Earlier this year,  Nintendo launched their newest console: the Nintendo Switch, a new video game console that can also be taken on the go. With the small portable handheld hybrid, came the release of the second highest rated game of all time; The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. The game blew away critics and Nintendo sweeped their competitors off their feet. My first thought after I played the newest Legend of Zelda was “how can they ever top this?” I’m not even a massive Zelda fan, but the game was absolutely mind blowing to me and quickly became an addiction. I did not want to stop playing. It was an endless world to explore and I’m still yet to fully complete my journey through Hyrule, even though it’s been nearly a year since it first launched. The game of the year has just been overthrown however.

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Super Mario Odyssey is not just a technical marvel because of its outstanding graphics, but an absolute powerhouse when it comes to replayability, frame-rate, consistency in gameplay, and the absurd amount of things to do that will consume hours of your life. It’s the true successor to Super Mario 64 from 1996. Never have I been so engulfed in a game since the release of Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Super Mario Odyssey was the third game that I ever stopped for a second and just took a screenshot just because of how impressed I was. Super Mario Odyssey does not need nostalgia to impress players. Its typical Nintendo spice of creative freedom is certainly not being held back. That creative freedom spice was used up to its maximum capacity. The game takes massive risks that have not been seen in any other entry in Mario’s entire legacy. Whether it was getting chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex or climbing the Empire State Building, Odyssey continued to impress me even when you thought there was nothing else that could make your jaw drop even further.

Odyssey will set the standard for what’s expected in an open world sandbox game. Although Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine were also open world sandbox games, Odyssey is more of a true open world experience. New hardware means more capabilities and Odyssey is not messing around. The world maps are massive, but have a lot to do in them. Typically, open world games have large gorgeous maps, but never really anything to do in them. Pointless objectives have cluttered modern games such as Assassin’s Creed and Just Cause, but Odyssey never has a pointless time filler moment. Odyssey has over 900 Power Moons for you to collect, scattered across a multitude of kingdoms. That’s right, over 900! That’s more than the Super Mario Galaxy games combined! Power Moons are the new shines and stars for you to collect in this vast open world. Power moons are super well hidden and have neat little puzzles for you to solve in order to collect more. There are power moons scattered from the bottom to top of the map. Some of these puzzles are throwbacks to past Mario games and various other Nintendo games which fans will greatly appreciate. If you have any Amiibo figures then you can scan them in in exchange for tips and hints on where some of the more difficult Power Moons are hidden. This game is a massive ongoing collectathon.

The key purpose of power moons is to power Mario’s new ship, “The Odyssey.” The Odyssey is your easy way of transportation from world to world and a place where you can change Mario’s outfit. There are tons of nostalgic outfits and new costumes for you to choose from that go along with each world. Some of the costumes are even nods to obscure classic Nintendo games such as Ice Climbers. The Odyssey can also be customized with various collectibles that can be unlocked in each world. In order to unlock costumes and the collectibles inside The Odyssey, you simply just have to collect every special world coin (purple) and just regular coins (your usual Mario yellow coins). It might seem overwhelming at first but there’s absolutely no need to worry! Collectibles are scattered everywhere you can go and you can pick which collectibles you want to get in the new shop system. I highly recommend you prioritize the Power Moons that you can purchase from the shop however. These items are only one hundred regular coins so make sure to grab every coin and punch as many blocks as you can find.

