Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Meetup in Bellabel Park DLC Has Me Cautiously Impressed

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is my favourite amongst the franchise’s two-dimensional entries, so you can imagine my delight when Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park was revealed. Yes, that’s a wordy mouthful of a title, but after recently going hands-on with the upgrade and expansion, I’m feeling hopeful that Meetup in Bellabel Park is just as bountifully generous as its seemingly never-ending title suggests.

I’d say I spent around 30 minutes enjoying some multiplayer action in Meetup in Bellabel Park, in what was undoubtedly a whistle-stop tour. We briefly explored two key sections of the expansion, Local Multiplayer Plaza and Game Room Plaza.

Don’t be misled by the name of either. Local Multiplayer Plaza can be enjoyed with up to four people locally or online via GameShare, while Game Room Plaza supports up to 12 players online or locally. Both areas essentially function as minigame hubs, although Game Room Plaza was far more competitive in terms of what we sampled compared to Local Multiplayer Plaza.

Hands-On with Meetup in Bellabel Park’s Local Multiplayer Plaza Minigames

The first game I played in the latter location saw two players nominated as makers. They had to place blocks to build a path that guided the other two players through the level, which is much more difficult than it sounds on paper.

I apologise to the hardworking staff of Nintendo of Europe because our group was screaming like our lives depended on reaching that finish line. Of course, there are enemies and obstacles in your way and the blocks disappear after being stood on. I was glad to see that the makers could make use of the Joy-Con 2’s mouse functionality which made the process much smoother. All in all, a fun game.

Nintendo

Special shout out to Local Multiplayer Plaza’s game of tag, which might’ve been my favourite. This one, as you might’ve guessed, pitted us against one another. Two players were marked with masks with the goal of tagging, and therefore passing the mask, to a non-tagged player. Again, this all sounds rather simple. It’s not. I didn’t realise the ‘safe’ players could disguise themselves as Talking Flowers. It’s only in the closing seconds that it dawned on me that one of the flowers was moving. This minigame was as much about observation as it was chasing one another. Yet again, a fun one to play.

We then rounded up our time in Local Multiplayer Plaza with my favourite of the three. This game pitted us against one another as we were each given a Yoshi to hold. The player who fed their Yoshi the most apples would win with gold apples scoring extra points and cursed apples deducting points. It’s a simple premise but one that was pulled off effectively with your movement slowing down as your well-fed Yoshi increased in size.

In Game Room Plaza, It’s Time To Race

This perhaps sets me up nicely for Game Room Plaza as, like I said, what I sampled of this was of a similarly competitive flavouring. I only sampled two minigames in this area, although both were races. The first was a glider-based race, whilst the other placed us on sleds. Both of these worked as you might expect. The winner was the first to cross the finish line, with speed boosters and the power of a slipstream able to be taken advantage of.

Nintendo

I’ll admit, the differences between Local Multiplayer Plaza and Game Room Plaza within Meetup in Bellabel Park don’t feel abundantly clear when you’re within the game upon first impression. If I hadn’t outlined the different multiplayer functionalities of both above, I wouldn’t have known at all, really, what separates the two, but it’s not exactly a major issue. The slight variation in who can play what and how just may confuse the casual Nintendo Switch 2 owner and is worth bearing in mind.

Meetup in Bellabel Park May Lack Longevity, But The Jury’s Still Out

There are aspects of Meetup in Bellabel Park that I haven’t sampled, namely the announced Toad Brigade camp, teased return of the Koopalings, and the co-op play between Rosalina and Co-star Luma. At this point in time, I’m questioning the long-term appeal of the expansion. It functions very much like, say, Super Mario Party Jamboree with its focus on multiplayer fun, but as an expansion of a game largely enjoyed by solo players … it’s an interesting sell, but not one that I’m against. I just wonder if the newness of the minigames is where the appeal lies, but as I said, there’s much more to the expansion that I’m yet to see.

Regardless, I’d be lying if I said anything other than the fact that I will indeed be picking up Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park come launch day. What I sampled of the Meetup in Bellabel Park DLC was incredibly fun; there’s no doubt about that. It’s hard to say though whether the appeal of such a mode has longevity but as a supplement to an already wonderful title, I don’t think Super Mario Bros. Wonder will find it all that difficult to please returning players.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park Preview will launch on 26 March on Nintendo Switch 2.