I. LOVE. Super. Mario. Odyssey. No, scratch that. I FREAKING LOVE SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY!!! Seriously, when I'm not playing this game, I'm thinking about playing it. When I am playing it, I feel like a starry eyed child, dreading when I have to turn my Switch off and do other things. Boring things. I already gushed over Super Mario Odyssey last week, but more gush is still in my system and it needs to be expelled. Those of you that are already shoulders deep in Super Mario Odyssey probably already know what I'll be talking about below but feel free to stick around if you like. Those of you that have not played Super Mario Odyssey for some strange, incomprehensible reason, read on, as I have seven reasons detailing why Super Mario Odyssey is a game you cannot miss. Be warned, there are some spoilers.
01. You Get to Travel the World
Or a Mario equivalent, at least. Most plots that involve stopping a wedding rarely, if ever involve a globetrotting chase. Mario's journey to stop Bowser from making Peach take on the Koopa name leads him to the prehistoric Cascade Kingdom. The Metro Kingdom is home to New Donk City, one of the most lively cities in any video game. You can bounce of taxis, hang from street lights, jump rope (seriously, how do some of you have over 6000 on that mini game?) or ride around town on a scooter. If you prefer the ocean side, the Seaside Kingdom can't be beat it. Yeah, it's a water level, but it's a water level that doesn't suck.
02. Mario's Crazy-Good Jumping
Mario's original name was Jumpman, so of course he's pretty much the king when it comes to pulling of a technique that is essential in platformers. Long jump, double jump, triple jump, wall jump; all of Mario's moves from Super Mario 64 are at your finger tips. The introduction of Cappy, Mario's travel companion, further enhances Mario's already stellar jumping prowess. Cappy can be thrown and used as a platform to clear wide gaps. However, you can do so much more the the little sentient cap. In the hands of a skilled player, Cappy can be used to greatly cut down the time it would take to reach higher, farther platforms and is sure to make speed runners swoon.
03. The Capture Mechanic
Most call it possession (let's be real, that's what it is) but since Nintendo isn't too fond of that term, I'll call it capturing. Along with being a platformer's best friend, Cappy possess (heh) the unique ability to take control of just about any enemy he's thrown at. Capturing an enemy also grants you access to their skill set. Wanna become one of the biggest headaches in gaming since 1985? Capture a Hammer Bro. You can even capture a freaking T-rex and shut down the barks of a Chain Chomp like the glares from the boss and his yesmen at a business meeting kill any and all sound ideas.
04. Mario's Many Costumes
In Mario games of the past, if we wanted to see our hero sport something other than his usual overalls, it would be in a spin off title, or he would have to get a power-up. Super Mario Odyssey lets Mario wear a ton, and I mean a ton of different clothing. Mario can dress up like a dapper fellow from the Cap Kingdom with a black, classy suit and a top hat, or he can rock the look of chef. These costumes aren't free, so grab as many coins as you can. In every kingdom, you can hit the Crazy Cap store and outfit Mario in some sweet new wear. Even Mario's white wedding tux can be unlocked without the use of amiibo, a practice, I'd love for Nintendo to implement in more of their games. Be sure to collect the currency of whatever Kingdom you're in so you can nab kingdom specific costumes. By far one of the best things you can put on Mario are the boxer shorts. These babies aren't cheap as they will set you back 1000 coins. The cost for seeing Mario's nipples? Priceless.
05. Snapshot Mode
What good is traveling around the world if you don't take any photos of the places you've been to? Super Mario Odyssey's Snapshot Mode not only lets you take photos, but you can use all sorts of different filters as well as adjust the camera angle to a varying degrees. You can even post your photos on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The text options gives this game some great meme material. Photos can also be used as wallpapers for your phone. Truly, Snapshot Mode is the gift that keeps on giving.
06. Post-Game Content
You know that sad feeling when you beat an absolutely amazing game? Well kiss it goodbye because after you trounce Bowser for the millionth time, your adventure is far from over. There are more kingdoms to explore, more moons to collect and more outfits to have Mario run and jump in. Even kingdoms that you've already visited will get more Power Moons to find. If you fund things to be too easy, some of the post-game moons will really challenge you. Toadette even has a host of achievements for you to check off.
07. The Wonderful Music
When you are happily humming or whistling the music from a game, that is always a good thing. Super Mario Odyssey is filled with so many great tunes, from the booming orchestral piece that is Fossil Falls, the finger snapping, toe tapping Steam Gardens, to the jazzy New Donk City, the music in Odyssey is among the best in the Super Mario series. There are even chiptune versions of each kingdom theme. No doubt you're bouncing around one kingdom, wishing you could hear the music from another. Or you long to hear a music track that only played during a certain section in the game. Well, worry not your explorer little head. Upon beat the game, you unlock the Music List. This lets you listen to any song from any area of the game you've been to at any time. You can have the 8-bit version of Fossil Falls playing as you roam the Mushroom Kingdom or the second night version of New Donk City play as you jump all around the Big Banana. For a game music lover like me, this is one of the best post-game things ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment