Super Mario Odyssey
Summary:
The game opens in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser, in a strapping white tuxedo, fights Mario, as Mario attempts to save Peach from his clutches. After Bowser throws his boomerang top hat, Mario is sent plummeting to the ground. When Mario awakes, he finds himself in an odd place with white floating hat ghosts on a black island. Here, Mario meets Cappy, whose sister was kidnapped by Bowser. With a common goal of saving those close to them, Mario and Cappy team up and travel Kingdom by Kingdom to collect Power Moons to power their ship called the Odyssey.
Characters:
The main characters in Super Mario Odyssey are Mario, Cappy, and Bowser. Mario is one of the most classic characters in video games, with his classic movements. From jumping on things and entering pipes, our plumber is back in full force in this game. Cappy brings a brand new vibe to Mario. With the ability to become almost any living thing, Cappy changes the game. The duo puts a new spin on the Super Mario series as a whole. They are faced with the usual culprit, Bowser. Bowser has surrounded himself with a bunch of new enemies to help him escape Mario and Cappy. He is very powerful and has a hat of his own.
Sebastian: 9.5/10
Having played many Super Mario games I was excited to take a crack at the newest entry with Super Mario Odyssey which I have to say was quite a fun game to play. After playing many shooters, action-heavy and dark themed games it was nice to play a colourful game and just a fun adventure. The story has never been the big focus of a Mario game though this one does have some interesting twists with Bowser collecting items for a wedding with Princess Peach who he has once again captured. Another addition to this adventure is Cappy who is a sentient hat that has the capability to transform into any hat and can also take control of the bodies of creatures that you encounter. Together Mario and Cappy will try to rescue Princess Peach and Cappy’s sister from the clutches of Bowser. For those who have played Super Mario Galaxy the mechanics are similar from what I remember as you have your classic jumps and you beat the bosses by jumping on their heads. The new mechanics added are fun and interesting with the ability to throw Cappy to fend off enemies, collect coins, and also take over creatures’ bodies. Cappy also adds the capability of multiplayer with the option for one player to be Mario and another to be Cappy who can roam freely. This being one of the first games I played on the Nintendo Switch I have to say I found the game to be easy to pick up on with all the new features of the switch being simple enough to learn but I see that as a good thing as it allows new Mario players a quick learning experience and experienced players a familiar feeling. The graphics in the game are quite good looking with the various worlds that are created for the game looking especially colourful and detailed. There are many new characters and worlds added to this Mario game that make it feel like the biggest Mario game yet and it makes me excited for the next Mario games!
All in all, this is a fantastic game that I think is fun for Mario fans new and old and if you have a Switch I highly recommend you check this out.
Austin: 9.3/10
Man have I been waiting for this game. We’ve gotten Super Mario Bros. and other games like that, but this was the first big Mario game on the Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Odyssey feels and plays a lot like a cross between Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy. The plot is the usual, Bowser steals Peach, but it’s the journey that makes the game so good. You play through a variety of worlds on your way to Bowser, and each world feels drastically different. The moons are in unique places, different challenges make each world stand out, and the environment is visually incredible. It’s details like being able to freeze in the water in one of the worlds that makes Super Mario Odyssey so much fun.
The game only takes about 8 hours to complete, but it contains a pretty immersive story and there is a lot more to do than just the main story. We see a large number of moons, quite a few more than the ones needed to advance through the worlds, as well as more worlds to play once the main story is completed. This part is huge because without more moons to collect after the main story this game would be bland and boring, the type of game you play once and then don’t pick up.One of the only issues I have with Super Mario Odyssey is it’s not multiplayer. You can have someone play as Cappy, but it is pretty much a single-player game. That being said, it is an awesome single-player game, and Nintendo has plenty of other games if you are looking for something to play with some friends. This might be my favourite Nintendo Switch game to date, so if you are looking to pass some time over quarantine, pick this one up!
Nathanyal: 9.3/10
As with any Mario game out there, Super Mario Odyssey is another wonderful game under the Mario umbrella. This game features so much packed into a wonderful game to play alone or with a partner. The main concept of this game is to explore different worlds, all with their own specialties and unique creatures. Alongside the titular hero is Cappy, the replacement for Mario’s cap and a wonderful side character.
The best aspect of this whole game is the openness of each world and the amount of movement options available. If you’ve ever played any other 3D Mario game before, you will know about the usual triple jumps, backflips, and long jump. Now, alongside those movement options, you also have special abilities with Cappy. With each jump, the player is able to jump once off of Cappy, which leads to some nice combinations of jumps. For example, the player can do a long jump, into a Cappy throw, dive off of Cappy, and do another dive. I know this sounds a bit complicated, but this is just one example of the diversity in just the basic movement. This movement can be even more chaotic with a second player controlling Cappy directly. This leads to another good point is that the two-player mode is still pretty fun, as long as the second player doesn’t mind being a sentient hat. With proper teamwork, plenty can be achieved.
The only real downside can be the uncooperativeness of the camera. There are some instances where the camera angle you want can never be achieved. But besides that, this game doesn’t really have any glaring downsides.Overall, Mario Odyssey is a very fun game to play alone or with a partner. Each world is unique and is filled with hours worth of exploration for those who want 100% the game. I definitely recommend this game to anyone of all ages.
“Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer.” Nintendo, 12 Jan. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kcdRBHM7kM.
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