Nintendo’s new game for the Nintendo Switch, Mario Odyssey, is just in time for the gift giving season. Released Oct. 27, the game has sold more than 2 million copies already, according to Polygon.com
Mario Odyssey starts off like most Mario games, with Peach being kidnapped by Bowser. This time, Bowser is forcing Peach to marry him, and he’s running all over the world to gather various wedding materials. Mario plans to put a stop to this, of course, with the help of his newest companion: Cappy.
In the game, Mario has a new power thanks to Cappy, a sentient hat that is out for revenge after Bowser kidnapped his sister. Mario can possess creatures by throwing his hat at them, which allows him to gain special abilities unique to the creatures he’s possessing. He can also jump on Cappy in order to gain a boost, and throw the hat on various objects to solve puzzles.
Mario flies around the world chasing Bowser in his new ship, The Odyssey. It’s an airship that you can actually customize with stickers and souvenirs purchased from various kingdoms you visit. The Odyssey runs on power moons, which are found all throughout kingdoms when you complete puzzles.
One of my favorite parts of this game are the various kingdoms, each with their own themes. The Sand Kingdom, and the desert village Tostarena, is filled with colorful huts and ancient desert ruins. New Donk City, located in the Metro Kingdom, is basically a parody of New York City, complete with residents all wearing suits and fedoras. Every location has a fun twist to its design. I found that with each kingdom, gameplay would change based on the environment.
Every kingdom has a story going on, such as in Tostarena, where Bowser has stolen a powerful artifact that caused the whole desert to turn icy cold. Once you clean up his destruction, you are awarded power moons. However, these aren’t the only ways to earn them. There are also unique puzzles hidden throughout the kingdoms that you can solve in order to gain moons. Sometimes it is something as simple as putting a different outfit on Mario. Other times, you have to answer a riddle from a powerful sphinx. There are so many puzzles that even after playing it a second time, I’d find new ones.
Along with the game, Nintendo also released three new Amiibos. To go with the theme of the game, the new Amiibos are Peach, Mario, and Bowser all clad in wedding attire. Amiibos aren’t the only thing getting new outfits, however. When buying stickers and souvenirs for your airship, you can also buy new clothes which match the theme of the world you are visiting. There are over 30 unique outfits in the game, which can be unlocked in the shops but also by completing other tasks.
Mario Odyssey has won Best of Show, Best Console Game, and Best Action/Adventure Game from the Game Critics Best of E3 2017. I believe that these awards are all well deserved. Mario Odyssey is one of the most entertaining games to be released in 2017, and I honestly feel like it’s a breath of fresh air compared to other released. I bought a Nintendo Switch just to play this game, and to me, it was worth the price.
If you are interested in learning more about Mario Odyssey, check out Nintendo’s website here: http://bit.ly/2gEi955
HELEN JARDEN
hjarden@lc.edu