Super Mario Odyssey - US Version

I am in my last 30s and I love this game. This is my all time favorite Mario game for the Nintendo switch. It is fun and challenging - Great game for Mario fans

I have not had this much fun with a Mario game since Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 system when it came out back in the days. Hands down the best, most true-to-character Mario game in recent history. This is the essence of what a platform game should be and Nintendo should be proud of themselves for taking their beloved franchise to new levels. Green Mushrooms for all! Honestly, I grew up playing Nintendo. The NES started video gaming for me. And I owned every nintendo system outside of handhelds and the Wii U. However, during my late teens and early 20's, I shifted into playing more "hardcore" games on systems like PS2, PS3, PS4, etc.etc. Initially I owned a Wii, but hardly spent any time with it. Basically, I have been out of the Mario scene for some time. The Switch changed that for me. Mario Odyssey rules. Here is the general gist of what this game is all about: Bowser steals Peach (like always) and wants to force her to marry him (like always). Peach has a little animated princess crown companion that just happens to be the heartthrob of Mario's animated hat companion, Cappy. Of course, Mario gotta get his girl back and Cappy is more than happy to oblige helping Mario do this by way of providing Mario new skills. Motivated to help Mario acheive his goals, Cappy brings a new dimension of play in multiple ways. Mario's mission is to travel between different themed worlds in his quest to chase down Bowser. Marios does this aboard a glorified hot air baloon that is powered by a resourced called Moons. Each world has a plethora of moons; some in plain view, some tied to "quests" and a WHOLE BUNCH that are hidden behind secret walls, portals, mini games, etc. Collect enough Moons on each world and it unlocks travel to the next world. So on and so forth till you catch up to Bowser. Cappy brings a bunch of new mechanics to Odyssey beyond just being a nifty weapon to use against baddies. Cappy allows you to use elements in the environment to "possess" things that allow you to get around each unique world Mario visits. Sometimes you can possess switches that propel you along walls like a rubber band. Other times you can possess power lines and travel as a ball of lightning to different areas. And sometimes you can use Cappy to open doors into challenges that you have to complete hatless and without his help. These can be especially challenging and really give you an appreciation for what Cappy can do for you. The old addage "you can never truly appreciate something until its gone" really rings your bell during these challenges. The idea of Cappy being this chameleon companion that can also possess certain types of enemies is pretty cool. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a dreaded goomba (many a killer of Mario) or a fireball-spitting venus fly trap. There is quite a feeling of gratitude when you can finally turn your enemy's weapons against them! For so long I HATED getting fireballed or eaten by those dang venus fly traps popping out of pipes!!! There are also some new enemies for Mario to deal with, as well, and they play an important role in Mario's new adventure. The true GENIUS of this enemy-possessing ability is making it part of the puzzle. The enemies you possess become integral to unlocking secrets and progressing through each world. In fact, you cannot progress without this mechanic. Whether its possessing fish in an underwater tunnel to keep Mario from drowning or using Cappy's Exorcist-style mind control on a frying pan flinging turtleshell so you can destroy giant blocks of cheese YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! The ridiculous level of fun never ends. Outside of using Cappy for all the cool above-mentioned things, the platform experience is truly on point. This IS a Mario game, afterall. Nintendo has even managed to fit in a nice little throwback to the early Mario days via pipes spread out across the different worlds that teleport you to an old-school version of Mario in bit-style graphics armed with only your jump button. Truly retro. Oh, and to top it off, you transform into your 8-bit version WITH your current costume on. Oh, did I forget costumes?? Yes indeed. You can change Mario's outfit to personalize his looks and to also unlock secret areas that require you to be dressed a certain way. The only wish I have for this game is some of the worlds are rather short lived experiences and I wish there was more content. Also, you are forced to travel in a linear fashion from world-to-world even when the road "forks" and you are given a choice which one you want to visit first. Even though it would seem like there is a "progression" going on, each world is disjointed and theres no real overall "theme" to the game other than collecting Moons and chasing Bowser. I never felt like any one world was "easier" than the other; there are just different and surprising mechanics going on in each world. This makes each one feel really unique and whimsical, but doesnt lend itself to a cohesive story. The boss fights also become redundant and predictable after a while. While there are a lot of extra Moons you can squeeze out of each world, and you are free to travel between already unlocked worlds, I dont see a lot of replayability in this game other than being a "completionist" and really digging to get every list completed. Dont let that detract you from playing, however. This game will constantly surprise you! Hats off to Nintendo (yes I punned you there) for bringing me back to Mario land. Buy this game NOW!

