Compare Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park vs Tales of Berseria Remastered

The toughest Training Camp missions and rematches are praised as exactly the kind of postgame tests experienced Mario players wanted. They extend the game by pushing precision and mastery rather than simply adding more easy stages.

One detailed review found the endgame side content rushed, typo-heavy, and noticeably less polished than the main story.

Tiny world and character details continue to reward close attention, helping the Flower Kingdom feel carefully crafted rather than merely colorful.

Environments are widely criticized as bland, sparse, low-detail, or dated, especially beside the stronger character models and art direction.

Sharper Switch 2 image quality makes facial expressions and small character reactions noticeably clearer, reinforcing Wonder’s expressive presentation.

Facial models can still look stiff, one of several presentation details that make the game’s older technical foundation visible.

Mission goals cover timed clears, enemy defeats, coin collection, invincibility runs, avoidance challenges, and more. That spread keeps Training Camp fresher than its reused stages might suggest.

One review specifically criticized repeated tasks and story padding for making the adventure feel longer than its central conflict needed.

The original Wonder campaign remains the package’s biggest asset: imaginative, polished, and consistently enjoyable even years after release. The expansion adds more around it without displacing that core experience.

One reviewer felt the long combat-exploration-upgrade cycle stopped introducing enough new systems to stay fresh through the full runtime.

Some writers object to charging for visual or accessibility improvements that could have been free, while others think the amount of new playable content justifies the paid upgrade. The fairness question depends heavily on which additions you actually use.

One PC-focused review went beyond calling the remaster unnecessary and described the commercial proposition as potentially predatory for existing owners.

Secrets, collectibles, and optional discoveries remain enjoyable reasons to explore and replay stages, with solo play often preferred when hunting everything down. Bellabel Park adds more things to collect, though not all rewards are equally compelling.

Exploration is often dragged down by backtracking, long corridors, repetitive dungeons, and repeated fights, although faster movement and encounter toggles improve it in the remaster.

Most writers regard this as the definitive way to play Wonder thanks to sharper visuals, smoother performance, tougher challenges, better bosses, and expanded multiplayer. The remaster is much less essential for returning solo players who already exhausted the original.

The dominant complaint is that this feels more like a port or convenience-focused rerelease than a transformative remaster. The QoL work is useful, but many existing owners see too little reason to rebuy.

The upgrade gets players into its new content quickly, with a short tutorial and early Bellabel Park access. Mouse-assisted Luma controls also give less experienced players an intuitive entry point.

The opening combat hours can feel overwhelming as Artes and interconnected systems arrive before every player feels comfortable with them.

Assist Mode, Luma, forgiving character choices, GameShare, and strong couch co-op make this an easy game to share across ages and skill levels. Its family appeal is strongest when several people can actually play together.

The revenge plot’s violence, mature themes, and occasional revealing costumes make this a less family-friendly Tales entry than the series’ lighter adventures.

Randomized flower rewards and the need to replay challenges for more Bellabel Water can turn completion into a grind. Several writers enjoy the park loop casually but do not see full completion as especially rewarding.

Encounter toggles and Grade Shop XP boosts make grinding far easier to control, a widely appreciated convenience for story-focused or returning players.

Bellabel Water gives the park a steady reward loop, but random flowers and repeated training runs can make completion feel convoluted or grindy. The system is more appealing as light progression than as a reason to chase everything.

The Soul system’s give-and-take creates an enjoyable resource rhythm when earning and spending Souls is working well.

The new story material is deliberately simple and mostly serves as a reason to hunt the Koopalings. Its presentation is pleasant, but the tracking subplot and ending can feel slight or anticlimactic.

The revenge story is the clearest consensus strength, praised for its darker perspective, twists, emotional weight, and willingness to center morally gray characters.

The story contains more dialogue than one writer expected for a 2D Mario game, but the amount is treated as a mild observation rather than a serious problem.

Skits, banter, and party conversations are often funny, warm, and character-rich, though one remaster review noticed awkwardly compressed dialogue timing.

