The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and probably the most iconic video game character, Mario returns once again with an all new game called ''Super Mario Odyssey" for the Nintendo Switch. This looks to be one of the most popular games ever in Nintendo history because, according to a Forbes, "Super Mario Odyssey" was breezing past a million sales in under a few days after its release on Oct 27th here in the US and selling more than 2 million worldwide.
One reason why "Super Mario Odyssey" is rapidly rising up in the gaming world is how great the game looks. GameSpot's Peter Brown described how Odyssey is "Its environments are bigger and some of the most interesting ever seen in a Mario game, just wait until you lay eyes on Bowser's elaborate fortress. All the extra space is invaluable, as the dense layouts of challenges and rewards justifies every building and landmass you encounter." The Odyssey indeed showcases many different levels with inspirations from the real world such as New Donk City inspired by New York City or Tostarena which was based off from Mexico and and Egypt. Its colorful graphics and style makes the game most enjoyable with plenty of praise.
Cappy, one of the new characters introduced in the franchise, assists Mario in his quest by transforming himself into Mario's hat. An article for GoErie describes the abilities of Cappy and how he proves useful to Mario as they embark on the journey. Players can toss Mario’s cap in a variety of ways to defeat enemies, or he can control them by throwing his cap onto the said enemy and temporarily becoming them to help navigate through each of the levels.
IGN rated Super Mario Odyssey a perfect 10/10 saying that "it evokes, honors, and is sometimes directly inspired by the games that came before it. Fusing classic-style 2D gameplay with the 3D world and using a completely new possession mechanic to add constant variety to Mario’s abilities and exploits."
This game not only gives tribute to almost all its past games but gives the players the ability to have Mario to change costumes, including his sprite from the ever popular Super Mario 64 and it still keeps the rough edges like it 21 years ago. There's even a few levels where you temporarily become a 2D 8-but Mario and go through the level. A perfect way to attract veteran Mario players to start playing the game.
Mario's games have been around for almost as long as game consoles yet he still manages to grow and compete with all the new games coming up int he gaming world. With Super Mario Odyssey it shows how much this franchise has grown. From having 8-bit graphics in 1981 to colorful artistic worlds to explore in 2017 Mario has certainly come a long way the Super Mario Odyssey just might become Game of The Year.