Just finished the game. I liked it. Had some fine highlights. I don't think I'll be replaying it again for a while. I don't care about getting all the moons. The ending was fine. Nice touch of feminism there. From the online posts, lots of people are saying this is better than Breath of the Wild. Hmm I don't think so. It's more colorful than Breath of the Wild. I'll give it that. And it is more enjoyable to explore the open worlds of Super Mario Odyssey than BOTW Hyrule, because you dont have to worry about a camouflaged octorok popping out of nowhere pelleting you with rocks. But as far as Super Mario Odyssey goes, it's pretty good. There's a lot of fluff and presentation. It gives homage to the history of Mario. Sometime you're playing a 3d game, then it will revert back to a retro 2d platformer. There are some fantastic moments. Such as when you're playing ARMS against bowser. There's also the jazz scene in New Donk City, the DK throwback sequence. And there's some good gameplay too. This is the most complicated mario yet. He has a moveset from a fighting game, with lots of different jumps, rolls, and combos. You have to execute the right button presses to get to all the areas. But that's not a far cry from what we had to do in the first mario games. You did have to press the right buttons at the right time to traverse the world of obstacles and pit falls. Yet this game also has the option of being simple as you can select assist mode, if you are having difficulty. So the youngest of all kids can play and have fun. That's how the first Mario game got me on the NES. I was a kid and it was a lot of fun and now I'm a "physically" a grown man and Im still playing Mario. As I was playing, at times, I felt like I was playing a Disney Infinity toybox level, which is not a compliment. The desert level feels like this especially. It feels like the developers put a boring desert map, then they put in a smattering of points to visit, and that's it. When you're at Point A it's interesting, when you're at Point B it's interesting, but when you're going from Point A to Point B, it's not interesting. It's pretty uninspired. It's not tied in together well, is what I'm saying. It's a mixed bag. Some worlds are great. Some not so much. The motion controls are pretty good. you can shake your joy cons around and it lets you throw your hat better. there's also at least one boss battle, where you can use the motion controls as you would in ARMS, and punch bowser. which is so so satisfying. I really really love motion controls. It really makes it immersive. I like the amiibo integration as well. It lets you get different costumes, which is fun. And you can use them mid game, you potentially restore your hearts. Well I think that's about all I can say about the game. It's a good one I feel. Worth buying. Now that I beat the game, I wouldn't mind trading it in for another game. There is a post game, i.e. collecting all the moons. but meh. don't really feel like doing that.

My kids love this game. Even my 4 year old plays it pretty well

Super Mario Odyssey is an outstanding game and well worth the price compared to other Nintendo releases these days. I played on my Switch 2 and got the visual upgrade, but even without it, the game looks are runs great. Don't fall for the marketing though. The two player mode is not worth your time.

