Super Mario Odyssey Review

Super Mario Odyssey is a dream come true. For so long, I've wanted another open-world Mario game that focuses more on exploration then platforming, and this is exactly that. In this game you take control of, as you probably guessed, Mario and his sidekick Cappy (a hat) as you travel through different kingdoms to get to Bowser and rescue Peach and Tiara (Cappy's sister). In each kingdom, you must collect a certain amount of moons (this game's main collectible) while also completing the main story objectives (although this optional). There are also gold and purple coins which you can use to buy items in the shop.


This game has so many things going for it. The soundtrack is superb, the game looks amazing and there is so much to do after you have completed the main story. This is the best Mario has controlled in a video game in my opinion. His movements are so fluid and there are so many options. Mario returns with most of his usual moves, he can jump, crouch, long jump, ground pound, etc. but he also has a multiple of new moves including a dive, roll and an extra high jump after ground pounding. You can also combine these moves with the main gimmick of Super Mario Odyssey being his hat and all the opportunities it opens up. You can throw Cappy in many directions, hold him in place, jump on him and possess enemies. This is probably the best new power as it opens up so many new possibilities. The game also has a smart system on deciding which enemies can be captured or not based on whether they already have a hat or if their head is too small or spiky. It is so fun playing as a bullet bill, stacking up as many goombas as possible and discovering all the different characters you can become. Each new capture changes up the game and leads to many new possibilities, feeling like a whole new game each time.

Finding moons are also a joy. Most offer a small challenge while others can be hard and long. There's also new 2D sections where Mario is flattened and the game plays just like Super Mario Bros and doors and pipes that lead to smaller platforming sections. I had one small problem with this game, being the irrelevant use of motion controls but that didn't take away from the experience. Overall, Super Mario Odyssey is such an ambitious project that innovates and rethinks the Mario formula in so many new and creative ways. There is no other ranking I could give this game but


10/10 - Exceptional