The new single-player additions can move at an appealingly brisk clip, with fast Training Courses helping the expansion feel easy to dip into between longer campaign sessions.

Story pacing is often strong, but repetitive dungeons and backtracking can interrupt emotional highs; the remaster’s faster travel helps without eliminating the issue.

Training Camp and harder boss variants finally give experienced players tougher tests, while Assist Mode and support options preserve a gentle route for newcomers. The base campaign and some Koopaling fights can still feel too easy for veteran players.

Difficulty can swing too far toward easy when Grade Shop bonuses or Velvet’s strongest loops are used, while harder settings do a better job exposing the combat’s strategic depth.

Bellabel Park adds bosses, training missions, co-op games, competitive attractions, collectibles, and new abilities, giving the package a broad spread of activities. The main reservation is that many additions remix existing stages or cluster around similar multiplayer ideas.

Minigames, battle arenas, collectibles, exploration rewards, and other side activities help break up the main loop and give the package welcome variety.

The Flower Kingdom keeps its bright, whimsical charm, and Bellabel Park extends that cheerful social vibe. The familiar environments can make the expansion feel less fresh than the atmosphere initially suggests.

Berseria’s darker, morally gray tone is a standout strength, giving the familiar Tales formula a more mature and emotionally charged identity.

Wonder Effects remain visually playful and surreal, turning familiar 2D stages into psychedelic set pieces. The Switch 2 presentation makes those transformations cleaner without changing their underlying ideas.

Battle effects and flashy ultimate attacks add energy and spectacle to the real-time combat.

Wonder still generates the smiles, laughter, and childlike delight that defined the original release. The best new co-op games and surreal level ideas reinforce that playful emotional pull.

The revenge story repeatedly lands with real emotional force; reviewers describe tears, goosebumps, poignancy, and a strong attachment to Velvet’s journey.

Rosalina is a widely welcomed roster addition, while Co-Star Luma gives a second player a very different support role. Rosalina’s moveset is fairly conventional and Luma is deliberately limited, so the new characters add accessibility more than mechanical depth.

The cast is the most consistently praised element after the story, with strong chemistry, memorable personalities, and unusually compelling anti-hero dynamics.

Faster loading is a welcome Switch 2 refinement, though several writers note that the original load times were already acceptable. It improves polish more than it changes the experience.

Modern versions generally load faster, with several reviewers calling the improvements noticeable or nicely brisk.

Wonder’s expressive animation remains a major strength, and the higher-resolution presentation makes small character motions and reactions stand out more clearly. The new flower transformation also gets praise for its playful animation.

Character and battle animation was praised as smooth and effective, even when other visual elements still showed the game’s age.

The game accommodates a wide span of skill levels: newcomers can lean on support options while later challenges ramp into demanding tests. This makes the path from beginner play to harder mastery unusually flexible.

Combat can be approachable at first yet overwhelming as systems stack up; reviewers disagree on whether the tutorials and gradual introductions make that complexity manageable.

Wonder’s base campaign remains one of the most original modern 2D platformers, packed with surprising transformations and level ideas. The expansion is less consistent, often remixing existing environments even when its best bosses and co-op games feel fresh.

The anti-hero revenge structure and morally gray party help Berseria stand apart from the brighter, more traditional hero stories associated with the series.

Wonder’s vivid presentation and playful movement continue to pull players into the Flower Kingdom, with the Switch 2 polish strengthening an already engaging sense of place.

Strong art and music can bring Midgand to life, but pop-in and dated environmental presentation can noticeably break immersion.

Dual Badges add useful build flexibility by combining two abilities, creating new movement and difficulty options. Some writers think they are overpowered, make base badges redundant, or are not explored deeply enough by the new missions.

Gear and ability systems can support steady growth, but several critics see them as shallow, overly menu-heavy, or unnecessary because combat can be trivialized.

