Wonder breathes new life into the classic Mario bestiary by introducing a host of inventive new enemies that challenge players in fresh and unexpected ways. From the whimsical Goombrats to the menacing Gnawshers, these foes not only diversify the familiar lineup but also bring unique gameplay twists that keep the adventure feeling vibrant and exciting. This revitalized roster ensures that even longtime fans will find something surprising around every corner in the Flower Kingdom.
The Super Mario series has remixed and reimagined its rank-and-file bad guys in the past, but Wonder goes much further. More than 40 new weird lil’ guys are a threat in this world, and many are just as inventive as the Wonder Effects that make the new Super Mario adventure so memorable.
Here are the 12 best new monsters to join the Super Mario Bros. bestiary, together with factual explanations as to why they’re just so darn good.
Bulrush
Bulrush are new enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, characterized as blue creatures inspired by both Triceratops dinosaurs and bison, wearing tracksuits. They typically stand on two legs but get down on all fours to charge at players who come too close, using their ramming attack to break Hard Blocks and other destructible obstacles. However, if they collide with an indestructible wall, they become briefly stunned. Players can ride on Bulrushes to navigate levels, adding a dynamic element to gameplay. Defeating a Bulrush requires six fireballs or a single drill attack. These enemies appear in several levels such as Bulrush Coming Through! and Bulrush Express, where their charging behavior is central to the level design and challenges.
One of the earliest and most dazzling effects to come from a Wonder Flower is the introduction of the Bulrush, a distant cousin of the Reznor who is much more mobile, is more aggressive, and looks good in a singlet. Their vaguely strongman-like appearance is clever, but it really comes down to the awe of the Bulrush stampede and the fact that I love a video game enemy that knocks itself out.
Maw-Maw
Maw-Maw is a giant salamander enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder that actively chases after the player and devours anything in its path, including other enemies and power-ups. After a period of pursuit, Maw-Maw becomes exhausted and pauses to catch its breath, giving players a chance to evade it. While in Mario’s Goomba form, the only way to avoid Maw-Maw is by hiding behind shrubs, adding a strategic element to encounters with this foe. Maw-Maw appears notably in the course “Maw-Maw Mouthful” and is recognized for refreshing the Mario bestiary with its unique behavior and challenge.
Another great Wonder Effect really sells the Maw-Maw, a moseying amphibian with a gaping mouth that swallows Goombas whole. Maw-Maws and the Wonder Effect that turns Mario and friends into Goombas turns Super Mario Bros. Wonder into a mini-stealth game, just one of the many refreshing gameplay mix-ups that Nintendo stuffed into the platformer. In addition to delighting in seeing video game bad guys knock themselves out, I also love watching a little weirdo like the Maw-Maw panic sweat.
Bloomp
Bloomps are a fresh addition to the Mario bestiary introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, characterized as pufferfish-like, balloon-inspired enemies that float through the air and serve as dynamic platforms for players. They come in various colors, including green and purple, with purple Bloomps moving faster. Players can bounce on them to make them lose air and shrink, eventually popping them if jumped on enough or hit from below. Unlike traditional enemies, Bloomps do not harm players but instead push them forward in their direction of travel, adding a unique interaction element. Special variants called Wonder Bloomps appear during Wonder Effects, are larger, and cannot be popped, enhancing the game’s visual and gameplay variety. Bloomps also sometimes contain coins and are inflated and launched by devices resembling Bullet Bill cannons, blending familiar Mario mechanics with new twists.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder does bouncy stuff expertly. The jiggles and boi-yoi-yoings in here are top notch. The Bloomp is just one great example of the many balloon-shaped or gelatinous things from which Mario can sproing, and the animation of a deflating balloon fish is better than it needed to be. The Super Mario games have always had great fish – and now, thanks to Wonder, the series has a new top 10 bizarro fish guy.
