Switch Game Review: Super Mario Odyssey

 For all the issues 3D Mario games have dealt with in their history (Super Mario 64's camera that never got fixed even in the 3D All-Stars version, and especially Super Mario Sunshine as a whole) Super Mario Odyssey is a 3D Mario game done very, very well. A game that was nominated for a ton of awards among game award shows, winning eight of them in 2017 and 2018, focuses on our favorite plumber in red overalls who has to save Princess Peach. You may be thinking "Okay but that's Mario's seeming whole story" but this game is a great twist of a lot of things.  What do I think this game does well? Let's find out what the hype surrounds this award winning game.

Positives:

1. Graphics- I don't really need to go on with this do I? It's a Nintendo based game, they were bound to have amazing graphics.

2. Music- Okay I wasn't expecting to have song lyrics in a Mario game, but then when you have two in a game, that's incredible. The fact they are absolute bangers is the cherry on top of the whip cream. The two songs I am referring to can be looked up on YouTube, as I am going to not spoil them.

3. Cappy- He is absolutely splendid in the game. I felt the way Nintendo did his character to help Mario was nothing short of brilliant because Cappy fills so many roles and all of them are expertly done. The way Cappy helps Mario through the game is something you want out of an extra character or one that is to play a pivotal role. 

4. World layouts- All of them are brilliantly executed and done. From a city, to a desert, forest and even the end level, there is just something to the layouts of these worlds but also the execution you need to make them work overall.  Some are easy, some are challenging but that is all part of what makes this game truly, truly great. 

5. Game mechanics- Everything serves a role here. You can't just rely on Cappy for everything. You have to do things yourself. If you can execute what you are supposed to do, then the game will reward you.  If you do not do something right, the game will punish you.  It's a fair difficulty and that's what you want out of your video games.

Negatives:

1. Difficulty of the last boss- I actually felt the last boss was far easier than the bosses before this and that's kind of a let down. It won't be hard to figure out who the last boss is but it's one that I felt a bit of it being lackluster.  It's probably the only major flaw to this game because a lot of the other boss fights are brilliantly done and executed so well.

Reaction/Rating:

Super Mario Odyssey is a 3D Mario game that is done insanely well. I applaud the job Nintendo did to get this game done with how detailed the graphics are, how great the mechanics are, how well the worlds are laid out for the player. Almost everything is terrific, and while the last boss is almost child's play, that doesn't mean you should scoff at the rest of the game.  The game is brilliant overall and deserving of the massive praise it gets to this day. Overall rating: 9.5 out of 10.