Super Mario Odyssey - US Version

**The following review is rather in-depth, and longer than the average amazon review. I tried to keeps spoilers minimal. Just an FYI, now onto the review.**Super Mario Odyssey is the best reason to go out and buy a Nintendo Switch right now. It is, hands down, one of the best Mario games ever made, and one of the best 3-D Platformers I have ever played. Even after you “beat” the game, there is so much more to do. The game manages to recapture the old, sandbox style 3-D Platformer that we saw in Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and games like Banjo Kazooie. Odyssey manages to update and modernize the concept, and tweak it to near perfection. No doubt about it, Odyssey is a must own. With that to say, I hope you enjoy my review for this incredible game!Story: Story has never been a Mario game’s strong suit. Odyssey isn’t too different. The game opens-up with Mario fighting Bowser, a fight which Mario loses. Bowser then kidnaps princess Peach yet again, only this time he also captures Peach’s sentient hat, known as “Tiara,” and plans a wedding for him and Peach. Mario meets a sentient hat named Cappy. Cappy is able to take control of, and poses different creatures and objects (Mario meets the exorcist.) Mario and Cappy use an air-ship called the “Odyssey” in order to trot the globe in a quest to sabotage Bowser and Peach’s sinister wedding. The story is very bare-bones, but it gets the ball rolling; once the ball rolls, it doesn’t stop.Presentation:Super Mario Odyssey is truly a feast for the eyes. Every kingdom you go to is a wonder to look at, from the cascade kingdom with its prehistoric look, to the Hispanic style sand kingdom with its “Day of the Dead,” themed aesthetic, to the snow kingdom, the wooded kingdom and it’s sentient gardening tools, the luncheon kingdom (yumm,) and especially the New York inspired Metro Kingdom. Each kingdom that Mario visits looks incredible, and has a unique visual style. The texture and lighting design are also extremely impressive, the frame-rate is very solid.The music is outstanding. There is great variety in musical styles, and the game features many instrumental themes. You’ll hear very ambient sound effects in one stage, songs befitting of a beach in other stages, and even a folk-style song in the wooded kingdom. One kingdom has a Japanese palace inspired musical score; the music can get quite epic towards the last few kingdoms in the game, similar to the Super Mario Galaxy games. The game even features songs with actual singing, such as the surprisingly catchy “Jump Up Super star,” which you hear during a celebration in “New Donk City.” The sound effects also perfectly blended with the controls, and the gameplay. The menu is also very slick, and the Switch functionality allows you to pause the game and jump right back into it at any time. Presentation wise, this game is a winner through and through.Gameplay: Controls for Super Mario Odyssey are fantastic, and very intuitive. The controls for Mario are similar too how they have been in previous 3-D Mario adventures. Simply running around as Mario, and jumping is so much fun. My favorite new mechanic is the ability for Mario to roll like a ball, which is especially fun in the sandy and hilly areas. While some have had issues with them, I have found the joy-con motion controls to be precise and very fun. The camera in this game is much better than in previous titles, but it still has its occasional issues in certain areas. These issues are few and far between, however. The controls are all in all very responsive and as fun as ever.Compared to recent Mario games, Odyssey has a much more open-ended, sand-box design to it. As was mentioned earlier, you travel to different kingdoms such as the Cascade, Sand, Forest, Snow, Metro, Beach, Forest, and other kingdoms in order to chase down Bowser and his new lackeys, the “Broodal Bruddas, (bunny like creatures.”) Each kingdom has its own residents, and even interesting world-building aspects that flesh them out. For example, the luncheon kingdom has living utensils, while the snow kingdom has polar bears. The sea-side kingdom has snails, while the Metro Kingdom has actual people. These unique aspects make every kingdom exciting and interesting in its own way. The main gameplay itself consists of exploring these kingdoms, and searching for Power Moons (think the stars in Mario 64/Galaxy, or the jiggies in Banjo Kazooie,) in order to power up the Odyssey ship and travel to the next kingdom. You acquire said moons by exploring every nook and cranny in the kingdom, solving little puzzles, fighting bosses, doing menial tasks, participating in minigames, and more. Some of the power moons are scripted, particularly early on, but most of them are not. For a game with such an open-ended nature, there is tons of variety to the gameplay. You might be controlling a T-Rex one moment, riding a golden lion another moment, balancing on a giant corn-cob, or even riding a motorcycle through the streets of New Donk City. The variety is stunning, and keeps the gameplay from getting boring.The real gameplay hook for this Mario adventure is the ability to use Mario’s hat to control, and possess different objects, creatures, and even some people. It may seem a little weird and creepy at first, but the execution is ingenious, in a way only Nintendo can pull off. You can literally take control of several Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros, Fire Balls, Tanks, Frogs, and even a T-rex. You can even take