**The following review is rather in-depth, and longer than the average amazon review. I tried to keeps spoilers minimal. Just an FYI, now onto the review.** Super Mario Odyssey is the best reason to go out and buy a Nintendo Switch right now. It is, hands down, one of the best Mario games ever made, and one of the best 3-D Platformers I have ever played. Even after you “beat” the game, there is so much more to do. The game manages to recapture the old, sandbox style 3-D Platformer that we saw in Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and games like Banjo Kazooie. Odyssey manages to update and modernize the concept, and tweak it to near perfection. No doubt about it, Odyssey is a must own. With that to say, I hope you enjoy my review for this incredible game! Story: Story has never been a Mario game’s strong suit. Odyssey isn’t too different. The game opens-up with Mario fighting Bowser, a fight which Mario loses. Bowser then kidnaps princess Peach yet again, only this time he also captures Peach’s sentient hat, known as “Tiara,” and plans a wedding for him and Peach. Mario meets a sentient hat named Cappy. Cappy is able to take control of, and poses different creatures and objects (Mario meets the exorcist.) Mario and Cappy use an air-ship called the “Odyssey” in order to trot the globe in a quest to sabotage Bowser and Peach’s sinister wedding. The story is very bare-bones, but it gets the ball rolling; once the ball rolls, it doesn’t stop. Presentation: Super Mario Odyssey is truly a feast for the eyes. Every kingdom you go to is a wonder to look at, from the cascade kingdom with its prehistoric look, to the Hispanic style sand kingdom with its “Day of the Dead,” themed aesthetic, to the snow kingdom, the wooded kingdom and it’s sentient gardening tools, the luncheon kingdom (yumm,) and especially the New York inspired Metro Kingdom. Each kingdom that Mario visits looks incredible, and has a unique visual style. The texture and lighting design are also extremely impressive, the frame-rate is very solid. The music is outstanding. There is great variety in musical styles, and the game features many instrumental themes. You’ll hear very ambient sound effects in one stage, songs befitting of a beach in other stages, and even a folk-style song in the wooded kingdom. One kingdom has a Japanese palace inspired musical score; the music can get quite epic towards the last few kingdoms in the game, similar to the Super Mario Galaxy games. The game even features songs with actual singing, such as the surprisingly catchy “Jump Up Super star,” which you hear during a celebration in “New Donk City.” The sound effects also perfectly blended with the controls, and the gameplay. The menu is also very slick, and the Switch functionality allows you to pause the game and jump right back into it at any time. Presentation wise, this game is a winner through and through. Gameplay: Controls for Super Mario Odyssey are fantastic, and very intuitive. The controls for Mario are similar too how they have been in previous 3-D Mario adventures. Simply running around as Mario, and jumping is so much fun. My favorite new mechanic is the ability for Mario to roll like a ball, which is especially fun in the sandy and hilly areas. While some have had issues with them, I have found the joy-con motion controls to be precise and very fun. The camera in this game is much better than in previous titles, but it still has its occasional issues in certain areas. These issues are few and far between, however. The controls are all in all very responsive and as fun as ever. Compared to recent Mario games, Odyssey has a much more open-ended, sand-box design to it. As was mentioned earlier, you travel to different kingdoms such as the Cascade, Sand, Forest, Snow, Metro, Beach, Forest, and other kingdoms in order to chase down Bowser and his new lackeys, the “Broodal Bruddas, (bunny like creatures.”) Each kingdom has its own residents, and even interesting world-building aspects that flesh them out. For example, the luncheon kingdom has living utensils, while the snow kingdom has polar bears. The sea-side kingdom has snails, while the Metro Kingdom has actual people. These unique aspects make every kingdom exciting and interesting in its own way. The main gameplay itself consists of exploring these kingdoms, and searching for Power Moons (think the stars in Mario 64/Galaxy, or the jiggies in Banjo Kazooie,) in order to power up the Odyssey ship and travel to the next kingdom. You acquire said moons by exploring every nook and cranny in the kingdom, solving little puzzles, fighting bosses, doing menial tasks, participating in minigames, and more. Some of the power moons are scripted, particularly early on, but most of them are not. For a game with such an open-ended nature, there is tons of variety to the gameplay. You might be controlling a T-Rex one moment, riding a golden lion another moment, balancing on a giant corn-cob, or even riding a motorcycle through the streets of New Donk City. The variety is stunning, and keeps the gameplay from getting boring. The real gameplay hook for this Mario adventure is the ability to use Mario’s hat to control, and possess