Super Mario Odyssey Review

I remember unboxing my NES, one of my first instruments of gaming goodness. How a little mustached plumber and his adventures consumed my days. How finding my first warp screen blew my mind and those of my friends who were all experiencing Mario Bros. for the first time at the same time sharing our triumphs, our frustrations and the secrets we had discovered.

While playing Super Mario Odyssey all of those old feelings came rushing back to me. It is as if I experienced Mario again for the very first time. That is how magical and how special Super Mario Odyssey really is. It is not an understatement in any way to say Super Mario Odyssey is the greatest Mario game ever designed. Just like Super Mario Galaxy, Odyssey sets a whole new standard for the long-running franchise and is the most innovative entry to be released.

Mario has come a long way, but what’s the deal with Princess Peach? I mean, she is royalty after all, and she has been targeted by Bowser more times than anyone can count. I am convinced that her security is staffed by former police officers from Rosewood of Pretty Little Liars fame. How else could Bowser sweep in and kidnap Peach yet again? Yes, faithful readers, it is true. Bowser has abducted Princess Peach with the intention of forcing her to marry him. Bowser is such a romantic at heart. On his way to the insidious ceremony, he is stopping at various worlds and collecting items for the wedding. Yup, Bowser is doing the whole something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue thing. Who would have thunk it?

As you might guess, it is Mario to the rescue! Hitching a ride aboard the Odyssey, a giant hat-shaped airship, Mario travels from one kingdom to the next, chasing down Bowser and his evil minions.

Accompanying Mario on his adventure is a spirit possessing Mario’s familiar red cap. Cappy is not only Mario’s guide but has also granted him new all-important powers. When thrown Cappy can take out enemies and he can also possess those enemies. Until he releases his control over them, Mario takes on their appearance and all of their characteristics and powers; abilities which are needed to traverse terrains and solve puzzles. For example, by controlling a flying creature, Mario can reach parts of a particular world or map that he couldn’t before.

The kingdoms themselves are beautiful to behold. They are individual works of art in their design and in their appearance.

The kingdoms themselves are beautiful to behold. They are individual works of art in their design and in their appearance. The detail is extraordinary and one can tell the entire team at Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development under the direction of producers Yoshiaki Koizumi and Koichi Hayashida and director Kenta Motokura, put their hearts, their souls and all of their creativity into each and every kingdom. Exploring them is a delight.

Just traveling around, though presents its own problems for our heroes. The Odyssey requires Power Moons to fly and curiously, there is only ever enough to reach the next kingdom. Mario has to collect a specific amount of Power Moons in each kingdom in order to continue his pursuit of Bowser. Since Power Moons can be hidden in caves, under bridges, or awarded when each level boss is defeated, my best advice is to leave no stone unturned in your search, or you will end up doing a lot of needless backtracking. To ease the burden of doing so though, there is a map and checkpoints so you can warp from one discovered location to the next in your quest for Power Moons.

The “flat zones” will thrill any old-school Mario fan.

Located throughout the kingdoms are side-scrolling environments called “flat zones” which resemble levels from the original Mario Bros. The “flat zones” will thrill any old-school Mario fan.

The one big change is that there are no lives in Super Mario Odyssey. Every time Mario dies you lose 10 coins instead so collecting them becomes a major priority as you explore each kingdom for the Power Moons.

Outside of the design and gameplay my favorite part of Super Mario Odyssey was the humor. Maybe it is a sign of the times or the fact that many of the developers are located in the U.S. but so many games these days are just too darn somber. Why so serious, developers? Super Mario Odyssey is exactly what everyone’s game library needs. Something that will make you smile and even laugh out loud at times. The world could do with more of the child-like wonder that Super Mario Odyssey brings.

The only issues I had with Odyssey were that sometimes the camera would get a bit drunk and Mario’s shadow would be hard to see, which can be awkward during tricky jumps. These weren’t persistent problems that ruined my experience in any way though. I am really nitpicking here.

Like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Superman, and Pikachu, Mario is an iconic figure that has stood the test of time. Interest may rise or fall but Mario will always be punching blocks and collecting coins, somewhere. And when you think Nintendo has explored everything that there is to explore in the Mario franchise Super Mario Odyssey comes along to once again break the Mario mold. Super Mario Odyssey is not only a 2017 Game of the Year contender; it is unequivocally one of the greatest games ever made.