The more combat-focused attractions land well when they lean into Wonder’s movement and power-ups, especially bubble-gun fights and the battle-royale-style mode. They work best as energetic group diversions rather than deep competitive systems.

Reviewers who clicked with the battle system found fights fast, satisfying, and highly engaging, with especially strong moment-to-moment action.

The short opening tutorial is easy to follow, while Training Camp sometimes functions like a disguised advanced tutorial in a way reviewers largely appreciate. It teaches through focused challenges rather than long explanations.

Some reviewers think the game teaches its mechanics well, while others find the explanations confusing or insufficient for the combat’s complexity.

Cutscenes are praised for communicating the simple story efficiently without burying the player in text, keeping the writing light and functional.

Characterization and emotional writing are often excellent, especially around Velvet and the party, but a few reviewers criticize tropey sections, weaker villains, or missed thematic opportunities.

The 4K docked presentation is consistently described as sharper, brighter, and more vivid, with characters and colors benefiting most. Because the original already looked strong, some writers see this as refinement rather than a transformative leap.

The visual picture is mixed: the anime style still looks appealing and some remaster versions are crisp, but many reviewers see only minor upgrades and Switch can look noticeably worse.

Performance is generally praised for holding a smooth 60fps, including moments that could dip on the original Switch. The upgrade is technically clean even when the visual difference itself is not dramatic.

Performance is strong on PS5 in several reviews, but Switch impressions are much less consistent, with 30fps caps and occasional dips drawing criticism.

Bellabel Water, unlockable badges, decorations, and collectibles give Bellabel Park visible progression, but the loop can feel shallow beside the main campaign. Wonder Seed gating in the base game is also a frustration for at least one writer.

Progression has useful depth through equipment, Grade Shop options, and evolving combat choices, but some reviewers feel growth is muted because the game can be too easy or bonuses too incremental.

Wonder Flowers, badges, new Dual Badges, and the Super Flower Pot keep the mechanics playful and flexible. Dual Badges and Luma can sometimes feel overpowered or redundant, but the core platforming systems remain excellent.

Soul management, Break Souls, combo trees, and character-specific systems can create satisfying tactical depth, though some critics think the systems do not always harmonize.

The package is repeatedly praised for Nintendo-level polish, from animation details to smooth integration with old saves and carefully built challenge variants. Even critics of the expansion’s value usually acknowledge the quality of execution.

Quality-of-life tweaks add welcome smoothness, but dated assets, unresolved rough edges, and the small scale of the update keep the remaster from feeling comprehensively polished.

Assist Mode, Co-Star Luma, wider camera options, and beginner-focused controls make Wonder much easier to share with less experienced players. A few writers question locking some accommodations behind the paid Switch 2 edition.

Encounter toggles, difficulty controls, Grade Shop modifiers, button mapping, and other conveniences give players strong control over how demanding or time-consuming the journey feels, though one review noted the lack of colorblind modes.

The package is widely viewed as a strong continuation of classic 2D Mario while preserving the experimentation that made Wonder feel fresh. Many writers place the base game among the franchise’s best side-scrolling entries.

Despite its darker tone, Berseria still feels recognizably Tales, retaining the series’ charm, party chemistry, visual identity, and action-RPG character.

The new zoomed-out and Player One-focused camera options are welcomed for making local co-op easier to read and follow. There are still moments where the wider framing or multiplayer camera behavior can feel awkward.

The combat camera was described as mostly well behaved, helping the fast battle system keep a cohesive flow.

Handheld play remains smooth and attractive, and the sharper presentation carries over well away from the TV. The biggest visual gains are still more obvious in docked 4K mode.

Portable Berseria is a major selling point for some reviewers, but Switch-specific image quality, 30fps limits, and one severe input-lag report make handheld recommendations platform-sensitive.

The vivid, expressive visual style is still one of Wonder’s defining strengths, with the sharper Switch 2 presentation helping it pop. A minority view finds the art design less impressive than the gameplay creativity around it.

