Nabbit is invincible in Super Mario Bros. Wonder — to my surprise

The first time I played through Super Mario Bros. Wonder as Nabbit, I didn’t know what I was getting into. The vibes were the sole reason I selected him. Ravio reminded me. The Legend of Zelda A Link Between WorldsHe seemed an unlikely protagonist for the game. He isn’t a model hero like Mario; he looks like a pesky little thief. I liked that about him — that is, until I realized he cheated me out of the traditional Mario experience.

With high expectations, I started the game. I couldn’t wait to explore these trippy and cartoony worlds with hidden delights like full-on musical numbers with piranha plants. The game was full of amazing moments at the beginning, but something seemed off. Nabbit merely collected all of the power ups, and never became larger. He didn’t transform into an elephant after eating the Elephant Fruit. The power-up would be inflated into its balloon shape, but I’d jump to have it return into my inventory.

Nabbit was also spooky unresponsive when it came to his enemies. He was pounded by a herd of bulls in an earlier stage filled with them running. The character just blinked as he stood. I still tried to not overthink the situation. I hadn’t encountered enemies like this in another Mario game, so I thought maybe they existed to be an obstacle and not something that damaged characters. Concepts like the badges didn’t appear until a few levels in, so I figured I just needed to get to the right tutorial. But after a certain point, I couldn’t help but wonder… was there something Offered by What do you think about Nabbits?

Nabbit turns out to be special. I didn’t know this at first, but Nabbit is one of two characters who doesn’t take damage and can’t use power-ups in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. You can also ride Yoshi in cooperative mode. Overall, he’s a great addition to the game. The game can be played by a wider range of skill levels thanks to him. Nabbit is not the best choice for those who want the classic Mario experience with power-ups and damage.

For my first time playing this game, I didn’t get to experience the thrilling highs of transforming into a chunky elephant and saying, “Wowie zowie!” or the lowest lows of being a full-on punching bag for a herd of bulls. Super Mario Bros. Wonder isn’t the most difficult game, so I want to play as a character who faces the added challenge of the chaos that comes with dodging and jumping over enemies — especially in the chaotic Wonder Flower scenes. So, although I’m now opting to pick other characters from here on out, it seems like this little Nabbit pulled a fast one on me.