How to Find the 5th Elusive Token in An Empty Park in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

As an avid retro gamer with over 20 years of platforming experience, few things excite me more than the recent release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Nintendo Switch. This imaginative riff on the iconic Mario formula brings delightful new chaos to the Mushroom Kingdom in the form of magical Wonder Flowers.

These curious flora imbue Mario with wild morphing abilities when activated. As you can imagine, all havoc proceeds to break loose! Leading the charge to restore order, you‘ll guide Mario on a colorful quest to subdue rampaging landscapes and topsy-turvy enemies across several themed worlds.

An Introduction to Tokens – Purpose, Perks and Pitfalls

Before jumping into the token hunt itself, let‘s quickly cover what these collectibles are all about in Super Mario Bros. Wonder:

Tokens are special embroidered coins with unique designs. Each stage hides five tokens for eagle-eyed explorers and completionists to uncover.
Snagging all tokens in a level and reaching the finish earns you a Bronze, Silver or Gold Rank based on speed and finesse.
Scoring Gold Ranks across multiple stages unlocks new secret levels and achievements!
Tokens test your platforming prowess – they‘re sneakily stashed in concealed rooms, trapped behind breakable blocks, or placed along treacherous paths.
Missed tokens won‘t respawn in the same level once collected. You‘ll need to enter a new session to retry.
These collectibles offer no in-game abilities or upgrades. They‘re purely for flexing your progression and mastery!

Now let‘s get right to grabbing that final fifth token in An Empty Park so you can proudly polish off the level‘s entire collection.

Step-By-Step Guide to Claiming the Elusive Fifth Token

An Empty Park is a spacious grassland littered with hills, enemies and obstacles. Several phenomena like floating clouds, bubbly geysers and moving waterfalls add environmental chaos! Navigating this disorder while nailing precise jumps between platforms quickly increases the difficulty.

But with this comprehensive walkthrough, you‘ll swiftly snatch that evasive fifth coin once and for all:

Phase 1: Establishing Your Starting Point

Begin from the location where you obtained the fourth token. This was near a set of stepped platforms patrolled by three swooping Koopa Paratroopas.
Face right and swim straight upwards along the flowing waterfall until Mario bumps into an invisible block. No token will appear here yet – this simply orients your positioning.

Phase 2: Ascending to the Floating Cloud

Turn back around and continue swimming up along the same waterfall until Mario just barely lands on top of the floating cloud platform overhead.
Tiptoe across the cloud and halt at the very left edge. You‘ll need to clear this gap next!

Phase 3: Leaping Towards the Distant Waterfall

Turn to face left as you stand at the edge of the cloud platform. Look for a taller waterfall structure on the distant left wall.
Execute a maximum height jump from the cloud platform, arcing left to clear the gap. Aim to land in the upper portion of the left waterfall.
If your jump falls short, use the Propeller Mushroom power-up for an altitude boost to reach the left falls.

Phase 4: Mastering the Moving Waterfall‘s Timing

You‘ll likely take an initial hit from colliding with the moving waterfall – just power through it!
Now comes the tricky part. You must ride the waterfall as it shifts left, all the while swimming against its flow to ascend.
Wait until the falls reaches its maximum left position, then quickly swim upwards before it starts shifting right again. Continue rising until you bump a block.
Striking this block will release the fifth coveted token at last! Seize it quickly before the turbulent waters sweep it away.

Check out this quick video walkthrough showing the exact timing and trajectory:

With all five tokens now in your grasp, you‘re free to wrap up your exploration or move on from An Empty Park, having firmly conquered its entire token challenge.

Token Hunting Tips and Tricks

Before you dive into your next Mystic Wonder Flower level, keep these universal token hunting tips in mind:

Many tokens reward exploration by hiding along unusual routes or deep within concealed spaces. Inspect and interact with odd map features as you come across them.
Temporary power-ups like the Squirrel Suit and Propeller Box can help access extremely tricky areas housing tokens. Try to conserve power-ups rather than waste them on standard enemies.
Certain worlds introduce environmental tools like controllable cloud platforms for crossing wide pits. Manipulate these to access seemingly out-of-reach token stashes.
When confronting moving hazards like the waterfall here, don‘t panic! Take a breath, watch the pattern, then execute your jump/swim with precision. Rushing causes more blunders!
Playing co-op with a friend? Assign roles like navigator, token seeker and enemy wrangler to avoid overlapping ground coverage while hunting.

And if you still struggle with this waterfall‘s odd timing despite multiple attempts, don‘t lose heart! Revisit and master the rest of An Empty Park, then return later once your platforming skills have improved. With enough practice, no token can hide forever!

Now get out there, embrace those wacky Wonder Flowers, and start scouting for every last coin! Your gold rank glory awaits.