Super Mario Wonder stands out from a lot of other 2D Mario games by introducing a new setting for the game, being the Flower Kingdom. While it is not the only 2D Mario game to not take place in the Mushroom Kingdom, it does feel incredibly visually distinct from the games that preceded it, and a big part of this is down to the unique worlds.
RelatedSuper Mario Bros. Wonder: Every Orange Action Badge, Ranked
Which orange action badges are the best to equip in Super Mario Bros. Wonder?
PostsThe Flower Kingdom consists of six main worlds, but also has sub-areas that classify as worlds of their own. So out of all the worlds in Super Mario Wonder, which are the most fun to play through, and which aren't as good in comparison?
9 World Six - Deep Magma Bog
Deep Magma Bog is far from a bad world, especially since the quality of all the levels in Mario Wonder is so high. However, it seems to take the least risks when it comes to its theme. It still has plenty of unique levels, but with it being a relatively standard lava themed world, it could easily fit in with many worlds from the New Super Mario Bros. era.
The Best Feature Of This World
The overworld exploration for Deep Magma Bog is designed to make you feel like you are getting lost; with dead ends, and hidden levels. This could get a little annoying, but since you can teleport between levels whenever you want, it's a lot more simple.
8 World Two - Fluff Puff Peaks
Fluff-Puff Peaks has a beautiful aesthetic, with the pink clouds and the icy walkways, but balancing the themes of a sky world and an ice world means that it sometimes feels a little caught in the middle. It might have been better if Wonder committed to one theme, so they could go all in with the look of the world and its levels.
The Best Feature Of This World
Exploring up into the clouds until you reach the castle in Fluff Fluff Peaks is incredibly satisfying, and this ties in with the level designs with a lot more vertical exploration than the other worlds within the levels.
7 Connective World - The Petal Isles
Instead of adding an extra world, Mario Wonder opts to use the Petal Isles as a connective area between the worlds. This is a unique idea, and is a great way to pace the levels and make the Flower Kingdom feel more cohesive. However, this adds a few too many water levels, and while Dolphin Kick makes them easier to traverse, they still feel a little clunky.
RelatedSuper Mario Bros. Wonder: Every Blue Boost Badge, Ranked
These are the best blue boost badges to equip in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
PostsThe Best Feature Of This World
With The Petal Isles level being used as a bridge between worlds for the whole game, it means that it contains a wide variety of difficulty levels, making it the world with the biggest difficulty variety.
6 The Special World
The Special World is usually saved until the post-game as a challenge to unlock, but you can find your way to this World as early as World One. This is great for giving you options for how you want to tackle it, but it takes away from what could be a great post-credits surprise.
The Best Feature Of This World
The difficulty of the Special World levels is definitely fitting for a post-game world, and this is the world you are most likely going to need to keep coming back to!
5 World Three - Shining Falls
Unlike other Mario worlds, Shining Falls doesn't fit into a clear category, and this works to its strengths, and the strengths of Wonder as a more unique package. The levels it contains have a massive level of variety, but the challenge at the end of the trials does feel a little underwhelming for all the build up it gets.
The Best Feature Of This World
The interactions with the Poplins in Shining Falls make the Flower Kingdom feel a lot more lived in than some of the other Worlds. The Escher style layout is also stunning to look through.
4 World Four - Sunbaked Desert
The Sunbaked Desert feels like the biggest world in Wonder, and the theme of optical illusions and hidden secrets is a lot of fun to work through. The overworld exploration encourages searching every nook and cranny while also looking from unique perspectives as well. If there is any world you will need to look up help to find your way through the levels, it is this one.
RelatedSuper Mario Wonder: All Power-Ups, Ranked
Check out the new and amazing power-ups available to you while playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder!
PostsThe Best Feature Of This World
The Sunbaked Desert is not afraid to challenge its players both in and outside the levels, whether it is unconventional levels or hidden secrets.
3 World One Pipe-Rock Plateau
The opening world of a Mario game can often feel incredibly standard, with some of the earlier games blending together in this regard. Wonder makes sure to not fall into this trap, with the Wonder Flower transformations completely changing these levels and adding a much-needed variety to the standard early worlds in Mario games.
The Best Feature Of This World
Instead of just sticking to green rolling hills, Pipe-Rock Plateau features a wide variety of aesthetics, with the autumnal area being one of the best looking in the whole game.
2 World Five - Fungi Mines
Being saved until later in the game, Fungi Mines is one of the more challenging worlds, and its layout has a strong variety. You work your way through the mushrooms down into the corrupted mines. The levels in this world have some of the more creative motifs and are a joy to complete.
The Best Feature Of This World
The overarching narrative of saving the lost Poplin miners in the Fungi Mines gives this world a motivation to complete which is lacking in the others which have less narrative relevance.
1 Castle Bowser
While the levels in Castle Bowser are classified as part of the Petal Isles, gameplay and aesthetic-wise, they are completely different and definitely don't feel like one and the same. Castle Bowser is a fitting conclusion to Mario Wonder, with the levels balancing the fun and the challenge, and bringing in all the introduced elements in the game, with creative Wonder transformations and use of power-ups.
The Best Feature Of This World
The use of rhythmic motifs in Castle Bowser build up to the final encounter with Bowser and help with the whole experience of the game feeling like a cohesive package.
Next: Super Mario Wonder: Biggest Changes From The New Super Mario Bros. Games