The anime and watercolor-inspired art direction continues to hold up well, with reviewers praising its style even when textures and environments look dated.

The dominant reaction is that Wonder remains extremely fun, with the new bosses, challenges, and best co-op attractions adding more reasons to play. The weaker competitive games and recycled content temper that enthusiasm but rarely erase it.

Even reviewers who criticize the remaster often still call Berseria itself fun, entertaining, or a must-play first experience.

The new boss encounters give combat more interesting attack patterns and counterplay than the base game often had. A few critics still dislike the stop-start rhythm of waiting for openings, so the fights do not satisfy everyone.

Combat is the biggest point of disagreement: many reviewers love its speed, combo freedom, and risk-reward systems, while others find it button-mashy, overcomplicated, poorly balanced, or repetitive.

Local multiplayer is where Bellabel Park most often shines, with couch play producing the strongest laughs, teamwork, and party-game energy. Its value drops sharply for players who cannot regularly gather other people.

Local battle co-op is functional and welcome for players who want to share fights, but it is not presented as a major reason to buy.

Co-op is frequently described as the strongest part of Bellabel Park, especially challenges built around communication, shared counting, platform placement, and coordinated movement. It can get chaotic, but that chaos is often part of the appeal.

Local battle multiplayer is welcomed as a useful extra, though it is described as serviceable rather than essential.

The base game is still celebrated for constant invention, while the best new boss and co-op ideas cleverly reuse those mechanics. Bellabel Park is less revolutionary overall because much of it remixes existing levels and party-game formats.

Berseria’s anti-hero lead, darker story, and freer combat represented meaningful departures from older Tales conventions that several reviewers still appreciate.

Mario’s running, jumping, wall movement, and badge-assisted traversal still feel exceptionally fluid. The new movement options build on an already strong platforming foundation rather than replacing it.

The 20% movement-speed boost is one of the most appreciated QoL changes, though some reviewers still find traversal floaty, sluggish, or detached from the world.

Wonder Flowers continue to make stages feel reactive by warping environments, animating objects, and changing the rules mid-level. That interactivity remains central to the game’s surprise factor.

Collectibles, Katz rewards, treasure, and other field pickups add small reasons to explore otherwise straightforward spaces.

Existing progress carries over cleanly from the Switch version, letting returning players jump into the upgraded campaign without starting over.

The lack of PS4 save transfer was called a missed opportunity for returning players considering the remaster.

The base game still has strong replay appeal through secrets, badges, and polished stages, while Bellabel Park adds more reasons to return with friends. Long-term interest in the competitive attractions is far less certain.

One repeat player felt the magic faded on subsequent runs and explicitly recommended experiencing Berseria once rather than replaying it repeatedly.

The expansion is most convincing when its harder challenges, creative bosses, and multiplayer attractions match how you play. Newcomers and social players often see substantial value, while returning solo players frequently describe Bellabel Park as optional or inessential.

Bundled DLC is one of the remaster’s clearest wins: most reviewers liked getting the original costumes and extras included, especially for newcomers.

Value depends sharply on your starting point and play style. First-time buyers and frequent multiplayer groups often see a worthwhile package, while returning solo owners regularly question paying for relatively limited solo additions.

Value depends heavily on ownership: newcomers often get the best package with bundled DLC and QoL upgrades, while existing PS4/PC owners repeatedly see little reason to pay again.

Save transfer is handled smoothly, allowing prior progress to carry into the Switch 2 edition without friction.

Autosave is a welcome modern convenience that reduces the risk of lost progress and makes the long RPG easier to play casually.

Mouse controls, GameShare, GameChat, and other Switch 2-specific features are generally well integrated, especially in co-op. Some implementations are narrow or feel like hardware showcases rather than essential additions.

Bringing Berseria to Switch and Xbox expands access, but missing upgrade paths, sparse PC options, screenshot restrictions, and no native Switch 2 version disappointed some reviewers.

Wonder’s original level design remains a standout, and the best Training Camp and Koopaling remixes find smart new uses for familiar spaces. Some expansion stages are criticized as recycled or less inspired than the base campaign.

