You who had read our preview article before seemed to already understand what kind of attraction he has to offer. For an "old" franchise, Nintendo refuses to let it go unnoticed. Through the Odyssey, they mix a semi open-world concept that focuses on one thing - exploration. Mario is also now supported with a new capability - that is, it encompasses a variety of supporting objects and characters to not only simplify the journey but also complete the variety of puzzles available. This is a gaming experience that is quite unique for a game that already exists for so long. An old reject game.
So, what is actually offered by this Super Mario Odyssey? Why do we call it a magical experience? This review will discuss it more deeply for you.
Plot
What can you expect from a Mario story? It does not seem like much, because as you can predict, the plumber with this tantalizing mustache must again play its main role - rescuing the retreated Princess Peach and taken hostage by Bowser.
But no longer just being kidnapped, Bowser brings its level to the higher level. That he now intends to have a wedding with Peach in a location away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser does not either
playful, with already prepared from the decor, committee management, to the location of existing venues, complete with extra costumes for himself and Peach - the prospective bride. It's a bit tiring to see Peach again end up being a Damsel in Distress character, but a little relieved to see Mario never wanting to lose his beloved Queen of this one. Of course, the journey to save him begins.
But Peach is not the only one kidnapped by Bowser. The Queen's crown he wore - Tiara of course inevitably, must faithfully follow Peach. The spoken crown is also carried along and forced to live the "bad" destiny that is happening to Peach. Fortunately, do not stay silent, another life hat named Cappy - finally decided to save the lover from Bowser. He decided to collaborate with Mario and give him a new capability that is no longer merely centered on jumping and spinning. Using a new air balloon called the Odyssey, they chase the Bowser airplane.
So, what kind of challenges must be faced, of course, and Cappy? Can they save Peach and Tiara? Who will block your action? You must, of course, play Super Mario Odyssey to get answers to these questions.
Multiple Worlds, Various Challenges
Nintendo Switch is not the strongest console on the market today. But with all the limitations that he has, Nintendo is still able to consistently ensure that you will still be able to enjoy the existing presentation, from the visual side to the existing audio. A similar thing happened with Super Mario Odyssey. His "cartoon" style approach cannot be juxtaposed with realism in game releases on other platforms, but for a game that carries the name Mario in it, this is an approach that can no longer be more precise. Because in the end, Mario is always a problem an adventurous sensation that makes you feel like you're back in childhood. And this is also offered by Super Mario Odyssey.
In the process of saving Peach who keeps flying at high speed onboard Bowser's ship, you will inevitably be asked to drop in some of the worlds along the way. Of course to look for Moon - a small crescent-shaped item that is essential as fuel for the Odyssey - Mario and Chappy air balloons. So you find is a variety of Kingdoms outside the kingdom Mushroom Kingdom which has always been the center of the story for Mario itself. You will have an adventure in a wilderness that has experienced a cold phase for one reason, a futuristic city with humans in it, a place with lava flowing down, to a jungle with the life of a unique creature inside. Each of them will present a different atmosphere.
From the visual and technical side, Super Mario Odyssey still looks dazzling for a console with limited performance. They keep inserting small details that are enough to make your heart touched and laughed while keeping some other effects sufficient to make you quite amazed. Even to say, the details are things that make Super Mario Odyssey so easy to make you fall in love. From the fact that you can play with dogs in some worlds by throwing in existing hats, Mario will automatically sit if he is standing on a chair until the effects of the body are wet when the rain hit some of the worlds. Mario reacts actively to what is happening around him and produces details that deserve thumbs up. On it, you will meet a world design that feels so magical at the same time.
One presentation that is difficult to separate from modern Mario games and remain a phenomenal content in Super Mario Odyssey is the music that is injected into it. This latest Nintendo Switch game even has its own original OST - Jump Up, Super Star! which will make your body shake. Music familiar with this new composition will also you meet at some point in the game, including the original music that is now played by a band in the Metro Kingdom. The behind-the-scenes music will also make your experience even more exciting and enjoyable. There is a lot of joyful music ready to make your body sway while continuing to control Mario.
But again, the presentation is just one small part of the fantastic thing offered by Super Mario Odyssey. Because in the end, the main attraction lies in the gameplay innovation that he offers.
ADVENTURE!
