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RTTP Super Mario Odyssey Is Now 5 Years Old! 🎉

(Returned to the party)
So I ended up spending a significant amount of the day playing more Odyssey. This game is so good. 199 Power Moons - technically 200, because I got one in the Luncheon Kingdom from the Sand Kingdom painting. And I'm still clearing out the Kingdoms all the way through before I move onto the next (though I would have to go back to Cloud). Still not burning out yet. "Too Many Moons" is absolutely not a problem for me still. I'm just experiencing the joy of exploring these platforming jungle gyms with fun movement and seeing the interesting kingdoms and locals I encounter.

Since I only played Odyssey on my original Switch, being able to play it on my OLED let's me compare this playthrough length with the games I've played on Switch over the last year. Right now, Odyssey has just passed Pac-Man World Re-Pac, which I played for around 7ish hours. I wonder where this will end up in the end - doubt I'll reach the 60+ hours of my first play unless I put serious time into Luigi's Balloon World. Maybe I'll reach 880 by the 40 hour mark? Or maybe the 50 hour mark if some of the endgame challenges become too tough? Guess we'll have to see.
 
Odyssey also stands out as a relative rarity in that it's a Switch games that targets high end (for the platform) graphics at 60fps.

Most 60fps games on Switch sacrifice visual bling to get there, but SMO manages to have it's cake and eat it too, and is still one of the prettiest games on Switch even 5 years later.

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So I ended up spending a significant amount of the day playing more Odyssey. This game is so good. 199 Power Moons - technically 200, because I got one in the Luncheon Kingdom from the Sand Kingdom painting. And I'm still clearing out the Kingdoms all the way through before I move onto the next (though I would have to go back to Cloud). Still not burning out yet. "Too Many Moons" is absolutely not a problem for me still. I'm just experiencing the joy of exploring these platforming jungle gyms with fun movement and seeing the interesting kingdoms and locals I encounter.

Since I only played Odyssey on my original Switch, being able to play it on my OLED let's me compare this playthrough length with the games I've played on Switch over the last year. Right now, Odyssey has just passed Pac-Man World Re-Pac, which I played for around 7ish hours. I wonder where this will end up in the end - doubt I'll reach the 60+ hours of my first play unless I put serious time into Luigi's Balloon World. Maybe I'll reach 880 by the 40 hour mark? Or maybe the 50 hour mark if some of the endgame challenges become too tough? Guess we'll have to see.
You’d be surprised at how much of a time sink odyssey can be. Its currently my most played switch game at 165 hours. I 100 percent completed it twice, and i still turn it on to run around because it just feels so good to play
 
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Despite being a late addition that was kinda filler I spent way more time on Luigi's Balloon World than I expected. People who placed their balloons out of bounds suck though. lol
 
Let’s do it, make a general 3D Mario thread so I can roast Mario 64

Another thing I liked about Odyssey: the coins actually let you buy stuff.
Mario 64 when i played it as a kid: 😄
Mario 64 when I went back to it as an adult: 😩

Ill never forget playing it for the first time. Moving mario around in 3d was mind blowing and I adored that game. But as time passed, and I tried to return to it as an adult, i just found the controls to be too frustrating for me, and the camera too uncooperative. Its probably because ive gotten so used to modern controls that going back to something more archaic was difficult for me, but i go back to banjo kazooie and tooie regularly and i still think those feel fine in 2022 so idk. Either the controlls in mario 64 have aged poorly, ive aged poorly, or both lol
 
I love, love, looooove the Metro Kingdom. New Donk City is, without any doubt, my favorite sandbox level in any video game. The concept is already great - create a New York City-esque location that both pays tribute to Mario's old school origins from Donkey Kong while also playing into the weird and wacky world tour feeling the rest of the game aspires too. The execution, thankfully, lives up to the promise. New Donk City is platforming playground filled to the brim with expressive elements and fun movement opportunities. Scaling up tall buildings with wall jumps and spark pylons, bouncing around taxis and swinging on traffic lights, flinging yourself around with poles at wild speeds, riding around on a zippy motor scooter, bounding across rooftops...it makes the most out of its urban landscape to deliver one of the most engaging Super Mario locations, and it can do this without relying on enemies for its central hub. It plays with the difference between realistic humans and the cartoony Mario and manages to pull off the contrast without delving into the uncanny valley - it's silly and charming and wonderful. The glue welding New Donk City together is Mayor Pauline, a fantastic reinvention of a classic Mario character who has been pushed to be the perfect middle point between cartoon Mario and realistic New Donker. It's such a perfect redesign that recent games that bring her back to the older Mario design come across as wrong in comparison!