control of certain inanimate objects, and even some of the humans in New Donk City. This switches up the Gameplay almost infinitely, but in a way that always feels very organic, introducing so many unique and clever moments that never cease to be fun. Just goofing off and experimenting with this mechanic is half the fun in and of itself.The boss fights, many of which incorporate the possession mechanic, are all very fun and well designed. The end-game fight in particular is a high point among the impressive array of boss fights that the game has to offer. One of the most surprising boss fights you will encounter is a dragon that looks like it’s straight out of Game of Thrones. While a few of the bosses are challenging, many of the fights feel rather easy, and are a breeze to defeat. Some of this is due to the fact that there is no longer a “game over,” as you simply loose coins when you die. The boss fights are still tons of fun all around. Speaking of coins, you can use them to purchase different outfits, power stars, and other goodies. Some of these outfits have some actual gameplay use, but many of them feel like window dressing, though it helps spruce up your ship none-the-less.What is so incredible about this game is that after the credits, you feel like you have only just begun. The replay value for this Mario game is absurdly high, and the possibilities open-up a ton after you finish the story, which should take you around fifteen hours in and of itself. The gameplay is also perfectly suited for being able to play in small doses if you have a job and a busy schedule (as I do,) but you can also play to your heart's content when you wish to, on the weekends in my case. The Gameplay really is about as close to perfect as you could hope for a 3-D Platformer to be!Verdict: Super Mario Odyssey is a celebration of more than thirty years of Super Mario. The game encapsulates what Mario has always been about: Pure fun. More than that, though, the game innovates and surprises long after you “beat” it. I certainly see myself playing this game for several more weeks to come. This game is the number one reason to purchase a Nintendo Switch if you have not done so already (They’re still hard to find.) This game truly is the best 3-D Platformer I have played in years, even giving Galaxy 2 a run for its money; it is one of the very best games that our favorite Italian plumber has ever been in. So go out, buy this game, and participate in an incredible, one-of-a-kind, globe-trotting “Odyssey.”Cons:Easy initial difficultyOccasional camera issuesSub-par plotPros:Beautiful visuals and designAmazing musicGreat sound effectsTight and responsive controlsWonderful Sand-Box style Mario GameplayIncredible and ingenious level design and scenariosQuirky and fun charactersTons of varietyUnbelievably high replay-valueOne of the best Mario games ever madeOverall: 10/10Peace, Dana

Super Mario Odyssey is the return to (mostly) everyone's favorite sand-box style of playing Mario. This game has you going around in many unique worlds, running around freely as you did in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The fans asked and Nintendo delivered. Mario is finally back and he's here to save the 3D platforming genre. With that being said, hold onto your fedoras, because we're jumping right into the review. Also, I will try to be as spoiler free as I can.Story: For the 800th time, our job is to help Mario rescue his (girlfriend?) Princess Peach from the evil clutches of Bowser. Only this time, Bowser is forcing Peach into marriage.Controls (basic): Mario's running speed is is between Super Mario Sunshine's and Galaxy's. I think this speed is perfect, allowing for the appropriate reaction time. A plethora of Mario's athletic tricks are back such as the triple jump and somersault. I have to point out how much easier it is to perform the triple jump in this game. The window between the jumps have been lengthened, so casual gamers will enjoy this. They've also added a few new jumping techniques such as the ground pound jump that gives you an extra boost in height once you flatten an enemy with your bum. The diving and long jump also make a return from Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64. HOWEVER, long-time fans may be displeased to find out they're somewhat nerfed. For example, the long jump is much shorter than it was in 64 and the dive doesn't allow you to continuously slide like it did in Sunshine. But, down frown yet. They've brought back the rolling technique from Mario 3D World that allows you to continuously roll by tapping the button. It's perfect for traversing large areas. Next, I gotta tackle the swimming controls You tap the button to float up and release to float down (similar to super mario sunshine, but no longer clunky). Pressing the ZL and Y buttons together will let you zoom straight for a second, but it always doesn't register for some reason. You often accidentally ground pound, which is frustrating when you're running out of air or racing for a moon. I prefer the Mario 64 swimming controls.Controls (Cappy): I have to devote a whole section of this review to the Cappy controls because they have such an influence on the game experience. Throw Cappy with Y and this little guy can manipulate all kinds of enemies and objects. Holding Y will make Cappy spin in place, allowing for a chance to do some hat-jump techniques. These techniques make the game so much more fun to play. Advanced players will have fun throwing cappy over gaps, long jumping over to him, bouncing