Super Mario Odyssey Review: An Open-World Wonder on Nintendo Switch

Hello, Switch players! I'm your old friend, a seasoned gamer and critic with ten years of experience in the gaming world. Today, I'll be taking you on an in-depth exploration of a must-play masterpiece on the Nintendo Switch – Super Mario Odyssey. Since its release, this game has received unanimous praise from players and the media alike. Its innovative gameplay, stunning visuals, and captivating music make it a truly unforgettable experience. Let's delve into what makes it so appealing and how it might be enhanced on the future Nintendo Switch 2.

1. Super Mario Odyssey Introduction: An Adventure Full of Surprises

Super Mario Odyssey is a platform jumping game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, released in 2017. The story follows Mario as he embarks on a globe-trotting adventure with his new partner, Cappy, to stop Bowser from marrying Princess Peach. The core mechanic of the game is Mario's ability to use Cappy to possess various creatures and objects, gaining their abilities to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. This brand-new "possession" gameplay brings unprecedented possibilities to the Mario series, allowing players to experience endless fun in the game.

2. Super Mario Odyssey Gameplay Review: Freedom of Exploration and Infinite Possibilities

The biggest highlights of Super Mario Odyssey are its open-ended level design and innovative "possession" gameplay.

2.1 Open-Ended Level Design

Unlike the linear levels of previous Mario games, each kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey boasts a vast map and rich exploration elements. Players can freely run, jump, and climb within the kingdom, searching for hidden moons and collectibles. This open-ended design allows players to explore the world according to their own preferences and discover surprises, greatly enhancing the game's replayability and immersion. For example, in the Metro Kingdom, players can experience the atmosphere of a modern city, traversing between skyscrapers, and even ride taxis or control remote-controlled cars. In the Wooded Kingdom, players can immerse themselves in a lush forest, utilizing the characteristics of plants to solve puzzles.

2.2 Innovative "Possession" Gameplay

"Possession" is the core mechanic of Super Mario Odyssey and the biggest difference between it and other Mario games. Mario can use Cappy to possess various creatures and objects, gaining their abilities. For example, possessing a Goomba allows you to stack into a taller Goomba tower, possessing a T-Rex allows you to destroy any obstacles, and possessing a rocket allows you to fly at high speed. This "possession" gameplay greatly enriches the game and allows players to use different abilities to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. There are dozens of creatures and objects that can be possessed in the game, each with unique abilities and uses.

2.3 Comparison with Similar Games

Compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is also an open-world game, Super Mario Odyssey focuses more on platform jumping and puzzle elements, while Breath of the Wild focuses more on exploration and combat. Super Mario Odyssey's level design is more ingenious and the puzzle design is more clever, while Breath of the Wild's world is vaster and offers more freedom of exploration. Both games are masterpieces on the Nintendo Switch, each with its own strengths.

3. Super Mario Odyssey Graphics and Sound Review: An Audio-Visual Feast

3.1 Visual Presentation

Super Mario Odyssey's graphics are very beautiful, with vibrant colors and rich details. Each kingdom in the game has a unique scene and style, such as the modern city of the Metro Kingdom, the lush forest of the Wooded Kingdom, and the scorching desert of the Sand Kingdom. The game's visual presentation fully showcases the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, presenting stunning visual effects even in handheld mode.

3.2 Sound Performance

Super Mario Odyssey's sound is also outstanding, with upbeat and cheerful background music and realistic sound effects. Each kingdom in the game has unique background music, such as the jazz in the Metro Kingdom, the forest music in the Wooded Kingdom, and the Arabic music in the Sand Kingdom. The game's sound performance greatly enhances the game's atmosphere and immersion. It is especially worth mentioning that the game's theme song, "Jump Up, Super Star!" is a very catchy song that is loved by players.

4. Super Mario Odyssey Story and Control Feel Review: Simple to Pick Up, Endless Fun

4.1 Story

Super Mario Odyssey's story is relatively simple, telling the tale of Mario embarking on a world-circling adventure with his new companion, Cappy, to prevent Bowser from marrying Princess Peach. Although the story is simple, the game is interspersed with many interesting dialogues and plot snippets, allowing players to feel the fun in the game.