Mario has never controlled more smoother than before. The controls are super tight and exactly what you would expect from a Mario game. With Mario this time around, is his new companion Cappy. Cappy can be used to perform a large variety of different tactics. By throwing Cappy at an enemy you can take on the new capture ability. This allows you to take control of a large range of opponents and objects that you will face. The new capture ability is used in order to solve several challenges and puzzles throughout your adventure. Every enemy or object you capture is catered to that specific world you are in. You won’t find useless abilities in areas that don’t require them. Cappy’s new capture system is not always the driving force of Odyssey’s amazing gameplay. There is an astronomical amount of ways that you will be getting around obstacles. It was only hours into the game that I had discovered unique jumps that can be performed using Cappy. It’s important that you check the control options in order to learn more about the techniques you can perform. There’s a point during the opening segment of the game where Cappy will bring up the options screen for you. I recommend not ignoring this screen and actually giving it a quick read. Its also important to note that the game does have a two player mode where one person plays as Mario and the other player as Cappy. The game also has several different controller options. You can play with two joy-cons, one joy-con, a pro controller, and a wide range of wired USB controllers. For the review I mostly played with comfortably with my pro controller, but the other options are also great and I highly recommend you try all of them in order to find what your personal preference is!

Visually, this is by far one of the best looking Nintendo games. The game runs at a butter smooth sixty frames per second in both handheld and docked mode. The game is 720p during handheld mode and upscaled to 1080p during docked mode just like every other game on the hybrid console. Anti-aliasing has been used as much as possible throughout the game making textures look super crisp and clear. Every level is filled with an absurd amount of detail. Waves will crash against the beach, footsteps can be seen in the sand, grass moves in the air, and particles can be seen in the light. Colors are super bright just as they should be and every character model is magnificent and creative. With beautiful graphics comes one of the coolest features in Odyssey. Included for the first time ever in a Nintendo game is the new snapshot system. If you have played the Uncharted series then you already know what this is. You can pause the game in order to create high definition wallpapers for all your devices. Various filters can be used that will go along with Mario’s environment. Theres also a sharpening filter, so if you want to use your snapshots for a larger screen such as your computer, then the option is available to you. All photo options are available from the moment you start up the game. I found myself using this feature in order to create the various pictures included with the article, so enjoy a couple pictures that I made on my own! You can use this feature by holding down the top of the d-pad in case you are interested. With the snapshots,  I have only included the worlds revealed in the first trailer for the game. There are plenty of surprises in store and every player should go in blind. Its also worthy to note that this is a really long game. Do not expect to finish this game in a couple sittings. This is a extensively long game that will constantly have you coming back.

Whats absent for the first time in a Mario game is the normal “death” system. There is no game over screen in the game. Odyssey constantly keeps you in the action. Your penalty for dying however is you lose ten coins. Your coins do have value so it’s important to remember that if your constantly failing at an objective then you need to refocus your efforts and try new tactics. Coins are nearly every objective and the game wants you to embrace uniqueness. Do not be afraid to test something that’s on your mind because the majority of the time there will be a checkpoint lying in wait for you.

Odyssey’s one problem is the fact that there is a lack of boss battles. You have your usual Bowser end game fight, but besides the final confrontation with the big baddy, none of the bosses will really blow your socks off compared to the rest of the game. To compromise this, however, you are almost always in gameplay. There are barely any loading screens or cutscenes that will take you out of the action for an extensive amount of time. Cutscenes even transition directly back into gameplay in order to keep things going. Although it’s not a massive issue, I wish the soundtrack for each world would begin playing once The Odyssey lands. For a game with incredible sound design, this annoys me for one reason. The orchestrated soundtrack is playing almost all the time except when you first arrive. Imagine in Jurassic Park if the main theme played after the cast sees the dinosaurs. It just doesn’t feel right.

Verdict

Mario revived an industry in need of help over thirty years ago. He continues to have the same impact on developers that he had three decades ago. Today’s games lack innovation and creativity, but Nintendo continues to inspire young game developers and experienced industry veterans into the right direction by breaking from the industry norms and thinking outside the box. They continually put their heart and soul into expert game design and wonderful orchestrated soundtracks. Players are rewarded for creativity rather than challenge; something that all other video game developers should embrace. If video games are indeed meant for the sole purpose of entertainment, then Super Mario Odyssey does not just define that term; it lives it. In other words, it’s a masterpiece that will certainly be remembered along with all his other adventures.

Rating: 5/5

*Game exclusively on Nintendo Switch*