Super Mario Odyssey Review: Simply the Greatest Mario Story Ever

The most successful man in video game history has finally made his way to the newest system on his platform, the Nintendo Switch. No need guess we’re talking about Mario and his companion Cappy. So with the biggest adventure able to played at home and on the, what’s Mario and the gang (talking about Bowser here) up to? This is Super Mario Odyssey.

Bowser has won the latest battle, knocking Mario into oblivion and taking Peach as his own, forcing her hand in marriage. For Mario it’s a bit more complicated than finding the princess in another castle she’s high in the sky and obviously there’s nowhere but up to go in order to come to her aide.

Mario, in a position we’ve never seen him before, is awaken in Cap Kingdom by a mysterious ghoul in a big, white hat. By little surprise Bowser has harassed the village in the same manner as Mushroom Kingdom, kidnapping his little sister Tiara. With your help, Cappy looks to team up in order to collect enough power moons, get to the Odyssey airship up and running and defeat Bowser once and for all.

Ribbit, Ribbit!

Mario, through can literally capture and control anyone, well almost. As you throw Cappy, who by the way can be controlled by a second player, he can take over and fully control enemies, people and access their power moves, more defined when utilizing each character.

Without question it’s Cappy that gives SMO a high level of originality. It’s not simply about what he does, it drives back to how you interact after possessing them. From the T-Rex teased so many times or a civilian on the street playing with a remote control car that can earn you a sweet reward, SMO never disappoints regardless if you’re following the story or exploring new heights; higher than Ezio.

When you fall or fail your coins are what bring you back to life when the hearts are all gone, taking 10 coins to bring you back to your last checkpoint or place of interest.

There are different outfits available for Mario to change into that can be purchased in various stores. That’s right, Mario can literally come out of his suit and change up to match the environment he’s in. I loved walking around as the explorer Mario have always been,   There were also three Amiibos that released: Wedding Mario, Bowser and Peach that give additional life-ups and temporary invincibility. Other Mario Bros Amiibos can unlock outfits from previous titles as well, though they can also be purchased in various kingdoms.

A Whole New World

Every kingdom is truly unique and provides remarkable, creative layouts for each environment. I loved playing as Mario and discovering what’s awaited in each territory. New Donk City was one my favorites, along with Fossil Falls prehistoric nature and vibrant story inside of Mount Volbono.

I also enjoyed stepping into the past as 2D Mario made a brief return to his 8-bit self to complete certain objectives throughout the story. Though it isn’t too long, I appreciated the nostalgic gameplay added, briefly reminded me of the roots where Mario comes from while delivering the upscale mixture of Mario 64 and Sunshine.

Ultimately it’s the power moons that will need to be collected in order to beat the campaign and unlock additional maps, even after completing the story. The moons are well hidden, reminding of the difficulty of finding feathers in Assassin’s Creed. Scattered everywhere, yet worth finding and collecting them all as it increases the level of replayability.

For players focused on only completing the main story, also helpful for most children, there’s an assist mode available to help guide Mario in the direction of each mission. However it does cause you to miss out on some quite a bit of collectible items and side objectives.

So can we talk about how beautiful the graphics are in Super Mario Odyssey? I’ve played quite a bit of Mario in days, we all have. Super Mario 64 and Sunshine comes close but considering SMO is playable on both dock and handheld, it’s the most vibrant journey to date, even toppling LOZ: BOTW.