Mario Odyssey

[gkarris]

This game is blowing away all reviews.. looking like the switch might be the hot item this holiday season!
(This could be a generational console potential, my first console was original Nintendo on Christmas.. such vivid memories)

When I was working electronics retail, people that were in line launch day were PC gamers, and people upgrading from a Wii (they skipped the Wii U). Now, many already have a PS4 or Xbox One, and why upgrade to "mid gen" when the next gen is about 2 years off?

The Switch will be a hot seller this holiday season. I hear that there will be constrains as Nintendo is going to try to increase supply in there own home territory...

 

[iLunar]

This game is blowing away all reviews.. looking like the switch might be the hot item this holiday season!
(This could be a generational console potential, my first console was original Nintendo on Christmas.. such vivid memories)

Agreed. I bought one for my niece and nephew's upcoming birthdays. Everytime I visit them, they always ask to play Switch with me, so it has the potential to be a cross-generational system. Hope they enjoy it as much as I am.

 

[jeremyisweary]

I love this game. It's 2 am, and I'm still up playing.

 

[0098386]

This game is perfect.

 

[Taustin Powers]

Wow, this does look fantastic. Did the WiiU even have a good modern Mario title?

I really didn't want to buy a Switch, but this makes me wonder.

 

[gkarris]

Wow, this does look fantastic. Did the WiiU even have a good modern Mario title?

I really didn't want to buy a Switch, but this makes me wonder.

Super Mario 3D World

 

[0098386]

One thing I’ve noticed is all the nods to the Mario Land series. The UFO shape of one of the bosses hats is from Mario Land 2’s background. The star pieces are very much like the Moon Zone art on Mario Land 2. And aren’t the lion statues and Easter Island Heads from Mario Land 1 too?

Wow, this does look fantastic. Did the WiiU even have a good modern Mario title?

I really didn't want to buy a Switch, but this makes me wonder.

Mario Maker is way more fun than it should be. New Mario U too, and the Luigi DLC one was incredibly difficult. 3D World is up there with the best for most people but I preferred 3D Land.

 

[iosuser]

One thing I’ve noticed is all the nods to the Mario Land series. The UFO shape of one of the bosses hats is from Mario Land 2’s background. The star pieces are very much like the Moon Zone art on Mario Land 2. And aren’t the lion statues and Easter Island Heads from Mario Land 1 too?


Mario Maker is way more fun than it should be. New Mario U too, and the Luigi DLC one was incredibly difficult. 3D World is up there with the best for most people but I preferred 3D Land.

I bought the Luigi DLC on day one. Loved Mario U but hated Luigi, because I hate the 99 seconds timer. I need to explore every nook and cranny in this type of game, with the 99s limit you just can't do that, or I'm not skillful enough to do it. I'd like to think I'm at least a bit above average as I was able to beat donkey Kong tropical freeze 200%..

3D Land on the 3DS was great. I had to finish it twice because I didn't get all 3 stars on the file because I inadvertently used the assist box once as I didn't know what it was lol.

3D World on the Wii U was surprisingly long with its 100 levels. I bought it on day one and didn't even finish it until recently. I thought it was way too easy most of the game, which was great as I was playing multi player with my kids, but towards the end it got satisfyingly difficult.

As to Mario Odyssey, it probably will take me quite a while to complete as I must explore every nook and cranny. This drives my kids nuts as I just can't move on from a level until I've collected everything, but I believe there will be some backtracking in Odyssey so perhaps that will get me to move on more quickly lol.

 

[KingslayerG5]

Saw a couple of reviews and it looks INCREDIBLE and FUN!

IGN gave it 10/10. I haven't really been a Nintendo fan for years since I'm more a PlayStation fanboy but it looks like I might pick up a Switch.

$300 - Switch
$120 - Zelda, Mario

Sounds way easier on the wallet. Starting to see Switches in stores more recently too when I never saw one available for the first seven months.

 

[scottcampbell]

My experience so far: Good game, and it is growing on me, but I doubt it will displace BotW or even Galaxy 1&2 for me. We'll see, because I hear the post-game content is great.

 

[JohnGrey]

I've watched a playthrough of the game and it looks quite good as a Mario platformer, but whomever was in charge of the art design ought to be bludgeoned. For the most part, it's incredible, a worthy evolution of style that solidified in Super Mario 3D World, but the inclusion of non-exaggerated design elements, i.e. a realistic-looking sauropod and the people in the Metro Kingdom, is so jarring, especially when it's played right alongside an absurdist nightmare like the Luncheon Kingdom. Really, about 25% of the game felt like they were stages ripped from other, non-stylised games just for the sake of convenience. There's no reason that they couldn't have homogenised the art style across the entire game.

 

[deckard666]

My experience so far: Good game, and it is growing on me, but I doubt it will displace BotW or even Galaxy 1&2 for me. We'll see, because I hear the post-game content is great.

Yep it is and ups the challenge X 10 !

