Shoot for the moon -- if you miss, at least you'll land in... the moons. They're everywhere, man. =P
I got a Switch Lite for Christmas, and figured I'd give the new Mario game a spin to start off with. (I have a friend who owns like a hundred Switch games, so I can borrow stuff like this easily enough.) I played through the main story, then revisited levels to get some more moons (the "stars" of this game) -- and stopped at 420. The game was starting to feel a bit tedious around 350, so there was no way I was gonna go for a full completion.
But anyways, this is overall a great game. An incredibly easy game, but that's fine. It's extremely exploration-focused, compared to Mario 64's more mission mode platforming-style challenges. (The shift from Mario 3 to Super Mario World is an apt comparison, though I'd say the shift is more dramatic in this case.) You wander around in little open worlds and find stuff -- either moons just lying around, or brief bonus rooms to play through in order to get a moon. The different worlds are generally charming and fun to roam about in (though some definitely stand out more than others). The devs put a lot of effort in the little details, and that's where the game shines brightest. Lots of cute characters, bright and colorful environments, and some surprisingly amusing bits of dialogue from time to time. Also, loads of little throwbacks to past Mario games, including some clever 2D-platforming "Mario 1" segments. Mario's newest power to possess enemies (and use their specific abilities) is a particularly clever Kirby-esque addition to the regular 3D Mario gameplay, and keeps things feeling fresh from level to level. There are enough little "puzzles" to solve with the abilities that make them feel worthwhile.
All in all the game is really well made, but to be honest I did grow tired of it pretty quick after I completed the first world tour. I suppose I just prefer the more rewarding feeling of completing Mario 64's missions, as opposed to the more meandering style of Odyssey. But still, there are tons of little moments that are entertaining, and if I'm ever in the mood for another visit -- well, there's plenty more to go back to. There's a very "Youtube gaming" feel to it all, now that I think about it. An endless dopamine-seeking reward loop: a playlist of bite-sized chunks of gameplay, scattered about a Disney World of candy, likes, and big grins. Feels like a game particularly well-designed for kids of whatever this current era is that we live in.
This one's a somewhat tricky game for me to rate. In terms of polish and presentation it's a 5/5, but in terms of gameplay I feel it's more a 3/5. I had fun, but feel I'm much more likely to revisit Spyro Reignited Trilogy for a 3D platforming fix (for example). Well-worth the first breezy playthrough, at least. (Not that you need me to recommend this game to new Switch owners. Probably 99% of you have already played it I'm sure, lol.)
