Technologies

Nintendo’s $20 Switch 2 Upgrade for Super Mario Wonder Is Worth It for the Extras

Commentary: Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Bellabel Park DLC is here this week, but it’s more about lots of chaotic multiplayer minigames than new courses.

I want a new Super Mario Bros. Switch 2 game as much as anyone, but almost a year into the console’s first year, it hasn’t happened yet. Mario Kart? Mario Tennis? Mario Party? Yes. New Yoshi game? That’s happening soon, too. And now, we have the next closest thing: The wonderful 2023 Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a Switch 2 downloadable-content pack for $20 that’s, well, sort of a new Mario game, just a week before the Super Mario Galaxy movie arrives in theaters.

I’ve been playing it for the past week, and it’s worth the upgrade if you like multiplayer Mario. If not, well, you might consider it anyway.

The awkwardly named «Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park» is an add-on to Wonder, but it’s really just focused on building out a whole bunch of multiplayer party modes. The new course variants and minigame challenges, while welcome, require online multiplayer or local multiplayer play to work. For most of this new Switch 2 update, you can’t play offline on your own.

The multiplayer games cover dozens of challenges and themes — some turning everyone into bouncy balls, others making everyone rush to collect the most coins. You can throw up to four players locally on the Switch 2 at home or up to 12 players online at once, and it gets busy fast. I can see screaming breaking out with kids.

I played an hour or so of multiplayer sessions, and it was fun. But I haven’t gotten to play with lots of others online yet other than that. Still, it does feel sort of like Mario Party Super Mario Style, as opposed to Super Mario Bros. game extensions.

The DLC does have some extras you can still enjoy on your own. Seven new miniboss stages have been added into the game, featuring all of the Koopalings to take on. They’re the extended universe of Mario enemies, and each of the levels has the miniboss use a strange new power to melt the world in clever ways.

A new Toad Brigade Training Camp mode also offers up dozens of little challenge stages to beat, all remixes of existing Wonder levels. Some involve surviving without touching enemies or coins; some you have to defeat all enemies or collect all coins before time runs out. They’re addictive and hard, and I’m glad for them existing.

Nintendo also tried to add some fun extras: Bellabel park has lots of flowers you can collect by watering plants with «Bellabel water» you collect by completing tasks. And you can decorate parts of the park. It’s sort of neither here nor there for me, though, because I come to Mario platformer games to play fun levels, not decorate gardens. Pokemon Pokopia is the place for that.

Rosalina and a Luma Star are extra characters you can play with, but Rosalina doesn’t do anything truly new and the Luma Star is a co-op option. There’s also a weird Flower power-up now that turns you into a walking flowerpot, throwing flowers upward to attack enemies or hit blocks. It was OK. It’s not my favorite new extra.

Maybe that’s what feels missing here: Wonder threw all sorts of wildcards out into the game, from new enemies to strange Wonder Seeds that transformed levels. Bellabel Park feels more like a multiplayer-focused remix than a bunch of new single-player whimsy.

I like the multiplayer games on tap more than I liked the Switch 2 add-on for Mario Party Jamboree. They’re probably worth it if you’re a Switch 2 owner with a big family or lots of friends who want to play.

And even though I appreciate the resolution boost to the graphics, the Switch 2 graphics upgrade is hard to spot since the game’s «older» graphics have a retro look that still looked great before the upgrade (to me, at least).

What I really want, of course, is a truly new Mario game. Who doesn’t? That’s not on the table yet. But maybe, just maybe, Wonder’s Switch 2 pack is a little appetizer before that news eventually comes. But as revamped Switch 2 game editions go, Wonder’s extras are the best yet and turn this game into a truly multiplayer-rich bunch of fun.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im