This page details pre-release information and/or media for Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

To do: Add Prerelease materials.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder was announced in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, and was later released on October 20, 2023. Takashi Tezuka began thinking of ideas for Super Mario Bros. Wonder while developing Super Mario Maker 2, with the main idea in mind being to develop a new 2D Mario game unlike any released before. In order to prioritize how the game played, Tezuka did not set a development timeline to allow the game staff to take their time without worrying about a release schedule.¹

Development Timeline#

• Pre-2019
  • Ideas begin being developed for Super Mario Bros. Wonder during the development of Super Mario Maker 2.
• 2022
  • October - Development begins on Super Mario Bros. Wonder.²
• 2023
  • June 21 - Super Mario Bros. Wonder is announced at the end of the June 2023 Nintendo Direct.³
  • August 31 - The Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct premiered, showcasing new information about the game.⁴
  • October 7 - A demo version is playable.
  • October 20 - Super Mario Bros. Wonder is released worldwide.

2024 Nintendo GDC Segment#

To do: Look into Nintendo's 2024's GDC segment, where they show off multiple unused/development footage/ideas for Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo Game Design Blog#

To do: List all remaining design differences from the final game & final promo art Add close-up images for differences listed? (ie. Elephant Fruit, Wubba form, etc.)

On January 17, 2025, an article was released by a designer referred to as "Ito-San" (伊藤さん) going in depth about the design process about the promotional material for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In the image included in the article, several elements are different from the final game including:

• 2 pre-release logos for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, with one having the "WONDER" title resembling a glowing neon sign, as well as both logos having flat designs, being stylized similar to the logos for New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
• Lakitu, the Koopa-Paratroopa, and gold Coins all reuse promo art from the New Super Mario Bros. series.
• All of the playable characters use their in-game models, rather than the more detailed promo art (aside from the bottom-right image).
• The Elephant Fruits sport a purple-yellow color scheme, rather than the red-white colors of the final game.
• Elephant Mario himself sports a color scheme that resembles his earlier design from the 1980's - specifically with promotional art around Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Super Mario Bros. 2.
• Wubba Mario shown in the top-left image is designed differently compared to he ended up being designed in the final game and bottom-right image, instead having a pink color, having Mario's regular face instead of the Wubba-like face, and has Mario's cap on top of his face, rather than on top of his body.
• The Inchworm Pipe in the top top-left image has a teal color, rather than green. While teal Inchworm Pipes do appear in the final game's level "Swamp Pipe Crawl", the image resembles the level "Welcome to the Flower Kingdom!", where Inchworm Pipes are green instead.
• Luigi and Elephant Mario (in the bottom-right image only) use early versions of their final release promo art, with Luigi's parachute cap and hands looking as if they are painted, and both his and Elephant Mario's arms, shirts, and overalls being shiny - similar to the Metal Mario-inspired Wonder effect in the final game's level "High-Voltage Gauntlet"

References

References#