4.2 Control Feel

Super Mario Odyssey's controls are very smooth, and Mario's movements are flexible and free. The game supports multiple control methods, and players can choose to use Joy-Con controllers or Pro controllers to play the game. The "possession" operation in the game is also very simple and easy to learn. Players only need to press the Y button to possess nearby creatures or objects. The game's excellent control feel allows players to easily play the game.

5. Super Mario Odyssey Pros and Cons Analysis

5.1 Pros

• Innovative "possession" gameplay
• Open-ended level design
• Beautiful graphics and catchy music
• Smooth controls
• Rich content and replayability

5.2 Cons

• Relatively simple story
• Some levels are too easy

6. Super Mario Odyssey Score and Authoritative Reviews

Super Mario Odyssey has received unanimous praise from the media and players. On Metacritic, the game has a score of 97 (Metacritic Super Mario Odyssey), and IGN gave it a perfect score of 10 (IGN Super Mario Odyssey Review).

My Score: 9.8/10

Super Mario Odyssey is a near-perfect game with innovative gameplay, stunning visuals, catchy music, and smooth controls. The "possession" gameplay in the game brings unprecedented possibilities to the Mario series, allowing players to experience endless fun in the game. Although the story is relatively simple, this does not prevent it from becoming a great game. Highly recommended to all Nintendo Switch players!

7. Super Mario Odyssey Walkthrough and Tips Sharing

7.1 Beginner's Guide

• Familiarize yourself with Mario's basic operations: jumping, running, climbing, swimming, etc.
• Learn to use Cappy: throwing Cappy, hat jump, hat dive, etc.
• Explore the kingdom: find hidden moons and collectibles.
• Try different "possession" abilities: use different abilities to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.
• Talk to NPCs often: get quests and hints.

7.2 Advanced Skills and Strategies

• Use hat jumps for difficult jumps.
• Use hat dives for fast movement.
• Use "possession" abilities to solve puzzles.
• Learn to use the terrain: for example, use walls to jump.
• Make good use of the map: mark important locations and collectibles.

7.3 Level Walkthrough

Due to the large number of game levels, it is impossible to list them all. It is recommended that players search for relevant walkthrough videos or articles when encountering difficulties.

7.4 Best Equipment, Skill Combinations, etc.

There is no equipment system in the game, but players can change Mario's appearance by collecting clothing. Different clothing does not have any attribute bonuses, it only serves as decoration.

8. Super Mario Odyssey's Outlook on the Nintendo Switch 2

With the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2, we are also full of expectations for the performance of Super Mario Odyssey on the new console. The nintendo switch2 first look has already excited many players.

8.1 Graphics Upgrade

The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to have more powerful performance, which means that Super Mario Odyssey can present more beautiful graphics on the new console. Higher resolution, smoother frame rates, and richer details will all enhance the gaming experience.

8.2 Added Content

Nintendo may add new kingdoms, new "possession" abilities, new costumes, etc. to the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Super Mario Odyssey. These new additions will further enrich the game's replayability and allow veteran players to experience new fun.

8.3 Backward Compatibility

Considering nintendo switch2 compatibility, the Nintendo Switch 2 is very likely to support backward compatibility, which means that players can directly play Super Mario Odyssey on the new console without having to buy it again. This is good news for veteran players.

8.4 Price Prediction

Although the nintendo switch2 price has not been officially announced, considering the hardware upgrade, the price of the new console may be slightly higher than the Nintendo Switch.

9. Conclusion: A Must-Play Masterpiece on the Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Odyssey is a must-play masterpiece on the Nintendo Switch. It has innovative gameplay, beautiful graphics, catchy music, and smooth controls. The "possession" gameplay in the game brings unprecedented possibilities to the Mario series, allowing players to experience endless fun in the game. Even if you have already played this game, it is highly recommended that you experience it again on the Nintendo Switch 2. I believe you will have new discoveries and fun. Looking forward to Super Mario Odyssey returning in a more stunning posture after the release of the Nintendo Switch 2!

I hope my review has been helpful to you. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a message in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them. Thank you for reading!