With the Nintendo Switch’s success exceeding even Nintendo’s own expectations on how well the console would appeal to consumers, gamers around the world set their standards high for its latest Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey. The plot unfolds with the infamous kidnapping of Princess Peach and Tiara by Bowser. Determined to save his sister, Cappy, a floating hat spirit, teams up with Mario, and the duo embark on a journey across the globe to stop the forced wedding between Bowser and Peach. In sight of this new storyline and other innovative factors, critics have claimed that the game is  “without a doubt one of the best games of recent years.”

“So what?” you may be thinking. “It sounds just like all the other Mario games. What makes Super Mario Odyssey great compared to all of the other ones?”

Super Mario Odyssey is groundbreaking and different because Nintendo’s creators clearly understand how to brilliantly craft levels that appear to have endless replay value while also beautifully showcasing the capability and quality of the Switch, which easily makes it one of the best games of the Mario franchise. Similar to the successful The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the latest Mario game emphasized the capability of the Switch with its beautiful graphics in addition to the game’s highly anticipated vast, open world. With this new aspect, gamers could spend countless hours exploring and searching every nook and cranny of each world to find hidden power moons and coins, which greatly increase the replay value even after the story is finished. Assuming children of all ages want to play, Super Mario Odyssey also offers a set goals if the player ever loses sight of the main story. But, ultimately, it’s up to the player where Mario travels within each world. The protagonist also gains the ability to possess other creatures, giving him the special ability of that particular subject – most notably the power to crush anything in your path by possessing a dinosaur. With this new factor of Mario gameplay and the ability to move freely, the creation of levels for each world opened up endless possibilities for the Nintendo creators. Each world is cleverly crafted each with its own cohesive theme and, unlike past Mario games, have regional purple coins that enhance the player’s gaming experience since they can only be redeemed in that particular kingdom. Furthermore, Mario can also buy power ups, different outfits, and decorations for the  with the classic, yellow coins.

As the latest Mario game surpasses almost everyone’s expectations, it’s natural to overlook certain mechanics of the game that are missing or can diminish the player’s overall experience. For example, while there is an option to play with a friend in co-op mode, in reality, it feels like a mode in which the second player takes on the role of a supporting character for the first player. The players also have to adapt to the limited and different controls from the regular ones when you’re playing alone. These choices make the co-op mode stressful and discourages cooperative gameplay. Additionally, many could argue that the story mode of Super Mario Odyssey is too short. I personally agree with this statement since I finished the game over the span of three days, yet if feels like Nintendo makes up for this by providing a large replay value even after the story is completed.

Overall the successful Super Mario Odyssey transcends everyone’s expectations with its high graphics and capability. I strongly recommend investing both time and money in this game not only because of how addicting the game is, but also because of how large the replay value even after revisiting each world more than once.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars