I am a rookie concerning 2D-Super Mario titles, and yet, I was hoping for something like I felt playing through the marvelous Super Mario Odyssey: the sense of wonder. I could sense little sparks of it, but they vanished as fast, as the signature snapping-sound of the system, this game runs on.
You can’t deny that this game oozes of creativity. The new enemies are fun to face, the movement is slick and especially the musical levels make you giggle like a child. But especially in the first third, I could not help but wonder, how fast these levels end. At times they feel hilariously linear and like a chain of tutorial levels. Sometimes I thought, I was playing Before Your Eyes, because every time I blinked, I finished yet another course. That is a strength and a weakness at the same time, as the levels are snackable in size, but feel so easy to beat. And i was honestly confused, by the extended use of „filler“-levels, like the break-levels, the battle arenas or the riddle ones. Normally Nintendo is known for their holistic creativity, that wanders into every last digital corner of their games. In this one, they seemed lazy.
Yet, I finished 99% of the game, collecting all purple coins, wonder seeds and all flags. Don’t get me started on the last level, it is just incomprehensibly difficult. The badges are a cool feature, but not implemented too deeply. The elephant feels powerful - a bit overpowered even - the drill is cool, but I avoided Bubble Mario, as he felt sort of useless. The soundtrack is undeniably mesmerizing, playful and sets the pace for a wonderful adventure.
In the end, I made peace with the game. As I collected all the missing coins and wonder seeds before finishing up the „plot“, I found joy in the simplicity and clarity of design that Wonder prescribed itself too. I realized, my expectations were simply too high and the wish to squeeze the explorative nature of Odyssey into the two-dimensional space was plain and simply unfulfillable. It could have elaborated on it’s tools more, be more brave, cheeky and edgy and more importantly: be more memorable. The wonder flower levels felt like a psychedelic trip, that is funny and adrenaline invoking, once you are in, but fades away, as soon as it ends. What will stay for sure, is the memory of the cringy, cheesy, yet charming talking flowers.
You can’t deny that this game oozes of creativity. The new enemies are fun to face, the movement is slick and especially the musical levels make you giggle like a child. But especially in the first third, I could not help but wonder, how fast these levels end. At times they feel hilariously linear and like a chain of tutorial levels. Sometimes I thought, I was playing Before Your Eyes, because every time I blinked, I finished yet another course. That is a strength and a weakness at the same time, as the levels are snackable in size, but feel so easy to beat. And i was honestly confused, by the extended use of „filler“-levels, like the break-levels, the battle arenas or the riddle ones. Normally Nintendo is known for their holistic creativity, that wanders into every last digital corner of their games. In this one, they seemed lazy.
Yet, I finished 99% of the game, collecting all purple coins, wonder seeds and all flags. Don’t get me started on the last level, it is just incomprehensibly difficult. The badges are a cool feature, but not implemented too deeply. The elephant feels powerful - a bit overpowered even - the drill is cool, but I avoided Bubble Mario, as he felt sort of useless. The soundtrack is undeniably mesmerizing, playful and sets the pace for a wonderful adventure.
In the end, I made peace with the game. As I collected all the missing coins and wonder seeds before finishing up the „plot“, I found joy in the simplicity and clarity of design that Wonder prescribed itself too. I realized, my expectations were simply too high and the wish to squeeze the explorative nature of Odyssey into the two-dimensional space was plain and simply unfulfillable. It could have elaborated on it’s tools more, be more brave, cheeky and edgy and more importantly: be more memorable. The wonder flower levels felt like a psychedelic trip, that is funny and adrenaline invoking, once you are in, but fades away, as soon as it ends. What will stay for sure, is the memory of the cringy, cheesy, yet charming talking flowers.