different objects, creatures, and even some people. It may seem a little weird and creepy at first, but the execution is ingenious, in a way only Nintendo can pull off. You can literally take control of several Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros, Fire Balls, Tanks, Frogs, and even a T-rex. You can even take control of certain inanimate objects, and even some of the humans in New Donk City. This switches up the Gameplay almost infinitely, but in a way that always feels very organic, introducing so many unique and clever moments that never cease to be fun. Just goofing off and experimenting with this mechanic is half the fun in and of itself. The boss fights, many of which incorporate the possession mechanic, are all very fun and well designed. The end-game fight in particular is a high point among the impressive array of boss fights that the game has to offer. One of the most surprising boss fights you will encounter is a dragon that looks like it’s straight out of Game of Thrones. While a few of the bosses are challenging, many of the fights feel rather easy, and are a breeze to defeat. Some of this is due to the fact that there is no longer a “game over,” as you simply loose coins when you die. The boss fights are still tons of fun all around. Speaking of coins, you can use them to purchase different outfits, power stars, and other goodies. Some of these outfits have some actual gameplay use, but many of them feel like window dressing, though it helps spruce up your ship none-the-less. What is so incredible about this game is that after the credits, you feel like you have only just begun. The replay value for this Mario game is absurdly high, and the possibilities open-up a ton after you finish the story, which should take you around fifteen hours in and of itself. The gameplay is also perfectly suited for being able to play in small doses if you have a job and a busy schedule (as I do,) but you can also play to your heart's content when you wish to, on the weekends in my case. The Gameplay really is about as close to perfect as you could hope for a 3-D Platformer to be! Verdict: Super Mario Odyssey is a celebration of more than thirty years of Super Mario. The game encapsulates what Mario has always been about: Pure fun. More than that, though, the game innovates and surprises long after you “beat” it. I certainly see myself playing this game for several more weeks to come. This game is the number one reason to purchase a Nintendo Switch if you have not done so already (They’re still hard to find.) This game truly is the best 3-D Platformer I have played in years, even giving Galaxy 2 a run for its money; it is one of the very best games that our favorite Italian plumber has ever been in. So go out, buy this game, and participate in an incredible, one-of-a-kind, globe-trotting “Odyssey.” Cons: Easy initial difficulty Occasional camera issues Sub-par plot Pros: Beautiful visuals and design Amazing music Great sound effects Tight and responsive controls Wonderful Sand-Box style Mario Gameplay Incredible and ingenious level design and scenarios Quirky and fun characters Tons of variety Unbelievably high replay-value One of the best Mario games ever made Overall: 10/10 Peace, Dana

Good game, not perfect. What I like: I really enjoy finding all of the fun little easter eggs scattered everywhere and anywhere throughout the vast array of kingdoms Mario can explore. The new mechanic of Mario throwing his cap and capturing enemies to gain their powers is a nice little addition to Mario. I am a big fan of Kirby, and it doesn't seem like we're going to get an open world Kirby game for Switch, at least not soon. So this is kind of a nice compromise. Mario with a just a hint of Kirby. Turning into a T-Rex is just as fun as the trailers made it look. Although there isn't as much to be seen from your old favorites like the Shy Guys, Koopas, etc. I really enjoy some of the new NPC's. I especially like the skeleton heads (Dia de Los Muertos) type characters in Toastarena and the Robots of the Wooded Kingdom. Some of the great iconic moments of this game include these NPCs, like finding yourself in a secret room rocking out on your guitar with them. The two player is really interesting. At first glance, having one player control Mario, and the other control Cappy seems like you'd have some much watered down gameplay, but that isn't necessarily the case. Cappy is able to move around freely as your player 2 and can jump and explore and even ground pound like Mario. To be honest, if anything, Mario feels a little crippled in the 2 player without being able to freely use Cappy. However, this is made up for somewhat by the fact that some new jumping possibilities exist when you play cooperatively with your player 2 controlling Cappy. It emphasizes that Cappy is a living being and an integral part of the story, but I still miss Luigi... I mean as a little brother it was demoralizing to have to play as Luigi...now little bros get to be a hat... What I dislike: Earlier, I applauded the plethora of Easter Eggs. They are a blessing and a curse. They are very different games, but Odyssey will continue to inevitably draw comparisons to Breath