The progression through the world is a fun inversion of the typical approach. You start with the dark and rainy siege on the city by Bowser - he's sapping energy to advertise his wedding and set up barricades all around the place, forcing a linear trek to and up the City Hall with your standard enemy encounters. Then we have our big boss fight for the world, and once that's done, the kingdom calms down and the exploration opens up - complete with a mission encouraging you to go around the city and build up Pauline's band. All the while you get to explore for purple coins and enter the many sub areas the kingdom has on offer, the most of any kingdom so far. Lots of variety, too, from platforming challenges to mini games to more puzzle like segments. We get one more underground segment before we get to the big finale - a loving tribute to the original Donkey Kong. And yes, the segment is kinda simple, but it's also joyful and celebratory, reverent of the past but also excited to blaze a new path forward to the future. That's the epitome of Odyssey for me - a game that looks back but also steps forward.

I spent two days scouring the Metro Kingdom for Power Moons and Regional Coins. Honestly find locating those Regional Coins harder than getting all the moons! Spent probably half an hour, finding those last 5 or so coins, almost cracked and looked up a guide, but I got lucky and found them on my own. So far so good! Onto the Snow Kingdom!
 
Mario 64 when i played it as a kid: 😄
Mario 64 when I went back to it as an adult: 😩

Ill never forget playing it for the first time. Moving mario around in 3d was mind blowing and I adored that game. But as time passed, and I tried to return to it as an adult, i just found the controls to be too frustrating for me, and the camera too uncooperative. Its probably because ive gotten so used to modern controls that going back to something more archaic was difficult for me, but i go back to banjo kazooie and tooie regularly and i still think those feel fine in 2022 so idk. Either the controlls in mario 64 have aged poorly, ive aged poorly, or both lol

I'm trying to play through Mario64 and this is so true.
That being said, I need to go back to Odyssey and get some moons I'm still missing.
 
From the strongest world to what many consider to be the weakest world - today my worldwide Odyssey took me to Shiveria in the Snow Kingdom.

Unlike the more fanciful snow levels of prior Mario games, the Snow Kingdom is a stark white glacial crater surrounded by frozen water, a location Mario initially reaches during a fierce snowstorm. This bitter introduction makes the arrival into Shiveria proper all the more heartwarming, with its jolly music and friendly inhabitants. Out of all of the regional species, the Shiverians, a group of giant, round, seal-like creatures, might be my favorites. They're just so cute!

This world is quite the small one, focusing much less on exploration. Instead, you have four linear challenges you have to complete in any order before you can access the world's final main challenge. On its own, it's a shame that Shiveria doesn't have as much to share. But in the context of the rest of the game, it's a nice shake up from the usual formula befitting the "smaller world" structure, similar to Lake Kingdom's placement earlier in the game.

We can't forget the Bound Bowl, the race that only Shiverians can compete in. Of course, in this case, this means finding a nervous racer and capturing him to win the race in his place. I still remember the moment I found this in my first play, seeing the Shiverian without a hat, having the realization pour over me, and throwing Cappy onto him - I was delighted, and it's one of the many magical moments the capture mechanic allows in this game. The race itself is pretty fun too, all about timing your button presses and being careful with your positioning, but it doesn't beat the sheer joy of actually playing as the Shiverian on its own.

Is this the weakest world in the game? Yeah, probably. The outdoor area is fine, the indoor area is cute but the four pronged structure doesn't leave as much room for exploration, and compared to a lot of the more "out there" kingdoms, this one feels...safer, for lack of a better term. But even a safe kingdom in this game has moments of charm and delight, including one of my favorite captures, so it can't be all that rough.

...besides some of those regional coins. I'm looking at you, three coin clump near the hidden Power Moon in the mountain climb sub area!

I tire of this cold weather. Tomorrow, it's off to the Seaside Kingdom!
 
Ah, the Seaside Kingdom. Now this feels like a vacation. A beautiful beach, clear ocean waters, plenty of sun...given the cloudy late fall weather I'm currently experiencing as I'm writing this post, I'll gladly take some of that. I could relax to its music for hours too. Pure bliss.

The Seaside Kingdom is the perfect complement to the Snow Kingdom. Both of them share a few similarities - they each have significant water based segments, and their main quest lines involves doing four smaller challenges first before the big finale. But whereas the Snow Kingdom is small and stark, the Seaside Kingdom is bright and wide open. Two of the four main objectives are essentially out in the open while the other two require passing short, linear sections. The boss fight with Mollusque-Lanceur takes full advantage of this open space too, as he travels fully around the map while you chase him down with the kingdom's new capture, the Gushen.

