Run, Jump, Fly!
Super Mario Odyssey is the epitome of the word “Fun,” which admittedly is true for basically any Mario game since the series inception 35+ years ago now but the series hit the nail most successfully on its latest effort. Every new 3D mario game seems to have a new gimmick which allows the series to reinvent itself and give it a place in the modern game world: with SM64 it was well… being in 3D, Sunshine it was F.L.O.O.D, Galaxy it was the interplanetary travel, and with Odyssey you have Cappy. Sometimes these gimmicks work out well and add a lot to the game, and sometimes they don’t (Was not the biggest fan of Sunshine’s paint removal,) but with Cappy? It’s an absolute win. The freedom of movement you get with Cappy makes the seemingly linear worlds feel like open ended zones where you can freestyle and create your own movement options to get basically anywhere. I’m not the biggest fan of collectathons or hunting for all the smaller collectables in platformers or really any game, but with Odyssey I felt rewarded for doing so. Being able to run and throw cappy then performing a sprint-slide and throwing it again to grab moons or perform transformations was rewarding every single time. Flexing the creative movement win the races against the Koopas on every world was great and had me fielding for more.
All in all Super Mario Odyssey is the pinnacle of 3D Mario in its movement, design, and music. The worlds you find yourself visiting are rich with color and character, each starkly different from the last. The first kingdom you visit for example and gain the help of Cappy is wildly different from something like New Donk City which in my opinion, is the single greatest level in the history of platforming. New Donk City was a celebration of all things Mario, the most storied and one of the most prolific characters in gaming. In this New York City lookalike you had seemingly unending possibilities of movement, complete freedom of where to go. Want to hop on a scooter and drive around? Sure! Want to jump from highrise to highrise and climb scaffolding? Sure! The best moment spent in NDC though is easily the city festival, which is the origin of the game’s very famous song “Jump Up, Super Star!” which plays after you’ve rounded up the city’s band for Mayor Pauline and reunited them for one big gig. You jump and hop through sections of the city as 2D Mario across buildings and billboards dodging hazards as the song plays, at the end of the 2D section you hit 3D and run up to the band and Pauline and dance along. It was a moment of pure “joy” which as someone who played it when they were 20+ years old is hard to come across that same youthful feeling nowadays in games. Standing at the top of New Donk City listening to the song play and the crowd dance is a top five gaming moment.
I enjoyed my time as Mario, I always do, but this time? It was special.
Super Mario Odyssey is the epitome of the word “Fun,” which admittedly is true for basically any Mario game since the series inception 35+ years ago now but the series hit the nail most successfully on its latest effort. Every new 3D mario game seems to have a new gimmick which allows the series to reinvent itself and give it a place in the modern game world: with SM64 it was well… being in 3D, Sunshine it was F.L.O.O.D, Galaxy it was the interplanetary travel, and with Odyssey you have Cappy. Sometimes these gimmicks work out well and add a lot to the game, and sometimes they don’t (Was not the biggest fan of Sunshine’s paint removal,) but with Cappy? It’s an absolute win. The freedom of movement you get with Cappy makes the seemingly linear worlds feel like open ended zones where you can freestyle and create your own movement options to get basically anywhere. I’m not the biggest fan of collectathons or hunting for all the smaller collectables in platformers or really any game, but with Odyssey I felt rewarded for doing so. Being able to run and throw cappy then performing a sprint-slide and throwing it again to grab moons or perform transformations was rewarding every single time. Flexing the creative movement win the races against the Koopas on every world was great and had me fielding for more.
All in all Super Mario Odyssey is the pinnacle of 3D Mario in its movement, design, and music. The worlds you find yourself visiting are rich with color and character, each starkly different from the last. The first kingdom you visit for example and gain the help of Cappy is wildly different from something like New Donk City which in my opinion, is the single greatest level in the history of platforming. New Donk City was a celebration of all things Mario, the most storied and one of the most prolific characters in gaming. In this New York City lookalike you had seemingly unending possibilities of movement, complete freedom of where to go. Want to hop on a scooter and drive around? Sure! Want to jump from highrise to highrise and climb scaffolding? Sure! The best moment spent in NDC though is easily the city festival, which is the origin of the game’s very famous song “Jump Up, Super Star!” which plays after you’ve rounded up the city’s band for Mayor Pauline and reunited them for one big gig. You jump and hop through sections of the city as 2D Mario across buildings and billboards dodging hazards as the song plays, at the end of the 2D section you hit 3D and run up to the band and Pauline and dance along. It was a moment of pure “joy” which as someone who played it when they were 20+ years old is hard to come across that same youthful feeling nowadays in games. Standing at the top of New Donk City listening to the song play and the crowd dance is a top five gaming moment.
I enjoyed my time as Mario, I always do, but this time? It was special.