Highlights

• Super Mario Wonder introduces new power-ups focused on combat, with many movement-exclusive powers now being badges.
• The Super Mushroom power-up gives an extra hit and allows you to reach high places, while badges like Auto Super Mushroom guarantee access to other power-ups.
• Drill Power lets you burrow into the ground and even the ceiling at times to reach hidden areas.

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder adds, as expected, new power-ups for players to enjoy. The main difference between these powers and the ones from previous games is their focus on combat. Since Wonder introduces Badges to the mix, many movement-exclusive powers are now badges, and therefore unnecessary.

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While few in number, the powers in Wonder are very impactful, with certain areas needing a combination of their abilities and the right badge to get to them. Some classics do remain from previous games, but the majority are new additions that everyone hopes will appear in future Mario games.

5 Super Mushroom

While not the most explosive of power-ups, the Super Mushroom is an intrinsic part of what constitutes a Mario game. Some levels will only have this power-up, making your character bigger and therefore able to reach high placed blocks.

The main purpose of the Super Mushroom is what it’s always been, giving you an extra hit before being defeated. While other power-ups give the effect of the Super Mushroom on top of their own, in a lot of levels you won’t get the power-up unless you’re already big.

This is where the badges come into play. The Auto Super Mushroom lets you start every level or checkpoint in big form. This gives you guaranteed access to those power-ups that otherwise would be Super Mushrooms. Once you beat the game, you can also use the All Power badge so even if you get a Super Mushroom, it’ll turn you into something else.

4 Fire Power

The original power-up and one nearly as iconic as Mario himself, the Fire Power lets you throw fireballs that bounce slightly on the floor. These fireballs will even bounce off walls, going back to you. They can’t hit players and most enemies will be defeated with a single one.

While all levels can be beaten without the need of a power-up, having an attack is always a huge advantage. While the fireballs aren’t the most powerful of offensive options at your disposal, they are the safest, having the biggest range among the selection.

Even with all those benefits, the classic Fire Power does feel updated. All the other options have an added utility beyond combat, and even when solely comparing them offensively, the only thing going for the Fire Power is the range.

3 Drill Power

Among the many features of the Drill Power, one is active even when you’re standing still. The drill shaped helmet protects you from enemies landing on top of you, defeating them instantly. You can still be squashed by many traps and projectiles, so keep that in mind.

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That said, the main purpose of the Drill isn’t to stand still but to move unhindered. By pressing down with this Power on, you’ll burrow into the ground. This makes you invulnerable to all damage, even letting you squeeze into hidden areas. When you exit the ground it counts as an attack, and that can even break blocks.

You can even burrow into the ceiling, providing you can reach it first. Combining the Drill Power with certain badges can make it so no area is out of reach. Even your ground pound changes to a more powerful form, where you drill downwards with great force.

2 Bubble Power

Believe it or not, the Bubble Power is the most lethal of all Powers available in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The Bubbles can’t hurt Bosses or blocks, but if they hit an enemy, it will absorb it, instantly killing it. This might not sound like much, but the Bubble works on enemies previously invulnerable.

This means that Ghosts and Dry Bones will no longer be a threat, since you can remove them from the level, and they’ll bother you no more. The game even adds electrified enemies that can only be killed with the Bubble. Do take note that if you need a Koopa’s shell, the Bubble will consume it, so deal with them in other ways.

If all that wasn’t enough, the Bubbles have other abilities. Offensively, they can go through walls, eliminating unreachable enemies. The Bubbles even travel slightly upwards, letting you aim at enemies directly above you. You can also jump off the Bubbles, creating your own platforms to advance through the game

1 Elephant Power

The best power-up in Super Mario Bros. Wonder is also the biggest. As opposed to the Cat Power from other games, you don’t dress up as an animal, you become it. That means that the Elephant Power turns you into an anthropomorphic Elephant with a powerful trunk.

In Elephant form, you swing your trunk around as a melee attack, defeating most enemies with ease. This attack can even break bricks, letting you access places normally blocked off. You can even activate hidden blocks on the ground, ones that won’t respond even to ground pounds.

If all of that wasn’t enough, you can even collect water in your trunk. This makes it so next time you perform an attack, water will splatter about. This can be crucial in solving many puzzles, marked by dried plants in deed of sustenance. A final point to keep in mind with the Elephant, is that it’s so big that it’ll get squished by things that wouldn’t normally be a danger, so keep it in mind.

NEXT: Super Mario Wonder: Every Secret Exit In The Game