Dungeon design is one of the clearest weaknesses, repeatedly described as linear, bland, maze-like, repetitive, or too long.

Training Camp’s short objective-based missions are widely praised for turning familiar stages into focused tests of speed, avoidance, combat, and execution. Some feel slight or tutorial-like, but the stronger challenges are a major solo highlight.

Repeated objectives and forced backtracking can turn progression into a routine trek through already visited maps.

Bellabel Park’s presentation can become visually cluttered, and at least two writers find the mode organization confusing. The underlying activities are fun, but the interface does not always make them easy to parse.

New icons and clearer indicators improve navigation and inventory clarity, but older build menus can still feel convoluted.

The Donut Block Maker attraction and select avoidance challenges introduce simple but satisfying puzzle-like problems that fit naturally with Wonder’s platforming.

Dungeon puzzles are usually considered simple or underdeveloped, with only occasional later sections standing out positively.

The audiovisual weirdness of Wonder’s transforming stages helps keep players alert and reinforces the game’s playful sensory identity.

Audio opinions are mixed: battle effects can be excellent, but some remaster versions have distracting menu mixing or unusually loud effects.

Finding scattered Koopaling tents and moving between some activities can be awkward, and a few writers call the mode layout confusing or the new stages too quick to navigate. Others enjoy revisiting the world map as part of the hunt.

New objective markers, collectible icons, and minimap changes are genuinely useful, although a few reviewers found them inconsistent or absent when most needed.

The short Koopaling tracking storyline is criticized as dull, suggesting the quest structure adds less excitement than the battles it leads to.

One review specifically lamented the absence of a meaningful side-quest system alongside the game’s uninspired dungeon structure.

Bellabel Park greatly expands multiplayer, but quality varies by mode. Local co-op is the consensus highlight, while competitive and online attractions are more often called shallow, repetitive, or overly dependent on having the right group.

Battle multiplayer was described as serviceable but superfluous: usable for shared play, yet far from central to the experience.

The Flower Kingdom is praised as an unusually well-realized Mario setting, with its distinct identity helping Wonder push beyond the familiar Mushroom Kingdom backdrop.

Midgand’s moral conflicts, regional stories, and changing societies give the setting a stronger sense of history and consequence than its plain environments suggest.

The seven Koopaling encounters are one of the most consistently praised additions, bringing far more personality, variety, and mechanical creativity than the original bosses. Some writers still find them too easy, short, or rhythm-breaking, so enthusiasm is not universal.

Boss opinions were split: several reviewers enjoyed the stronger encounters, while another found boss battles uninspired.

The expanded assistance tools make this especially approachable for younger players, and several writers specifically frame it as a good fit for parents playing with kids. Some of the lighter park content also seems aimed more at children than veteran players.

The darker story includes death, killing, child-directed violence, and revealing costumes, making it a more mature Tales entry than some reviewers expected.

The underlying 2D controls remain one of Wonder’s clearest strengths, with movement repeatedly described as tight, smooth, and exceptionally responsive. That strong control foundation also makes the harder new challenges satisfying.

Most versions feel smooth and responsive in combat, but one Switch review reported severe input lag that made both fighting and exploration unwieldy.

The new and returning voice performances receive warm praise, including Rosalina’s new lines and Mario’s performance blending naturally with the wider cast.

Voice work is a major strength, especially the performances behind Velvet and the main cast, though one reviewer strongly preferred Japanese audio over the English dub.

Moving back and forth through menus between challenges can feel like a drag, and the way some Bellabel Park modes are organized is not always immediately clear.

Menu impressions are mixed: new item indicators can help, but build management, DLC claiming, and some older interfaces are still cumbersome.

The soundtrack is usually described as catchy, joyful, and memorable, with musical stages remaining standout moments. One review is notably cooler on the music, so praise is not unanimous.

