Super Mario Bros. Wonder falls just short of beating TotK for highest-rated game of 2023
Critics loved Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but its Metacritic score came just short of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is tied for the highest-rated game of 2023.
The reviews for Super Mario Bros. Wonder are finally out, and while critics overwhelmingly loved it, its overall score on Metacritic is below that of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This means only a handful of games left in 2023 that can dethrone Link on the top spot, as Mario and his new elephant power-up were the most likely candidates for beating him.
2023 has been a packed year for critically acclaimed games, with games like Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, Sea of Stars, and Diablo 4 all sitting in the 90+ range on Metacritic. There are some amazing games with scores in the high 80s that just missed out, like Armored Core 6, Final Fantasy 16, and Starfield.
Two games are sitting on the top spot for the year, as both Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom received a 96, and it’s looking increasingly likely that they won’t be topped by any other games.
NintendoSuper Mario Bros. Wonder fell short of beating ToTK on Metacritic
The Super Mario Bros. Wonder reviews are finally in, and they have been compiled on Metacritic. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a final tally of 93, which means it has not beaten The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the top spot.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s 93 is still very high, and it puts it ahead of many other games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which launches on the same day and only received a 90. A 93 on Metacritic is a huge incentive for customers as if being a 2D Mario game wasn’t appealing enough on its own.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that anything will top Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Metacritic in 2023. The biggest games with a shot are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Alan Wake 2, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
There’s always a chance a game could come out of left field and hit a 97, such as a surprising indie hit, but only time will tell. It’s exceedingly rare for a game to get a high score and those that did have traditionally belonged to big franchises, like Grand Theft Auto, The Legend of Zelda, Halo, and Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Wonder is still a shoo-in for many 2023 Game of the Year lists, but it feels like the field is narrowing, and for a lot of fans, that discussion will come down to Link vs. Tav to see who stole their heart this year.