New 2D Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, arrives in October

After years of waiting, Nintendo has finally announced a brand new 2D Mario game titled Super Mario Bros. Wonder that will be released on October 20, 2023.

The details:

• At the June 21 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo showed off the upcoming 2D platformer, which has a similar art style to the NEW Super Mario Bros. and includes all of the classic Mario elements, such as an overworld, power-ups, and Goomba stomping. It will also include some kind of co-op mode, with Peach, Daisy, Luigi, and Toad all playable, and Yoshi returning in a ridable form.
• As with previous 2D Mario games, we also got a look at one of the game's new power-ups, which causes warp pipes to bend and move, hippos to transform into bouncing spheres, sheep to charge in herds, and Mario and the world to become oddly stretchy. We also see another new power-up near the end of the trailer, this time transforming the plumber into an elephant, which he then uses his trunk to launch a Goomba into the air.
• Fans have already begun to speculate about the game's systems, as it appears to be departing from the traditional scoring system of 2D Mario titles up to this point. In those, actions such as collecting coins and defeating enemies, as well as the time taken to complete a level, resulted in the player receiving a final score. The score counter is missing throughout the trailer, but the words "Good," "Great," and "Super" appear at various points, leading some to believe that a grading system similar to that seen in games like Devil May Cry may be a new addition, though it's unclear what higher ratings would reward the player with.

More gaming news:

• Online gaming platform Roblox has announced the addition of a set of 17+ experience guidelines that will allow players to create games with "intense violence, heavy realistic blood, moderate crude humor, romantic themes, unplayable gambling content, and/or the presence of alcohol.”
• Electronic Arts has announced an internal restructuring in which EA Sports and EA Games will be separated, with EA Games renamed "EA Entertainment." The publisher's sports properties, including the PGA Tour, Madden, NHL, and EA Sports FC, will be housed under EA Sports, while the rest of its projects will be included under EA Entertainment.