The soundtrack divides reviewers more than the story or voice acting: some rank it highly, while others call most of it average or forgettable outside standout themes.

Switch 2 performance is consistently strong, combining 4K output with smooth play and very few technical complaints. The improvements are more about refinement and stability than rescuing a poorly performing original.

PS5 performance is usually smooth, while PC and especially Switch reports are more variable; the harshest Switch review described serious input-lag and image-quality problems.

Party and enemy AI drew criticism for being basic, with players often expected to do most of the meaningful work themselves.

Luma’s mouse controls are singled out for their precision, with the cursor-based implementation feeling unusually well suited to the Switch 2 hardware.

Technical polish varies sharply by platform. PS5 reports are often smooth, while Switch reviews repeatedly mention pop-in, flicker, shimmering, and other visual glitches.

Character growth is one of Berseria’s strongest qualities, especially Velvet’s arc and the way major party members evolve across the story.

Velvet’s power is a recurring balance problem in the more critical combat takes, where her Break Soul loop can make other party members feel unnecessary.

Wonder’s passive online ghosts, standees, and Search Party assistance are praised for creating a helpful sense of other players being present without turning the campaign into direct competition.

Companion AI is a weak spot, with basic behavior and unreliable healing leaving the player to handle much of the important decision-making.

Support and expert badges help groups with mixed skill levels compete more comfortably. Reviewers like that stronger and weaker players can adjust difficulty without changing the basic attraction rules.

Equipment enhancement earned praise for making dropped materials useful and giving gear management a satisfying purpose between battles.

The roller-skate and other racing attractions can be surprisingly enjoyable, with momentum giving some races extra texture. Other races feel basic or too close to familiar party-game ideas.

Enemy variety is a recurring weakness in dungeons, with repeated foes and samey encounter waves undercutting otherwise lively combat.

Earlier and less restrictive travel tools are a meaningful improvement, though some reviewers still found warping limited or awkwardly structured.

New objective and collectible indicators make the minimap more useful and reduce friction when tracking goals and pickups.

The randomized Bellabel Water reward system is compared to a gacha or loot-box-style mechanic without real-money spending. Its limited cosmetic rewards make the randomness feel more annoying than exciting.

The story’s moral ambiguity, revenge themes, free-will questions, and philosophical framing give reviewers more to think about than a typical straightforward hero narrative.

Friends-only online play is one of the clearest recurring complaints. The lack of public matchmaking, random lobbies, or CPU substitutes leaves major attractions inaccessible when your own group is unavailable.

Online performance reports are mixed: one session ran cleanly without major hiccups, while another writer experienced severe input lag over distance. Connection quality can therefore matter a lot for timing-heavy attractions.

The harder Training Camp stages benefit from Wonder’s precise platforming, demanding tight timing and leaving very little margin for error. Reviewers who wanted expert-level tests respond especially well to these challenges.

Bellabel Park can be personalized with flowers and cosmetic touches, and some writers enjoy gradually sprucing it up. The customization is modest rather than a deep creative sandbox.

The supporting party is praised for distinct motivations, chemistry, banter, and storylines that make them more than simple companions to Velvet.

Arte and combo customization gives combat meaningful flexibility, letting players experiment with large move sets and different strings.

GameChat, greetings, and communication-heavy co-op give the upgrade a more social feel. GameChat and teamwork are useful additions, while greeting collectibles can feel disposable.

Phanto Tag is the clear favorite among stealth-like attractions, turning hide-and-seek and prop-hunt ideas into a tense, funny multiplayer game. Other stealth-flavored activities are less consistently memorable.

Costumes and cosmetic options are fun and plentiful, but deeper build customization can feel limited or inflexible in places.

A physical release with extra presentation value was specifically appreciated by a longtime Tales fan.

Velvet is overwhelmingly praised as a distinctive, compelling anti-heroine whose anger, vulnerability, and growth give the story its identity.

Berseria is notably linear rather than truly open, and a couple of reviewers felt the zones were smaller or more constrained than they first appeared.