One fantastic thing about Super Mario Odyssey is the fact that the main genre is not platforming. Okay, just like Mario games in general, you'll be going through many platforming processes to move to the next area, but when it comes to the genre - this is the same semi-open-world game as Mario series in the past like Mario 64 or Sunshine, focusing on encouraging you to do one thing - exploration. Without a clear clue, without a clear main mission, your primary mission is just one - filling the Odyssey with the months you can gather in every existing world and end up Bowser at the end, and of course, saving Peach. No more missions.
But the gameplay design will not be like most modern games that will instantly give you the obvious location of each Moon. The preoccupation of Super Mario Odyssey is finding and finding each of them. In the beginning, he is an essential resource to be able to move the story. But along with the progress that is, this search process becomes one of the main driving force to get you back and back, something we'll talk about later. Believe it or not, Super Mario Odyssey's core is as simple as this. And the formula works.
Why did it work? Because the existing search process is not like an open-world gaming concept with a low-side mission system, where you can hit an icon and get the exact coordinates to where you need to move. Every Moon is hidden neatly. There are always challenges to get it, from "just" the platforming process, solve the puzzle, beat the boss, until just find it hidden in corners that you do not know. Interesting again? This search process never ends boring.
This uninspiring feeling arises from two main reasons: our level design and the kind of challenge you need to solve to get it. For the first, as happened with Breath of the Wild, the design of every Super Mario Odyssey world level will always give at least one exciting new Moon to pursue. At a glance, through a little observation, you can always see a light in the ground, an unusual beast that shines, a high place that is too strange not to be explored, until clue is clear - Moon is plastered for you to pursue. The result is a gaming experience that never had a low point. Once you finish getting a Moon, then the next Moon will be waiting for you.
The variety of challenges that need to be solved to get each Moon is also fascinating. It comes with varying degrees of difficulty and complexity indeed. There is a Moon that you can get easily by just hitting a land with movement, there is a Moon that is stored in a glowing bird that only you need to touch with a little action motion, there is a Moon that requires you to compete with AI like a race, until Moon just ask You skip the rope up to a certain amount to win. But on the other hand, there is Moon who needs you to beat the boss to do the platforming process that does not give a chance to fail. This variation makes each Moon feel new, refreshing, and challenging. Produce a sensation of gameplay that deserves two thumbs up. Especially at some point, the exploration process sometimes takes you back in the old 2D Mario format complete with music that turns into 8 bits anyway.
Cooler? Each world is also filled with two types of resources: a typical Gold Coin Mario and a purple other currency. Gold Coin plays the important role as the main currency here. It is also the foundation for a respawn system that is no longer based on the number of lives, but a mechanism similar to what Dark Souls does. That's right, you'll sacrifice a small amount of your Gold Coin to respawn to make it impossible to get into the Game Over screen considering how easy it is to get this one resource. While the purple resource is a super limited number used to shop a variety of items, clothing, to knick-knacks for Mario in Odyssey and can only be used in a world where he just basal. Clothes modification is one of the attractions of Super Mario Odyssey because of the opportunity to make Mario appear more cute and adorable. Not only that, some missions with Moon prizes also usually require you to wear certain clothes to be taken.
Then you find is a world design that is even denser "content" than the previous one. That no longer just ensures you always have at least one Moon chased after you successfully complete a challenge, you are now also dealing with Gold Coins and Purple Coins scattered in the corners you visit. Given this resource, especially for Purple Coins often ends with the opportunity to get unique and interesting costumes for Mario, your brain will automatically instantly position it as an important resource to pursue, even as important as Moon. This never-boring world is getting boring with more activities you can do, all with an observation.
By focusing on the experience of sensations such as adventure, Nintendo managed to mix a fantastic world concept. There are no clear guidelines, no indicator to where to go, but make sure anything you do will culminate with a separate reward, from Purple Coins to Moon. It encourages you to keep moving your feet and dare to move to many areas that even, it is impossible to visit.
Entering
The fantastic world design with this exploration dot is also reinforced with a new mechanic that seems difficult to not talk about. True, since its introduction a few months before its release, Nintendo finally credited Cappy's ability to be able to penetrate and keep you in control of various objects, enemies, and NPCs. Everything is designed to help your adventure. Looks interesting in the trailer, this implementation is even more fantastic again in the final result.
Slowly but surely, your brain will adjust to this new mechanic. That there is always the challenge of applying Moon or Purple Coins that will be easier or even, can only be achieved if you think of what object, enemy, or NPC you should enter by using Cappy's hat. The process itself is simple. You just have to throw this hat to the enemy you want to master. The design of his own enemy is enough to give clear clue about what you can / cannot enter. If the enemy has a hairstyle / sharp head shape, then he is usually the enemy that you have to completely eliminate outside the boss. If the enemy has their own helmet/cap/head cover, then you should attack them at least once before you can master them in total. While all enemies / NPCs that do not have a head cover, usually end up you can enter.
