2017’s Super Mario Odyssey comes to me at a time of great change. I have borrowed my brother’s Nintendo Switch to give me a feel for the system, as my parents offered to get me one of my own as a present for graduating Mount Mercy University with a Bachelors of the Arts in Journalism. He had a few games, Animal Crossing and Mario Kart most notably, and of course, Super Mario Odyssey. A few days before my brother lent me the console, our family dog, Buddy, was laid to rest. I have lived with Buddy, a Yorkshire Terrier, nearly his whole life, and his passing really upset me. I couldn’t find joy playing anything, until I fired up Mario Odyssey.
Odyssey brought me about twelve hours of pure delight. The game’s simple treasures were marvels for me as I process all the new shifts in my life. I admit, I may have beaten the game quickly because not only am I an adult playing a children’s game, but I have seen speedruns of Odyssey, and was familiar with some mechanics that may have required more exploration otherwise. Nonetheless, there was plenty to challenge me in this game.
The difficulty curve is fantastic. It nurses you along at the beginning, which was perfect for me learning an entirely new game system. It does, however, really ramp up the challenge in the last few kingdoms. There are about 15 kingdoms in Odyssey, kingdoms being open worlds you progress through on your ship, the titular “Odyssey,” which is powered by Power Moons that you collect within kingdoms. If you are familiar with collecting stars in Mario 64, it is a similar concept. Some moons are story based, and others are scattered throughout the world, unlocked by completing some sort of task or another. Not only does the collection system ring resonant of earlier Mario games, there are also 2D sections which are clearly meant to inspire nostalgia, along with countless other nods to classic tropes from the series.
The new feature that makes Mario Odyssey unique is the appearance of Mario’s new ally, Cappy. Cappy is basically a member of friendly hat-based ghost-like entities that were attacked by Bowser in his quest to find a tiara to complete his perfect wedding with Peach, who he kidnapped, once again, as he journeys from kingdom to kingdom pillaging each piece he desires. Mario and Cappy, hot on his tail. Mario can throw Cappy at entities in the world and control them. A mechanic that keeps fresh throughout the game, as there are more beings to control with new abilities you use to solve new puzzles.
The level-building in Odyssey is second to none. Always interesting, and consistently challenging. Kingdoms are filled with challenge rooms within, and these always test your limits, especially one right at the end that not only tested my skills, but my patience. Though, I must say, the feeling when I overcame some of the harder obstacles in the game was very satisfying.
Each kingdom feels unique, and levels are well textured; dense with crannies to explore. It is hard for me to pick a favorite, although Metro Kingdom was particularly memorable. You can find regular coins, which you spend ten every time you die, and purple coins, which are unique to each level. Both types of coins can be spent at the store to buy items such as moons, outfits, hats, treasures for your ship, extra health and such.
This is a fantastic game for all ages. If you have a Switch, you would be a fool not to pick this one up. I had heard so many great things about it, and it really lived up to all the hype. Nintendo’s crafting is top tier. The user interface effective, controls simple and intuitive even when operating a new character, for the most part. I found the motion controls more of a hindrance than a help, I did use it from time to time to do a sweeping attack with Cappy. The sound design is what I have come to expect from a major production like Mario Odyssey. By which I mean, great music, and sound effects that are distinctly “Mario” sounding.
There is endgame content in Odyssey. I beat the game with about 130 Power Moons, but there are 880 unique moons to be found throughout the kingdoms. That ought to be enough to keep anyone engaged for quite some time. Even speedrunners find this long. Ironically, they use some runners also use motion controls. Motion controls are limited to flinging your two paddles one direction or another to perform different actions with either Cappy, or whatever character you are possessing.
Super Mario Odyssey looks, well, super. Crisp whether on the Switch handheld screen, or docked on my 4k TV. Speaking of the handheld screen, possibly my favorite part of the Switch is being able to play in bed, with my laptop or magazine in the background. The visual art design in Odyssey is creative, while also not showing long time Mario fans anything that will be too shocking for them. And I should know, I have been playing since the NES days. I believe Super Mario 3 was the first game I ever beat. And those memories served me well as I played Odyssey.
The resonance, presentation and delivery of the Odyssey experience continuously overwhelmed me with positive emotions. I found myself smiling wide, the only game I could bring myself to enjoy at the time, but did I ever enjoy it. An instant classic, an unforgettable Mario entry and a home run for Nintendo. This game is timeless, so don’t think you are too overdue to check out Super Mario Odyssey.
Credit: Super Mario Odyssey. Screenshots by me.
HereticDerek 