Super Mario Odyssey is nothing short of amazing. The beautiful visuals, robust gameplay mechanics, and classic 3D Mario vibe make it my favorite game demo from this year’s E3.
Heavily inspired by Super Mario 64, Odyssey threw me into New Donk City and said, “explore”. Whether it be using Cappy to interact with the world or triple jumping onto a rooftop, the game is a huge step forward for the Super Mario franchise.
The demo I played at E3 ran for 10 minutes. Although there was a mission involved, I neglected to take it on and instead explored the city. In it were NPCs jamming to Jazz music, a jump rope mini game, and vehicles to ride; yes, Mario can ride a motorcycle in this game. And yes, it’s incredible.
The graphics were great, especially for the franchise; 60 frames-per-second was a definite, with 1080P seemingly the resolution. However, I did see some chatter on Twitter that said the game was running at 720P. As the game comes out in late October, Nintendo still has time to polish the title’s weak points, where they may lie.
What surprised me about this game is its use of motion controls. The immediate reaction upon hearing those two controvertial words is negative, but Odyssey uses this scheme to its advantage. Rather than in the Wii days, when motion controls were forced, the Swich’s games give it to fans as an option. Mario’s cap can be thrown in different directions by waving the Joy-Con. Thankfully, it works like a charm.
Super Mario Odyssey is this holiday season’s gem, no doubt. If you’re still looking to pick up a Switch, this alone is reason to make the purchase (assuming you can find one on the market, of course). Nothing about the title’s demo build put me off, which leads me to believe that we might be looking at the best Mario game yet.
Are you looking forward to Super Mario Odyssey? Sound off in the comments below. The release date for this Switch exclusive title is October 27.
