Will Nintendo Finally Let Your Kids Be the Same Character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder?

Plus, fresh off a Nintendo event in New York, some family-centric observations about Resident Evil 9, Pragmata, Mario Tennis Fever, and the Virtual Boy.

I spent 24 hours in New York last week for a Nintendo event to answer one question:

Can two players be the same character in [holds breath] Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park?

The answer, unfortunately, is no. You’re still restricted when playing locally. The only time that multiple versions of a character can be played is during online multiplayer.

Okay, I wasn’t there just to answer that question.

I also found out that Wonder’s Assist Mode—a welcomed option where players don’t take damage, can’t die, and can also be non-Nabbit characters—is not restricted to a single person. You can, for example, have multiple players working their way through Wonder together, with two people taking advantage of Assist Mode and two people playing “normally.” That sounds ideal for my family and likely to be how we use it.

Nintendo did not let me try Assist Mode, however. Instead, I was there to primarily play a bunch of multiplayer-focused events in the $20 add-on’s “Bellabel Park” mode.

It’s pretty good! There is a Mario Party-like streak running through it, which means it sometimes feels like the most “skilled” person is not always going to be the victor. It can lead to groaning amongst seasoned veterans—but probably a lot of fun with kids.

I didn’t write down every game variation we tried, but from memory:

• Everyone turned into a bouncy ball that could, hilariously, climb walls (I won!)

• A race where you were holding onto a flower (I lost badly!)

• Mario’s take on “hot potato,” where you had to pass a bomb around (We all won!)

You can see a clip of what the “hot potato” game is like below:

Like Mario Party, there was a (good) combination of laughter and quiet muttering. Is it worth $20? Hard to say. I’ll have to report back when it’s out in late March, but I’d probably pay $20 for Assist Mode on its own. Maybe I’m an outlier on that one. (My hope is that Assist Mode is baked into whatever Wonder sequel is coming later on.)

Wonder was not the only game I played at Nintendo’s event! A few observations:

Resident Evil 9 + Pragmata

Are you a household that is trying to limit the amount of game consoles under the TV? Are you feeling an economic pinch and can’t justify a PlayStation 5 and a Switch 2? My time with two of Capcom’s upcoming high-profile games—the scary-as-hell Resident Evil 9 and the delightfully weird action-puzzle mashup Pragmata—showed a shockingly capable video game console that wouldn’t make you feel left out using it as the heavy.

No, it will not be the “best” way to play either if your definition of “best” is the highest possible fidelity, but neither game buckled under the weight of Nintendo’s hybrid device. Resident Evil 9 was more than capable of making me audibly yelp, despite playing the game in public, only feet away from the presence of others. Good stuff.

Pragmata had me nodding my head, vibrating, and trying to ask everyone at the event whether they’d heard about underrated classic Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure. (The answer was usually no.) But both games played excellently on Switch 2.

Mario Tennis Fever

Feels like another solid installment in the Mario Tennis franchise, a franchise I cannot say I’ve really meaningfully engaged with since the Nintendo 64. (Outside of Mario Golf flirtations, the sports spin-offs have always drifted right past me.) I also can’t speak to any accommodations the game does (or doesn’t) make regarding options for kids and families, since we were only allowed to play a series of multiplayer matches.

One note: Nabbit is playable! I kept picking him, and joked to some of the Nintendo employees that the Super Mario Galaxy movie should end with a teaser setting up Nabbit as critical to the inevitable third one. I found it funnier than they did, I think.

Virtual Boy

I have yet to take my children to a 3D movie (it feels like a lot for two hours?), but my nine-year-old has spent nearly that amount of time in a Quest 3 during a Gorilla Tag session, and it would not shock me if she was charmed by emulated Virtual Boy, too.

I certainly was! I had to tell myself to stop playing Wario Land, and the pinball game (Galactic Pinball) wasn’t bad, either. It was, admittedly, physically awkward to play.

The problem? These games are old. Charming, yes, but old. It’s tough to parse how they play, and it’s possible the eccentric visuals go from charming to annoying, unless you’re me and regret not buying a liquidation priced Virtual Boy back in the 90s.

But hey, I’ve got the Virtual Boy accessory ordered! This could just be a Dad Thing.

Have a story idea? Want to share a tip? Got a funny parenting story? Drop Patrick an email.

---

Also:

• I do not travel to many events, but your support for Crossplay means I can justify traveling to NYC to force an answer about playable Mario characters. Thank you!

• Pragmata might be my most anticipated video game of 2026? We simply do not get very many genre mashup video games, let alone one at this scale. Cannot wait.

• More and more, I suspect my five-year-old, who played the first level of Astro Bot over and over, is going to really connect with Wonder. Really looking forward to it.