Super Mario Odyssey Review

One of modern gaming’s most delightful experiences

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

“Super Mario Odyssey” is a masterclass in platforming, level design and pure smiles per minute it brings with every charming moment after another.

Right from the start, “Super Mario Odyssey” genuinely impressed me for a bevy of reasons. Whether it is the level design that boasts so much love and appreciation for the age-old franchise, the unforgettable music, unique worlds or near-perfect 3D platforming, “Super Mario Odyssey” proves Nintendo and the Mario name still stand among the very best gaming has ever offered. To top it it all off, it released well before the Nintendo Switch even hit its first year on the mark


Story
Sometimes, this many years into the “Super Mario” franchise, I wonder if Nintendo could implement an actual story with more depth than its “save the princess” trope. After playing “Super Mario Odyssey,” I realized their simple storytelling approach comes with enough of its own charm to be completely fine doing the same thing.

What is different in this plot however is the introduction of some new characters. Mario’s hat becomes a living entity in the form of Cappy; the same goes for Peach’s crown who is Cappy's sister Tiara. When Bowser kidnaps Peach for the hundredth time, he has a slightly new intention. Bowser is going to marry Peach this time, so Mario obviously has the goal of stopping him. The outcome of “Super Mario Odyssey’s” story can be predicted by anybody who has ever played a “Mario” title; however, there are admittedly a few narrative moments, particularly in the end, that shake things up a bit. It may be more or less the core story that’s been used since the 1980’s; however, the charm in it all is undeniable.


Gameplay
I haven’t played a 3D platformer in a while that felt this good. In fact, the last was likely a “Mario” game. Rightfully so, Nintendo has always known how to make purely fun and mechanically polished platforming titles and “Super Mario Odyssey” is no exception. With every jump, roll and bounce on an enemy’s head, the game executes gameplay in an incredibly smooth and versatile manner.

Among the wondrous 3D platforming, the game also includes some welcomed 2D levels. Acting as throwback to the “Super Mario” games of the past, these levels naturally fit in the 3D worlds. I found each of the 2D sections to be immensely satisfying because of how genuine they felt. I was only disappointed by the lack of these sections in the grand scheme of things. Nintendo didn’t include nearly enough of these awesome areas.

Mario’s hat, Cappy, makes the 3D platforming feel extra exciting because of what it brings to the table. Cappy lets Mario throw him and then jump on him, only to rinse and repeat a couple of times. This lets you reach heights, distances and get through levels quickly (perfect for the many speedrunners of our time). This hat’s addition to the platforming makes it extremely fun and different. Some players have even tackled the game with as little actual jumps as possible, only using Cappy and its many abilities.


Of course, the biggest catch in this game’s platforming is something entirely different. And this gimmick works. Cappy allows Mario to possess enemies and inanimate objects galore. With that, Mario will be able to literally take form of anything from a frog to an actual T-Rex. One of my favorite Cappy possessions was the Glydon. These friendly dragon-like creatures allowed me to glide from insane heights across many of the kingdoms, letting me not only get to my desired destination but also view the beautiful world around me. There is one notably exciting possession appearing towards the game’s end, one I won’t spoil but will tell you is worth the adventure.

With the many forms “Super Mario Odyssey” lets Mario take, puzzles of all kinds can be solved. The dynamic kingdoms and enemy possessions will have you doing simple platforming challenges one time, aiming for sheer precision, and travelling through some of the most sticky situations the next, all for a shiny power moon. The many objects and enemies Cappy let's Mario transform into and how they are used makes the game feel consistently fresh and innovative.

“Super Mario Odyssey” doesn’t reinvent the wheel with its boss fights. They all generally go through systematic phases for completion. Fortunately the game’s boss fights are nicely designed and fun to take on. Typically making you use one of the Cappy possessions or transformations you learned prior to the boss fight, they each offer a level-specific challenge. I found the boss fights to be fun, if not predictable at times. Later fights do however begin to offer some intense challenges. One of the most unique fights was a giant dragon on a castle, looking like something straight out of Dark Souls.

The level design Nintendo went with this time around made “Super Mario Odyssey” a sandbox game in many ways. While the overall structure isn’t a traditional open world like “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” it does have massive levels. “Super Mario Odyssey” offers several kingdoms to tackle, each is designed with exploration in mind. Each kingdom is, in many ways, its own sandbox. They have many hidden areas, dozens of power moons and more. It was unheard of to be lost in the game’s kingdoms for hours on end, exploring the wonderfully designed locales and searching every nook and cranny for the last power moon.

The aforementioned power moons are scattered everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE among the game’s many kingdoms. “Super Mario Odyssey” makes you find a certain amount of these for story progression; however, you can go and go for hours and find tens of hundreds of these. Some power moons are in plain sight, some require platforming puzzles and challenges, others require you to be a true detective. I, like many others, found it to be incredibly addicting. Nintendo was sure to make every moon collection worth your time, if only for a sheer sense of accomplishment.