 

[scottcampbell]

I've watched a playthrough of the game and it looks quite good as a Mario platformer, but whomever was in charge of the art design ought to be bludgeoned. For the most part, it's incredible, a worthy evolution of style that solidified in Super Mario 3D World, but the inclusion of non-exaggerated design elements, i.e. a realistic-looking sauropod and the people in the Metro Kingdom, is so jarring, especially when it's played right alongside an absurdist nightmare like the Luncheon Kingdom. Really, about 25% of the game felt like they were stages ripped from other, non-stylised games just for the sake of convenience. There's no reason that they couldn't have homogenised the art style across the entire game.

Fully agree, and I was just thinking the same thing before reading your post.

Super Smash Bros. does a wonderful job of taking characters and locations from a diverse set of graphic styles, then seamlessly blending them together in a cohesive visual experience.

The art style got completely lost in Odyssey. Even Pauline looks different than the other humans in New Donk City! She has a big, cartoony face while the others look realistic. Bleh.

 

[hawkeye_a]

I've watched a playthrough of the game and it looks quite good as a Mario platformer, but whomever was in charge of the art design ought to be bludgeoned. For the most part, it's incredible, a worthy evolution of style that solidified in Super Mario 3D World, but the inclusion of non-exaggerated design elements, i.e. a realistic-looking sauropod and the people in the Metro Kingdom, is so jarring, especially when it's played right alongside an absurdist nightmare like the Luncheon Kingdom. Really, about 25% of the game felt like they were stages ripped from other, non-stylised games just for the sake of convenience. There's no reason that they couldn't have homogenised the art style across the entire game.

Agreed. I remember thinking the same when we saw the first trailer; at the time I thought it was just unfinished work.

 

[JohnGrey]

Fully agree, and I was just thinking the same thing before reading your post.

Super Smash Bros. does a wonderful job of taking characters and locations from a diverse set of graphic styles, then seamlessly blending them together in a cohesive visual experience.

The art style got completely lost in Odyssey. Even Pauline looks different than the other humans in New Donk City! She has a big, cartoony face while the others look realistic. Bleh.

Agreed, I don't know why the citizens of the Metro Kingdom would elect someone that is demonstrably alien-looking. And that's a good point about Smash Bros. They really ought to have taken some cues there.
[doublepost=1509484026][/doublepost]

Agreed. I remember thinking the same when we saw the first trailer; at the time I thought it was just unfinished work.

That was my hope as well, but as soon as I saw Cascade Kingdom and there's the big T-Rex looking like a refugee from the Jurassic World game, I groaned audibly. And given the amount of rather delightful fan service in the game, it also really was a missed opportunity to poke fun at the awful Super Mario Bros. film by making the dinosaur look like a cartoonish version of the devolved King Koopa.

 

[scottcampbell]

Alright, can confirm that this game instantly gets better after you beat it!

 

[iosuser]

Alright, can confirm that this game instantly gets better after you beat it!

Really?! I'm stuck in sand kingdom, stuck as in trying to get the last 10 purple coins and 30 remaining power moons.

I've always played games this way, refuse to move on until I've collected everything on a level. Perhaps this game will change me

 

[scottcampbell]

Really?! I'm stuck in sand kingdom, stuck as in trying to get the last 10 purple coins and 30 remaining power moons.

I've always played games this way, refuse to move on until I've collected everything on a level. Perhaps this game will change me

Oh no! You're physically unable to get everything in any given world on your first play-through.

 

[hawkeye_a]

I'm not a fan of the whole "most of the game is after you finish the game" formula of Breath of the Wild and Odyssey.

 

[deckard666]

Umm I don't think that applied to BOTW at all...what occurred extra of the scale of odessey after completion ? Everything post ending in BOTW was there pre-ending...

 

[iosuser]

Oh no! You're physically unable to get everything in any given world on your first play-through.

I guess I’ll be forever stuck in sand kingdom then

Time to move on then. So close - 42/70 power moons and 90/100 coins.

 

[iosuser]

Any of you guys think the camera is zoomed too tight? I really wish I could zoom it out a bit manually for a wider view.

 

[hawkeye_a]

So I played Odyssey for awhile (still in the Sand Kingdom). I like it. It is challenging at times, but not frustrating.... and 'sneaky' with where they have hidden the moons.

Visually(technically) it looks great for the most part..... however, I can see the unreal engine between the seams (shading/lighting).I'll miss the custom tech/engines developed in-house(generally a 'softer' look), but overall i think it's a good thing for Nintendo to leverage middleware like this.

And as far as gameplay, apart from the whole possession mechanic, etc.. it reminded me of Mario galaxy generally speaking (which i liked a lot).

Must buy if you have a Switch, obviously.

 

[kevy2pale]

love this game, top 3 of the year with zelda and horizon zero dawn. I bought a switch 2 weeks ago and havent touched my ps4 since

 

[jeremyisweary]

I must've played a different game from you all. I think it's amazing. I can't smiling from the ending.

I actually really like its art style. I've used the photo mode soooo much because of it. I'm also obsessed with the UI.