My first exposure to our favorite Italian plumber was Christmas morning when I was three. I remember sitting on the living room floor in front of a 12-inch CRT, rushing toward that first Goomba, and wondering what the Question Block did. I’ve played nearly every Mario game since then, and I can unequivocally say that Odyssey is my favorite entry in the series—and possibly the best Mario game of all time.
Odyssey takes the tried-and-true platforming mechanics of previous Mario games and combines it with interesting new mechanics that make this entry in the series feel fresh, but with a comfortable familiarity. Your best friend (and bestower of new abilities) is Cappy, a ghost-possessed hat that joins Mario in his journey to defeat Bowser and save Peach once again.
The Good: Gameplay, Graphics, Music
While Super Mario Odyssey does a lot of things right, it nails the most important aspect of gaming: it’s fun. I had just as much fun exploring the different worlds and utilizing enemy’s powers as I did taking down the bosses the game threw at me. Maybe more, if I’m being honest. Odyssey follows the traditional Mario style of chasing after Bowser because he has once again kidnapped Princess Peach, but this time, he’s traveling to different worlds.
Mario, of course, has a rickety airship called the Odyssey that breaks down at every new destination. To progress, you have to guide the mustachio’d plumber through the levels and find enough Moons to power your ship. The Moons are Odyssey’s answer to Super Mario 64’s stars, but they’re found in much the same way: stomp this suspicious looking mound of dirt, defeat that giant enemy, etc.
The game has a total of 999 Moons to discover, but you will need less than half of that to complete the story and reach the final level. Collecting all 999 yields aesthetic changes to the Odyssey, as well as a few changes to areas within the game.
As for how it looks, Odyssey is absolutely gorgeous. The game is rendered in crisp, clear detail like no other Mario before it, and every single one of Mario’s outfits—and there are many, many outfits—looks great. I grew to love Cappy’s giant eyes and the way every Goomba raised its eyebrows like a particularly skeptical anthropomorphic mushroom.
Super Mario Odyssey’s music steals the show. More than one player has used the Steam Gardens OST as background noise while handling daily chores. My personal favorite is the main theme of the game “Jump Up, Super Star!” It’s the first time, to my knowledge, that a concert sequence has ever been held within a Mario title, but the New Donk City performance is chock-full of that Mario charm we know and love.
The Bad: Difficulty
The one complaint I had with Super Mario Odyssey is the difficulty level. No, not that the game is too hard—that it’s too easy. Checkpoints are spread throughout the levels, and even the boss fights are pattern recognition tests that only take a few tries to get down. I did not struggle to complete any part of the game. While Mario should be kid-friendly, it felt almost too easy.
The only truly hard part of the title is one of the bonus levels. The checkpoints are spread far apart, and it tests your knowledge of all of the game’s mechanics. It lends replayability to a title that is already completely replayable and satisfies gamers’ masochistic urges for a challenge.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
Patrick is a long-time gamer and diehard fan of the classics: Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Halo, etc. He collects SNES games and once dove into a dumpster for a copy of Earthbound.