Graphics
Photo-realism in the many triple-A titles of today is nothing short of impressive. I do however have a soft spot for the Nintendo approach to graphics. “Super Mario Odyssey,” like many titles in the franchise before it looks amazing. I’d argue the gorgeous visuals will hold up for years to come.

Having released not even a year into the Switch's life-cycle, Nintendo delivers a visually appealing game in every aspect with “Super Mario Odyssey,” one that can only get gamers all the more excited for what Nintendo's first party titles will look like in years to come. This game looks fantastic in every way. Whether it is the shiny waters of the Lake and Seaside Kingdoms, the vivid color pallet of the Luncheon Kingdom or the noir tone of the Cap Kingdom, the title never fails to boast visually appealing and diverse settings.



Easily one of the most impressive parts of this game is the Metro Kingdom. New Donk City, as it is called, takes inspiration from New York City and urban landscape in general. The Metro Kingdom offers some of the most bizarre but wonderful things to see across a game thriving on those things. You literally look off in the distance to tons of tall buildings, people walk around in bustling crowds, billboards and glowing signs sparkle the night. New Donk City is an oddly alive city that resembles the real world like nothing in Mario's wide history of games has ever done before.

What quickly became one of my favorite parts of this title is the many costume changes. Mario, with purple coins and power moons, can purchase dozens of unique costumes to wear. He can mix and match between hats and outfits and rock them whenever, wherever. “Super Mario Odyssey” didn’t just give several color changes or different costumes; Nintendo went above and beyond to include deep cuts, unique, fresh outfits, costumes that are relevant to each kingdom and so much more. Each, like the many transformations Mario can undergo through Cappy, look wonderful.

I personally fell in love with photo mode, a feature I never knew I’d get in a “Super Mario” game. Thanks to the wondrous graphics of the game, “Super Mario Odyssey” allowed me to save screenshots of every one of my favorite moments. I found myself messing around in photo mode all of the time. It was with every new location, enemy design, high jump, costume change and more that I had to save a picture. Being able to zoom in and out, move the camera around in every direction, place Instagram-like filters and more, I used photo mode to my heart’s content the entire playthrough.

Sound
Nintendo proves to be a team of experts in the music department. “Super Mario Odyssey” comes with one of the most memorable and delightful soundtracks to date. A mix of the most joyous tunes you’ll hear, I rarely had anything but the game’s music stuck in my head during my time with the title. The music lended itself to each tone the game wanted to offer. When the music was upbeat and light, I was exploring the kingdoms at ease. When the music grew intense, I did as well thanks to the sprawling boss fights I was approaching. “Super Mario Odyssey” uses its soundtrack so flawlessly, mixing old-school and new to create a delightful sound at all times.

"Jump Up Superstar" is the main, incredibly catchy, track associated with the title thanks to its use in marketing. “Super Mario Odyssey” feels like a celebration of the franchise in many ways. This song is used exactly for that. It literally celebrates Mario as a character and a franchise in one of the game’s most amazing moments.

Collecting the game’s hundreds of power moons offers a satisfying chime with each grab. Like those power moons, the rest of the sound effects in “Super Mario Odyssey” are also spot-on. Everything from the grunts of Bowser and the laughter of the Broodals to the walls crumbling from a Charging Chuck or the satisfying startup of the motorbike has a specific sound effect and is nailed.

Content
With a mind-boggling 999 moons, “Super Mario Odyssey” is anything but light on content. The title hides these power moons all over the map of each of the kingdoms. Some of them require true detective work and platforming skills. The challenge in finding much of the many power moons makes for a truly satisfying and endlessly fun experience.

Purple coins, usually in the form of something related to the kingdom in questions, also appear as a collectible. Because the hundreds of power moons weren’t enough, these purple coins come in one hundred per kingdom. They, like the moons, allow you to buy costumes and more, They are also hidden well in many ways, similarly as fun to discover as their power moon counterparts.

With the insane number of power moons spread out across “Super Mario Odyssey’s” kingdoms alone, the title truly offers a great deal of gameplay. I found the title’s approach to completion alongside its exploration focus and sandbox design to fit perfectly. The game has tons of things to find, most of which offer pure fun getting there but it doesn’t need to overstay its welcome. While 999 power moons sounds absurd to many, you truly don’t have to find every single one. The beauty of “Super Mario Odyssey” is that it makes you feel amazing when you find it all but doesn’t make you feel like you’re not done if you choose to lie low after a few hundred moons.

Conclusion
“Super Mario Odyssey” is truly something special, an undeniable system seller for years to come. The title is absolutely wonderful in every sense of the word. “Super Mario Odyssey” has some of the most refined and fresh 3D platforming ever. Its unique takes on the familiar gameplay make it all the more charming. With every beautiful, open-ended kingdom, creative platforming puzzle and power moon location and delightful background track, “Super Mario Odyssey” feels like an absolute masterpiece from start to finish.

Did you collect every single power moon? What was your favorite kingdom and why? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.