Pure Platforming Magic: Super Mario Odyssey Review

Whenever Nintendo launches a mainline 3D Mario title, the bar for the platforming genre is inevitably reset. Super Mario Odyssey is not just a worthy successor to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine—it is an infectious, joyful showcase of game design that constantly delights and surprises from start to finish.

The Odyssey Begins: Cappy and Captures

The defining innovation of Odyssey is Cappy, a magical sentient cap that completely transforms Mario's traditional moveset:

• Cap Throws & Bounces: Toss Cappy as a boomerang projectile, use him as a temporary floating platform for extended triple-jumps and ground-pound dives, or sweep up coins.
• The Capture System: Flinging Cappy onto enemies and objects lets you directly pilot over 50 distinct entities: a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Cascade Kingdom, a Goomba stack walking on slippery ice, a Cheep Cheep swimming freely underwater, or even a literal spark of electricity riding telephone wires across New Donk City.

Figure: Mario soaring through the bustling skyscrapers of the Metro Kingdom.

A World Packed with Power Moons

Each sandbox Kingdom is packed with hundreds of collectible Power Moons. Unlike previous entries that kicked you back to a hub world after collecting a star, Odyssey keeps you continuously immersed in its worlds. Transitioning smoothly into retro 2D 8-bit platforming sections flattened against kingdom walls shows Nintendo's unrivaled reverence for its own heritage.

Official Trailer