of the Wild. While the Easter Eggs in Breath of the Wild made the journey that much more exciting and full-bodied, the Easter Eggs in Odyssey seem like they ARE mostly the objective. The story line is fairly weak so far, so the game makers had to compensate for that by adding a seemingly endless number of collectibles. Every stage is formulaic. Bowser took whatever random wedding thing, you have to get it back...blah blah. Aside from that, the power moons feel really inconsistent. You sometimes get them for just ground pounding a sand dune, but sometimes you have to spend a half hour and a dozen deaths swearing at your TV in order to obtain these glittery lunar prizes. The motion controls are really annoying. I know lots of people have said it, but it needs to be mentioned. The game is mostly playable without getting too crazy with your motion controls, but more than a few times, I've found myself losing HP or even dying because I couldn't get Cappy to do what I wanted. There are very few ways in which they enhance gameplay, like shaking the controller upside down to climb faster...but that really just feels unnecessary. There are a lot of people who swear by the motion controls on other games like Splatoon 2, and I accept that. Just offer gameplay that is equally as robust without them. There are puzzles and secret areas that are essentially impossible without motion controls so the game's statement that motion controls aren't necessary is false. Another gripe that I have is that there is an endless amount of new costumes and combinations to play with, but they are essentially just skins. All costumes do the same thing and do not affect game play in any way that I've seen so far. That's somewhat disappointing, and I think it's a missed opportunity to add some more depth to the gameplay. Overall, I think the game is really solid, but not perfect. It has some of the innovative gameplay of Mario 64, some of the charm of Paper Mario, and a bit of a twist in the mechanics like Sunshine, but honestly, it doesn't do any of those things quite as well which is why I gave it 4 stars. Anybody rating the game lower than a 3 is probably a troll. Despite its shortcomings, it's still a really great solid game that will give you lots of hours of exciting gameplay. Edit: having completed the game (current moon total 505), I can say this game is really a triumph for Mario. Nothing has changed from what I wrote above but some of the post game and final worlds really sold me. The game gets beautifully nostalgic at the end. You won't regret buying it.

What a beautiful gem this is. I should note for the sake of this review I'm 100 moons in and have not finished the game, I will update this review if something changes my mind. It is easy to come up with cons for the game, because nothing is perfect and some of the old Mario problems are present here. The story is predictably stupid. Peach is kidnapped by a frankly rapey giant turtle again. This is the same as it ever was. This time, a living hat named Tiara is kidnapped to serve as Peach's...tiara...in her rapey wedding. There are psychotic wedding planners that are stripping something from each world for the wedding. Flowers, dresses, etc. The controls are spot on and as responsive as ever. The only downside are the somewhat optional motion controls. They work well to do advanced moves like a homing cap or spin move. Sadly in handheld mode there are no separate button pushed to make these happen. That is an oversight. There are certain moments you actually need the motion controls, especially when triggering a spin move or a motion controlled high jump. Shaking the whole unit or pulling out the joycons for a quick moment is frankly a pain. But enough negative, this is a five star review after all. The best thing I can say is that it is Mario perfected and refined. Each little platform challenge is joyous and always falls short of frustrating. Using Cappy to control enemies is a brilliant move by Nintendo, essentially allowing for 50 outfits instead of just a couple. We've come a long way since fire flowers. It is also dense in a way that Zelda was. The Power Moons are nearly as numerous as Korok seeds in Zelda. But the process of getting them is much more fun. Some are as simple as ground pounding a glowing spot on the ground. Others may find you herding sheep, beating a boss or playing a level inspired by 8 bit mario and the gravity switching of the Galaxy games. Every turn is something new and enjoyable to experience. If by chance you find something you don't love? You'll be on to something new in a minute. It is this relentless pace of newness that makes this game so wonderful. It is all Mario, but it is forever opening new paths. It is also open world in a way we've never seen before in a Mario game. There are a few required missions, but the majority of your time is spent scouring for Moons to power your ship to the next world. It is a Mario game that feels both comfortably familiar and completely new. In short, this is a staggering masterclass in game design and proof that Nintendo has decided after many years to stop refining their classics and begin to redefine them. And wow, is it ever working.