Speaking of which, I really enjoy the Gushen! It reminds me of a more extreme FLUDD, effectively the turbo nozzle and hover nozzles combined into one tool with the caveat that it runs out of water pretty quickly. Bubblaine is designed in such a way that getting a refill is never difficult, but to get some of those tougher to reach Power Moons or Regional Coins, you'll need to be aware of where the extra pockets of water are and where you are allowed to land to then gain even more height. It serves as the perfect complement to the returning Cheep Cheep capture, which is ideal for exploring the ocean floor, and the Dash Flowers, which let you quickly travel between the different islands by foot. It's the kingdom's biggest mechanical strength - three ways to explore, each suitable for different purposes and none of which eclipse each other.

Bubblaine is also home to the infamous volleyball mini game, which crushes as many hopes and dreams as the jump rope mini game found in New Donk City. This one at least has a nice way to make it easier - Odyssey's two player feature! Just set your Mario controller down and let Cappy do all the work with his much faster speed. And hey, even if you only got the console, you got two Joy Con*, so you're good to go!

*Apologies to all Switch Lite players everywhere, I suppose.

Well, that was a nice vacation! I got my R&R in - next it's time to turn up the heat in one of the most unique lava levels in Mario history. To the Luncheon Kingdom!
 
I was playing 3d world yesterday and man… how much better odissey is.. it’s amazing how they improved from the wii u to switch.
 
Ah, the Seaside Kingdom
Seaside might honestly my favorite kingdom in Odyssey. The fizzy sound effect when you touch the water is exquisite, the Gushen is another incredible capture I want a spinoff out of, and the interplay of above and underwater is incredible. Also props to the Cheep Cheep capture for making the underwater sections actually fun to move around in.
 
The Luncheon Kingdom goes to show how a fresh coat of paint can turn a standard level trope into a unique standout. From the base description, it's just your typical lava stage. You're surrounded by the stuff, and you climb up and around a volcano. But Mario Odyssey goes extremely whimsical with it, turning it into an extremely cartoony take on Mt. Vesuvius. The town is populated by animate kitchenware who love cooking, and the colorful and geometric food/landscape is a great visual contrast to the Roman architecture dotting the land.

You know, I never really put too much thought into the Lava Bubble before. They're iconic Mario enemies, a staple of lava levels and castles, but they're basically just hazards to avoid, not characters. But the Capture mechanic gets me to rethink this - being able to swim through lava and leap high into the sky makes for a novel way to get around, especially paired with the tomato enemies that turn into pools of lava, a hazard for regular Mario but perfect to extend your movement range for the Lava Bubble.

It's time for the final stretch...can't wait!!
 
The Lava Bubble gets even funkier when you encounter places where you need to hop between puddles of lava. Sooo good. Like the Cheep Cheep, the Lava Bubble totally upends your concept of traversal through the stage. The lava becomes the floor and the floor becomes lava!
 
First I heard of this sentiment. I heard it was the Ruined Kingdom(minus the boss).
I remember some talk about Luncheon being less liked around launch? The big thing I remember is the GameXplain review, which was an extremely positive review but had mentions that the reviewer didn't like Luncheon because it was confusing to navigate. I never agreed with those sentiments, and on this replay I didn't have any major issues exploring the kingdom. I think out of the major, non-boss arena Kingdoms, the Snow Kingdom is probably the least interesting while the Metro Kingdom is my favorite, though there's a lot of well-designed areas in the game.

Speaking on those boss arenas, I understand the sentiment that the locations are disappointing because they merely serve as set-dressing for boss fights, This was especially held up for the Ruined Kingdom, in large part because the location itself is so intriguing. From the shock of having Bowser whip out a realistic looking dragon to destroy the Odyssey to the dark and foreboding atmosphere - I remember all of the Dark Souls comparisons back at launch - it's a fascinating kingdom that pushes what belongs in a Mario game. And naturally people want more of it, but it's kept to just that boss fight. At the same time, it serves its role in the game perfectly. It gives you that shocking surprise, delivers with a wild boss fight against the aforementioned dragon, and sets the atmosphere for the final act of the game's story, where Bowser is pulling out all the stops to make sure his wedding goes off without a hitch and Mario needs to stop him at all costs. I love it, even if it wasn't explored in-depth.
 
Luncheon has always been one of my favorites. If I had to choose a "worst kingdom" It would likely be the Snowy one, and even that one still has some neat things to offer like the initial "abandoned and dreary" athmosphere contrasting with the warm cozy interior. I think that knocking on stuff like the Cloud Arena or the Ruined Kingdom is silly since they're just "boss arenas that we decided to add a bit more flair to" instead of proper levels.
 
