Whether the Odyssey breaks down, or Bowser unexpectedly forces you into a detour, nothing goes quite as planned. Just as you think you know the pattern each Kingdom will follow – find new enemies to capture, take down the wedding-planning rabbit baddies known as the Broodals, obtain a certain number of Power Moons necessary to fuel the Odyssey and travel to the next Kingdom – Super Mario Odyssey throws strange and exciting curveballs at you. From the Mexican-themed deserts of the Sand Kingdom to the towering skyscrapers of the Metro Kingdom, the game blazes new trails that the franchise hasn’t gone before. Mario travels with this new companion across more than a dozen colorful kingdoms during Super Mario Odyssey‘s campaign. The biggest change around is Cappy. A sentient hat capable of “capturing” 52 unique enemies throughout the game. Though Odyssey is more cinematic than any Mario game before it (its lighting, camera angles, sound effects and more are used to great effect in numerous cutscenes), it does little to branch out from the traditional Mario narrative.

And Mario goes on a whimsical adventure to save her. Like so many times before, Bowser intends to marry her – whether she likes it or not. Bowser, yet again, kidnaps Princess Peach. Super Mario Odyssey‘s plot treads familiar ground. It’s Mario at the top of his game, and his is a game three decades in the making. Super Mario Odyssey is the culmination of Nintendo’s efforts in the series. Each gameplay element – each enemy, purple coin, and Power Moon – they’re all placed with the utmost thought and intent. Every nook and cranny of its various worlds is filled with something new to explore. Every inch of the game is drenched in creative expression. Super Mario Odyssey, even with the lofty expectations set forth by its predecessors, soars in almost every way imaginable. But what does Super Mario Odyssey achieve that all the past Mario games haven’t?

Even Super Mario Galaxy expanded the way we thought of this seminal franchise almost ten years ago to the day. 3D video games as we know them changed when Super Mario 64 launched alongside the Nintendo 64 in the 90’s. was to the revival of console gaming back in the 80’s. What is Mario without his legacy? It’s hard to ignore how integral the original Super Mario Bros.

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