Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

From the second I booted this up, I knew I was in for a treat. Super Mario Odyssey was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had playing a game. With a game so dependent on gameplay, everything feels smooth and rewarding.

I literally could not put this game down. The day it released, I probably played it for eight hours straight, and only stopped because my Switch's battery was running low. The campaign wasn't all that long, but the hunt for all the moons continues after the story has finished, resulting in countless hours to jump and flip through the different kingdoms.

The graphics were incredible. When getting the switch, I didn't expect to get wowed by anything graphically, but holy crap does this game look fantastic! Each kingdom is fully realized behind the hardware of the Switch. I loved going between the 3D and 2D environments, it was really a great mechanic to have. The costumes look great and fun to use (especially the Mario 64 costume looking super goofy).

I would definitely recommend picking up a Switch for this game alone, and if that isn't feasible, try and convince a friend to let you borrow it. This is truly an experience worth having.

Played on Nintendo Switch

My ranking for the level of enjoyment I've had from 3D Mario games in my lifetime on a scale of 1 to 10. I started with SM64 right when it came out, so I've played them all when they were new cutting edge experiences:

• Super Mario 64 - 9.9
• Super Mario Sunshine - 6
• Super Mario Galaxy - 8.5
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 8
• Super Mario 3D World - 5

My favorite part of this game is that it has the best diversity of movement options since SM64. It's a complete return to form after the simplifications made in the Galaxy games and especially in 3D World. Controlling a character in a 3D platformer has never been this fun. Seriously, not ever.

Another great part of controlling Mario is the capturing of tons of NPCs in the game. Becoming an onion thing so you can vertically stretch, a frog to jump ridiculously high, a frying pan Hammer Bro. to throw pans to break up certain materials, a wood pecker to climb walls with your nose; all of the capture options are just fun and feel good to play. This game is simply always a joy to control.

It's levels are fantastic. They're filled to the brim with content, so they aren't too big or barren feeling. They're extremely varied. There are sometimes familiar places like a beach or a grassy place with goombas. But they also can be extremely unfamiliar too. This is something I didn't realize Mario has really needed until I played this game. I won't get into the details of these level here just so I don't ruin the surprise. They're jarring sometimes, but I grew to accept them all quite quickly. I don't dislike any of them. They range from solid, to great, to downright perfection.

The main critique I have is that I wish the game had less moons to collect (this game's version of stars or shine sprites from past games). It's not like their existence hurts the game per se, I just think some are free and superfluous. It might have added to the significance of collecting moons by removing the easy and obvious ones. For example, the ones where you simply ground-pound an obvious glowing spot on the ground doesn't add to the value of the game; they're just kinda "there." Buying them from the in game shops with coins seems like a bad choice too. After you collect all the moons that are physically in all of the levels, you need to farm coins and just buy the rest in order to max out the moon counter. It's silly and pointless, but if you are a completionist, you have to do it. There is a good farming method I used to make the experience more bearable if you want to look that up.

I've let this game sit for a few months just to make sure I truly formed my opinion of it. (Since my opinion of Zelda: BotW really changed after the excitement settled down.) Now, I think Odyssey has topped every 3D Mario ever released by just a hair. I did not see this coming at all. Besides the Switch being yet another under-powered console for the sake of a gimmick I personally have no interest in (portability), Nintendo is fucking back.

• Super Mario Odyssey - 10

Having not played any Mario game besides the first two Super Mario Brothers, I wasn't sure what to expect from this as a platformer. The advertising and word of mouth gave me the impression I'd be in for a masterpiece. Having now finished it I feel I would say it is...sort of...

The art style, music, attention to detail, gameplay...it's all impeccable. The game feels great to play! It's addictive really.

My biggest complaint would be that it is only about 10 hours long in the first run through; which isn't much for a full priced game. However, the kingdoms do have great replayability, which helps a lot! It's also quite an easy game, which was disappointing for me (though there are a couple of mildly challenging sections).

The final few kingdoms and especially the finale are absolutely brilliant and really raised the bar from my initial experience!

Overall, I'd highly recommend this to any Nintendo fan or even just casual fans of the platformer genre. Just don't expect anything more than a casually fun, beautiful, breezy experience.

“Above all, video games are meant to be just one thing: Fun for everyone.” -Satoru Iwata

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Super Mario has enjoyed one of the longest running and most successful careers in gaming history. Though not consistently revered, Mario has left an imprint on not just gaming culture but on world culture, befitting an icon recognized across ethnic, linguistic, and generational divides. He is the best representation of what Nintendo is all about. He’s featured in many titles that have been met with critical acclaim. He’s survived every downturn his company has suffered. He’s an emblem of the joy and magic of gaming.

The latest culmination of this legacy is Super Mario Odyssey, a game which feels familiar and fresh at the same time. It has been rightfully called the true sequel to Super Mario 64. What Mario 64 got right in terms of turning three-dimensional game space into an enduring and addicting adventure about collecting stars, Odyssey builds on and masters. Odyssey is an instant classic set at a grand scale, one which Nintendo purportedly hopes will become a perennial title, and likely that will be the case.

This is what you get when a series has the opportunity to refine and polish itself to a brilliant shine for over thirty years.

Super Mario Odyssey, in formulaic fashion, begins with our hero chasing down his archnemesis Bowser in an attempt to rescue Princess Peach from his clutches. This has been Mario’s life story but the difference here is that Bowser has at last revealed his true intentions: the Koopa King is planning to wed the Princess. Gross, but c’mon, we knew this all along.

Mario confronts Bowser atop an airship fortress, the Koopa King clad in his white tuxedo and top hat. Their battle is resplendent but Mario is foiled and knocked senseless, hurtling downward through the clouds to whatever lies below. He just so happens to land in the Cap Kingdom and he’s met by the appropriately named Cappy, a shapeshifting specter who takes the forms of hats. All is not well in the Cap Kingdom, however. Bowser’s quest for unholy matrimony has carried him on a conquest through the kingdoms of the world, plundering priceless treasures and artifacts for his big day.

Bowser has hat-napped Cappy’s sister Tiara from the Cap Kingdom, for the Princess’s bridal headgear, so Cappy and Mario decide to join forces, pursue Bowser and Peach across the kingdoms, and present their formal reason why those two should not be wed rather than forever hold their peace. They’ve a wedding to crash but while everything is sunshine and roses (since this is a Mario game), the going will not be easy. Bowser has enlisted the Broodals, a quartet of leporine wedding planners, to appropriate the treasures of the kingdoms and stop Mario in his tracks.

Odyssey represents the fullest vision of Mario’s world that we’ve ever seen as he and Cappy go globe-trotting from region to fanciful region. There are many such regions, including but not limited to Bonneton the Cap Kingdom (evocative of England), Tostarena in the Sand Kingdom (representative of Mexico), Shiveria in the Snow Kingdom (the Arctic), and New Donk City in the Metro Kingdom (referencing the US of A).

Each of these fantastical visions of real world cultures provide unique backdrops for Mario’s explorations. They make you feel like you’re seeing the world alongside the hero in his airship modeled after a hot air balloon, à la Jules Verne’s Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jours, undoubtedly. Each kingdom is filled with fun and colorful characters for Mario to aid, as well as tons and tons… and tons of secrets to find.

Click here for the full review... https://thewellredmage.com/2017/11/05/super-mario-odyssey/