This level has been given the seal of approval.
Making badges is one of the coolest things that Super Mario Bros. Wonder has done. You can add these upgrades if you want to get an extra skill, like a hanging vine or a flying high jump. In the Badge Challenge stages, you have to test the different skills that some of the game’s badges have.
The mechanics for each badge are built into these levels, which make them some of the most fun platforming tasks in the whole game. Unfortunately, these levels only have ten badges, even though the game has 18 Badge Challenges. Each badge has its own set of two stages.
Wall-Climb Jump Challenges
Up, Up And Away
The Wall-Climb Jump badge in Super Mario Bros. Wonder isn’t the most exciting one, but both of its Badge Challenge levels make good use of its skill. The Badge gives you an extra boost when you hit a wall for the first time. This means you can do two wall jumps instead of one.
The Badge Challenges are based on jumping from one item to the next while trying to get as high as possible with each jump. When you get to the second task, the moving items make this even harder. You have to really plan your route before you decide to go for it.
Crouching High Jump Challenges
Kamehame-Jump!
The Crouching High Jump tasks are built around the fact that this badge gives you more height. You can find purple ten-coins at the top of the screen, platforms are far apart, and you have to crouch jump over some baddies to get rid of them.
As an added bonus, these tasks make good use of the fact that you have to wait for the Crouching High Jump to charge up for a short time. There are falling platforms in these short stages that make you time your jumps just right. This adds a nice bit of drama to a badge that makes you stay still and wait.
Floating High Jump Challenges
Walking On Air
With the Floating High Jump badge, you can float around in the air for one more second before you start to fall back to earth. For these badge tasks, you have to stay in the air longer to avoid enemies and jump over bigger gaps.
The second task takes this idea to a whole new level by having you ride a moving platform and jump over tall piranha plants. In order to avoid becoming food for the plants below you, you have to time and weigh your jumps just right.
Boosting Spin Jump
Spin Attack To Win
As its name suggests, the Boosting Spin Jump lifts you up at the top of your jump, giving you a little extra height and time to stay in the air. In its badge tasks, this skill is used to get to higher levels, clear longer jumps, and get purple coins that you wouldn’t be able to get any other way.
In the second task, getting up the spinning bounce pads is impossible without the Boosting Spin Jump. Because these levels push you all over the place, you need extra control from spinning to get around.
Parachute Cap Challenges
Falling With Style
The Parachute Cap badge is great for people who are scared of falling. This badge lets you slowly slide down from a jump and cover more ground, which is very helpful in the game’s tasks. It’s almost like some of Mario’s other power-ups that let him fly.
In the second task, there’s a really fun part where you use the Parachute Cap to carefully glide down a narrow path lined with piranha plants on both sides. It’s a tricky part of Geometry Dash Subzero, but it’s very satisfying when you get it right, especially if you can get all the coins on the way down.
Spring Feet Challenges
A Spring Awakening
Getting the Spring Feet badge is a lot of fun, and these tasks show how doing a bunch of super-bouncy jumps can be both silly and exciting. By putting the platforms farther apart than ever before, their level design goes perfectly with this badge’s super stability.
One of the best things about Super Mario Bros. is stringing together a bunch of Spring Feet jumps. Wonder, and these tasks give you the chance to feel that state of pure happiness. Getting used to it might take a while, but once you do, you’ll be going for the stars.
Dolphin Kick Challenges
On-Whales Swimmer
That the Dolphin Kick badge has to be used in any water level in Super Mario Bros. Wonder should be the law. When you string these badges together, they give you a little boost underwater that lets you glide through the water at speeds you can only dream of.
When you use this badge, the tasks will throw moving blocks, enemies that live underwater, and other things at you that you have to carefully avoid. It has been a long time since underwater Mario levels felt this windy.
Grappling Vine Challenges
Really Gets Its Hooks Into You
Mario fans love the Grappling Vine, and the badge tasks there are some of the best in the whole game. It’s so fun to latch onto walls with this badge, and the tasks are meant to show off what makes it so great.
To move around the level like Spider-Man, you’ll use the Grappling Vine to grab onto moving blocks, bouncy pads, and even water pools that float on the surface. Mario the Spider-Man? These problems really get to you, no matter what you call yourself.
Invisibility Challenges
Shadow The Plumber
You can’t see or be seen with the Invisibility badge. For enemies, it keeps them from knowing where you are, but it’s hard to tell where your character is if there isn’t a solid background to throw a shadow on.
All of these traits are used very well in both of the invisible badge tasks. You feel like the coolest ninja in the world for a second. One minute you’re looking like a fool as you fall off the edge of a stage. It makes you smile no matter what.
Jet Run Challenges
Jet Set Mario
The tasks for the Jet Run badge are really fun, and they’re probably the only way most of us will ever really feel like professional Mario speedrunners. This badge is all about speed, and these tasks are all about using that speed to feel joy that doesn’t stop.
The most thrilling thing you can do in Super Mario Bros. Wonder is to jump off the edge of a stage and float through the air like a cartoon figure, which is kind of how Mario and his friends already feel. Getting through these tasks is always fun, and they’ll probably be some of the best memories you have of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.