Hoppo
Hoppos are a new type of enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder that bring a fresh dynamic to the Mario bestiary. These purple, hippo-like creatures feature a flower-like pattern on their backs and are unique in that they do not harm the player. Instead, players can jump on Hoppos to make them roll, using them as bouncy platforms to reach higher areas or defeat other enemies. They appear in multiple levels such as “Here Come the Hoppos” and “Cosmic Hoppos,” and can even get stuck in gaps, adding a playful puzzle element to the gameplay. Larger variants called Wonder Hoppos also appear during special Wonder Effects, enhancing the visual and interactive variety of encounters with these creatures.
Joining the Bloomp as a remarkable bouncy round boy is the Hoppo, a perfectly spherical hippopotamus that enables some of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s best jumps and transforms levels by getting wedged into gaps. And like the Bloomp, this is one of the few Flower Kingdom creatures to be transformed by a Wonder Effect, becoming even bigger and creating a brief moment of delightful platforming chaos.
Wubba
Wubba is one of the new enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, adding fresh challenges to the Mario bestiary. This character fits within the game’s vibrant Flower Kingdom, where many unique foes with distinct behaviors appear alongside classic enemies. Wubba contributes to the variety and novelty that make the enemy roster feel revitalized, complementing other new creatures like Hoppycats and Condarts that bring innovative movement patterns and interactions to the gameplay experience.
The Super Mario Bros. series has always been a little too light on slime for my taste. But Wubba and the huge blocks of green gelatinous goo in the Fungi Mines address that shortcoming. Wubba aren’t particularly interesting to battle against, but their movement – squishing into and out of slime cubes – is pleasing to watch. They burst with a satisfying spray of ooze when stomped on. Plus, you get to transform into a Wubba in one of the game’s best Wonder Effects.
Hanabihei
The Hanabihei are a fresh addition to the Super Mario Bros. Wonder bestiary, introduced as a variation of the classic Bob-omb enemy. These new foes contribute to the game’s vibrant and dynamic enemy roster, fitting well within the whimsical and unpredictable world shaped by the Wonder Flowers. Their inclusion helps keep the traditional Mario enemy lineup feeling new and engaging for players exploring the Flower Kingdom.
As evolutions of the Bob-omb go, it’s hard to do better than the Hanabihei, a sentient little firework. These colorful little explosive guys blow up stuff like blocks and Piranha Plants real good, and more importantly, they look great while doing so. Where Bob-ombs induce panic, Hanabihei give nothing but pleasure.
Hoppycat
Hoppycats in Super Mario Bros. Wonder bring a unique challenge to the Flower Kingdom with their synchronized jumping behavior-they leap whenever the player jumps, making timing and movement more complex and engaging. This mechanic forces players to carefully navigate levels filled with these creatures, as their mimicry can easily lead to confusion and unexpected hits. Additionally, one level transforms the player into a giant Hoppycat, allowing the use of their powerful abilities to clear obstacles and forge a path forward, adding a fresh twist to the gameplay experience.
What a name! Hoppycat! A variation on Spinys, the floppy Hoppycat will make you rethink your jumps, spicing up vertical gameplay moments. Escaping the giant Hoppycats during an early-game Wonder Effect is one of Wonder’s most fun moments: You need to dodge their jumps while also using them to tear through a level with their giant spikes.
Morocon
Morocon is one of the fresh new enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, contributing to the game’s vibrant and diverse bestiary. This enemy, along with others like Hoppycats, Condarts, and Maw-Maws, adds unique behaviors and challenges that keep the Mario experience feeling innovative and exciting. Morocon fits into the Flower Kingdom’s ecosystem, where the Wonder Flower’s magic causes unpredictable environmental changes, making each encounter with these foes dynamic and engaging. This blend of classic and novel enemies helps Super Mario Bros. Wonder stand out as a revitalized 2D platformer with a rich roster of adversaries.
There’s not much to say about the Morocon, because it’s just a good gimmicky spin on the Goomba. This walking kernel of corn (with a poofy pompadour!) gets poppin’ mad whenever it touches a Hot-Hot Rock. Folks, that’s just good, clean fun.