off of him and diving to the other side. There are a bunch of more tricks you can do, so I hope you'll try to perform them. When you throw Cappy at an enemy, you posses- I mean, capture them and can make their abilities yours. This allows for a bunch of unique playstyles and Nintendo did a splendid job incorporating them into the game.Motion Controls :I know people are tired of hearing us complain about motion controls in Nintendo games, but part of being a reviewer is being critical. I found the motion controls to be pretty unresponsive most of the time when playing with a Pro Controller. Trying to do a downward throw with Cappy almost never works and jerking the whole controller to the right for a spin move isn't comfortable nor functional all of the time. Keep in mind motion controls ARE NOT REQUIRED to complete the game. However, some of Mario's moves are locked behind them. For example, there's no button mapping for throwing Cappy upward/downward. But, they could've used the L or R buttons easily. For example, L+Y+up could've been a combination for throwing Cappy skyward. Also, there are instances where shaking the whole controller/tablet makes you jump/climb faster, which isn't a big deal. But why not hold the Y button or something to speed up, ya know?Objective of the game: Odyssey is a collect-a-thon game. You travel to different areas and collect Power Moons, which allow you to travel to even more places and so on. Note this game is not mission based like the other 3D Marios. When you collect a moon, you don't get booted out of the level. It's more in the line of Banjo Kazooie. There's a big world and you're free to run around until you get enough moons, then you go to the next kingdom. Each Kingdom has generally 20 or more moons. Note that there is post game content that increases the number of moons available to collect. Here's the critical part. Some moons require a little elbow grease to get, but a lot are just thrown right in your face and take only 10-30 seconds to get, which alleviates the sense of accomplishment the other 3D Mario's had. This may not be a big deal to newcomers, but as a long-time Mario fan, I had to point it out.Scale of the game: Unlike Super Mario 64 and Sunshine, Odyssey DOES NOT have a hub-world. You select kingdoms in a world-map kind of style. The game consists of 15 Kingdoms. A handful of which are disappointingly small in comparison to others. For example, 2 kingdoms mostly serve as the arena for their respective boss battles and some Kingdoms consist mostly of linear areas with barely any open areas to explore. There are 4 kingdoms (in my opinion) that are the appropriate size. if the other kingdoms could be the size of these 4, then I'd be much more pleased with the game. Despite what I've said, there is a point in the game where you go back and collect more moons from every kingdom, which adds to their content.Difficulty: I'm a Mario veteran and I completely understand that Ninty wants this game to be accessible for all ages. But, it's pretty upsetting to me how much easier they made this game compared to the other 3D Mario games and I'm not even talking about the "assist mode", which was literally put in the game for younger kids. I'm talking about the regular mode. One big change is the removal of lives, which honestly isn't even the reason I'm mad. Game Overs are more of an inconvenience than anything because in cases like Super Mario Galaxy or what have you, the game just kicks you to the title screen and your progress is saved. However, in the case of Super Mario Odyssey, the game is a cakewalk even without game overs. You'll almost never die from losing heart points because collecting moons will instantly refill them (moons are literally everywhere btw) and not only that, there are Heart point expansions in every kingdom that you can buy with coins. The Bosses are just plain disappointing, as well. Some are clever, but having the same strategy repeated 3 times is just getting old. Note that there is post-game content that offers a better challenge, but we should be able to change the difficulty at will.Game length/replay value: The main campaign length is pretty short. It's very much possible to finish the story by getting the minimum required moons and zooming through each kingdom, which takes about 7 hours (for an experienced player such as myself). BUT, that's not how the game is meant to be enjoyed. "Replay" is this game's middle name. Once you finish the story, even more moons and areas open up. These moons offer a harder challenge, as I mentioned earlier. Not only that, the kingdoms you've already visited get harder challenges. I've been playing this game for over a month and can confirm there's a truck load of things to do. I'm looking to 100% this game and I'm just a little over halfway there. You won't believe how many moons they stuffed in this game.To conclude, this game is a must-have for the Switch regardless of the flaws I've listed. It's chock-full of content and is still one of the best games on the system. Easily worth 60 bucks. But, get it cheaper if you can. This game is built around both casuals and experienced gamers. So, if you've never played a Mario game before, you will probably have a better experience than me since everything will be a surprise. And to veterans, there are still gonna be surprises that'll make your jaw drop. Plus, the references to past Mario games will make you smile and remember the good old times when we didn't have to work and pay bills. Anyway, thanks for reading and happy gaming.