The fantastic world design with this exploration dot is also reinforced with a new mechanic that seems difficult to not talk about. True, since its introduction a few months before its release, Nintendo finally credited Cappy's ability to be able to penetrate and keep you in control of various objects, enemies, and NPCs. Everything is designed to help your adventure. Looks interesting in the trailer, this implementation is even more fantastic again in the final result.
Slowly but surely, your brain will adjust to this new mechanic. That there is always the challenge of applying Moon or Purple Coins that will be easier or even, can only be achieved if you think of what object, enemy, or NPC you should enter by using Cappy's hat. The process itself is simple. You just have to throw this hat to the enemy you want to master. The design of his own enemy is enough to give clear clue about what you can / cannot enter. If the enemy has a hairstyle / sharp head shape, then he is usually the enemy that you should get rid of totally outside the boss. If the enemy has their own helmet/ cap/head cover, then you should attack them at least once before you can master them in total. While all enemies / NPCs that do not have a head cover, usually end up you can enter.
It remains to be admitted, however, that the merging system using this Cappy hat has certain limitations. He does look cute and funny because each of them will instantly show Mario's physical form on their body with a thick mustache for example, but clearly, this system is linearly counted. Nintendo will not automatically, for example, throw all types of objects/enemies / NPCs that you can master just like that at a single point game and let you experiment roughly what you can do with it to reach for the Moon there. Once you find a new enemy species that can be penetrated or simply rediscover a specific variant in one place, your brain will automatically conclude that there is indeed a puzzle / Moon to be achieved with it. There is no experiment process here.
But beyond these shortcomings, Cappy's ability is indeed to produce a Super Mario sensation that managed to keep refreshing regardless of age that is so old as a franchise.
Post-Story
How much time can you spend with Super Mario Odyssey? That may be your question. To simply complete the existing story, the process that needs to be taken not so long, following the groove of adventure games in general. But interestingly, completing the story by simply saving Peach from Bowser just is not the end of everything. For Super Mario Odyssey, Peach rescue is indeed ending the main line of the story to be carried but far from existing gameplay. You can even call it the beginning of new and extra challenges.
Remember, believe it or not, Nintendo provides about 800 pieces of Moon scattered around the world that you can visit in Super Mario Odyssey. They decided not to let you straightaway just collect it. As a replacement? They separate it into two large separate categories: Pre-Story and Post-Story (at least according to the terms we use). Pre-Story refers to all the Moon you can get before you finish the existing story, while Post-Story happens after you finish the available story. For the post-story, you will be faced with new challenges that will require you to experience the true sensation of the Super Mario Odyssey adventure. More new moons, challenges with higher difficulty levels, up to a whole new crazy costume that you can "pursue".
With it, you can get extra tens to tens of hours of the game. In this Post-Game, you can do many new things. From trailing Peach's holiday with Tiara to destroying a metal box in every world to open dozens of new challenges with new Moon prizes. Interesting again? Many of these emerging challenges are never available before you complete an existing story. Instead of catching the super-fast rabbits, explore the new Moon-moon that appears in various places, defeating the new boss, into a new variant pipe inside which contains such a difficult platforming that you can end up grabbing your own hair because of the frustration that exists. For this last thing, we are not trying to hyperbole. Because these new platforming sessions will be present without a checkpoint system that requires you to succeed or start things back from scratch.
So, what's this new Post-Game goal? It turns out your final battle against Bowser in the last location is just a "shred" of mystery that you can uncover. You need more Moon to strengthen the Odyssey so he can visit new places that are of course dangerous. The point? Go back to the world you had previously explored and was as effective as possible looking for the newly emerging Moon-Moon. Cool? You can see that these words are different from the world you visited before. Some places now have new places to enter, with different character interactions, to variants of people who now seem to visit each other from one place to another in peaceful situations. Super cool!
So with additional content that even pushes your exploration process to the next level with this more difficult challenge, Super Mario Odyssey is ready to make sure your gameplay time lasts longer than you expect. In fact, with all the new clothes you can open and buy with as many Moon as you get, it's impossible not to be tempted to continue falling in love and getting caught up with this one game.
seem like much