Moving Door
The Moving Door is one of the intriguing new enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, contributing to the game’s fresh and dynamic bestiary. This enemy adds a unique challenge by altering how players navigate levels, as it moves and blocks paths in unpredictable ways. Its presence exemplifies the innovative design philosophy behind the Flower Kingdom’s new foes, combining classic Mario platforming with fresh mechanics that keep the gameplay engaging and surprising.
One of most spine-tingling additions to the Super Mario Bros. bestiary is the Moving Door, a fanged mimic that pretends to be a regular ol’ door. Try to enter the wrong one and you’ll be treated to the rare Mario jump scare! The toothy door is one of a handful of singing-and-dancing enemies, a bit of musical flavor that Wonder pulls off much better than the New Super Mario Bros. games ever did.
Trottin’ Piranha Plant
The Trottin’ Piranha Plant is a unique enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, appearing specifically in the level Fluff-Puff Peaks Palace. These skeletal Piranha Plants combine the bone-like appearance of Bone Piranha Plants with the ability to walk around, similar to Trottin’ Piranha Plants. Under the level’s Wonder Effect, they dynamically grow and shrink, adding a fresh challenge to the gameplay. Players can defeat them using a Super Star, Bubble form bubbles, or an Elephant form trunk strike, making them a distinctive and memorable addition to the new roster of foes in the Flower Kingdom.
Another song-and-dance baddie is the Trottin’ Piranha Plant, a new version of the foul weed that hates to be tied down to a pipe. I love that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a musical, and the fact that Piranha Plants now move and groove only deepens my affection for it.
Mumsie
Mumsies are one of the fresh new enemy types introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, adding a unique twist to the Mario bestiary. These ghost-like creatures are wrapped in bandages, and players must carefully grab and unwind their wrappings to defeat them without taking damage. Once unwound, the ghost inside disappears, making Mumsies a fun and distinct challenge compared to traditional Mario foes. Their introduction, along with other novel enemies, helps keep the game’s enemy roster feeling fresh and engaging for players.
This may be the Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker superfan in me talking, but I love a mummy in a Mario game. The Mumsie pairs mummy wrappings with the pull handles that Mario and friends can yank on in various levels. The Revver, a Dry Bones variant with a pull cord, does something similar, but there’s something really satisfying about unraveling a Mumsie and seeing it poof into nothingness.
Missile Meg
Missile Meg is one of the fresh new enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, adding to the game’s diverse and inventive bestiary. This foe stands out with its unique attack style, launching missiles that create dynamic challenges for players to dodge and strategize around. Missile Meg’s presence contributes to the game’s vibrant and unpredictable Flower Kingdom setting, keeping the gameplay engaging and full of surprises as Mario and friends navigate through new obstacles.
How do the new bad guys in Super Mario Bros. Wonder refresh the game’s bestiary
The new bad guys in Super Mario Bros. Wonder refresh the game’s bestiary by introducing a diverse array of inventive enemies that bring unique behaviors and challenges to the classic Mario formula. Unlike traditional foes, many new enemies have distinct attack patterns and interactions, such as the Gnawsher, which flies across the stage and can chomp through enemies and blocks, or the Shova, which pushes objects to attack the player. Others, like the Condart, launch themselves at the player and can be used as platforms once stuck on walls, adding a layer of strategic gameplay. This variety not only expands the roster with fresh designs but also enriches gameplay by requiring players to adapt to new threats and mechanics, keeping the experience engaging and unpredictable.
How do the new enemies like Skedaddler and Shova expand Mario’s enemy roster
The new enemies Skedaddler and Shova expand Mario’s enemy roster by introducing fresh mechanics and behaviors that add depth to the gameplay. Skedaddler attacks by spitting seed-like projectiles while fleeing from the player, creating a dynamic where players must time their approach carefully to avoid damage and defeat it. Shova, a burly Koopa variant, pushes objects across the stage to attack, and players can use these pushed objects to solve puzzles or avoid damage. Unlike typical enemies, Shovas require multiple hits to defeat and add a strategic layer by interacting with the environment, making them feel like a more formidable and engaging foe. Together, these enemies diversify the challenges players face, making the Mario bestiary feel more varied and alive.