The typical Bowser's Castle area is this menacing, lava-filled castle. But the Luncheon Kingdom already took the lava theming this go around - so what do the developers do? Give Bowser a Japanese-style castle instead. And it's so cool. I love both music tracks so much, they set the atmosphere perfectly. And it's nice to see a level that's mostly a linear push, almost evocative of the old Bowser levels from Super Mario 64 - the perfect structure for infiltrating the lair of a familiar nemesis.

This iteration of Bowser's Castle drops most of the typical enemies. No Dry Bones, no Lava Bubbles, no Thwomps and the sort. The closest we get are a group of Goombas at the start and some Spinies. Instead, the Thwomp-like Stairface Ogre comes into play - evocative of the classics but rooted in Japanese oni. But the star of the show is the Pokio, a super cute bird that can cling to walls and fling itself around in a neat evolution of the pole mechanic from earlier in the game. Such a fun little mechanic, and they do a good job both of hiding a lot of goodies behind reaching unique areas with it and with having a solid boss fight to serve as a climax for the mechanic.

It's off to the moon now. We're coming, Peach and Tiara!!
 
Not to double post so soon, but I have a few of thoughts before I begin the Moon proper:
  1. I appreciate that, after the Odyssey takes damage after the fight on the Cloud Kingdom, it stays a little wrecked even after you fix it. For some reason I thought it was extra wrecked after the Ruined Kingdom, but I misremembered. Either way, it makes that last upgrade to the Odyssey, with the full Balloon and the completely repaired exterior, have more weight.
  2. I love how the World Map tune builds up as you get further in the game, turning into this triumphant piece that uses notes from the Cascade Kingdom/trailer/Credits tracks. So good.
  3. I also love how the cutscene where you go to the moon is a repeat of the first flight on the Odyssey! Fantastic callback that amps you up to get to the moon and save Peach once and for all.
  4. I'm at 444 Moons! I'm over halfway to 880 and I'm having an absolute blast doing it all over again. "Too Many Moons" still has yet to truly bother me, and I'm glad that my initial feelings for the game have been generally reinforced on this replay.
 
Ah, the Moon. It's so serene, beautiful, even. Odyssey captures the majesty of outer space very differently from the Galaxy games with its monochrome color scheme and use low gravity over anti-gravity, but there's still a clear throughline with the Star Bit regional coins and the ethereal music reminding me of Galaxy 1 and 2's calmer moments. After the chaos of the Ruined Kingdom and the tense energy of Bowser's Kingdom, it makes for an effective contrast. It's the perfect reminder to stay calm, even when you got a wedding to stop.

But the Moon Kingdom isn't just interested in helping you relax. This is the final kingdom, after all, and the final kingdom needs to present a challenge. Enter the underground moon caverns, probably the closest thing we have to a traditional Mario-style castle level. It's both a final exam, testing your knowledge of many of the game's captures in quick-fire challenges, and a power trip featuring new captures of classic Mario enemies not seen up to this point. You're dodging lava streams with Winged Dry Bones, going on the offensive with Sherms and non-chef Hammer Bros., thinking fast with the Tropical Wiggler and Moe-eyes, blasting ahead with Banzai Bills, and I can't forget the sudden inclusion of Chargin' Chucks at the very end - an enemy type that appears solely in this room and in one post-game challenge, one not strictly rooted in the mechanics of a previous enemy type liked Winged Dry Bones to Winged Goombas or Banzai Bills to Bullet Bills. It's a short moment, but it's one that makes you feels so powerful as you just ram through otherwise invincible stones. All of this backed by a fantastic, pulse pounding rock track. I love this segment.

Odyssey also gives us two last call-backs to the beginning of the adventure. The first - a remake with Madame Brood, utilizing one last use of the Chain Chomp capture. And then, at the back of the Wedding Hall, a singular frog, the very first capture of the game, letting you get a few moons and Regional Coins before the final battle. It's a simple yet effective reminder of how far you've come on this journey.

And then the final battle itself - Mario's come to crash the wedding, let all those kidnapped attendees go home, and save the princess once and for all. The Bowser fight itself is solid, a good "Round 2" on the fight from the midpoint of the game that brings all the intensity you would expect. If there's any note I had while playing it, it's that the fire breath attack is the perfect opportunity to use the sideways somersault, a move I mostly use for style normally since Mario has lots of effective jumps in this game, but one that worked as a great dodge. But that's not what makes the finale so good, not by far. It's in the capture mechanic's logical conclusion - being able to capture Bowser himself and tear through the collapsing moon cavern, that one last power trip to end a wild adventure. And they make it feel that way - Bowser busts up massive blocks and moon rocks like it's nothing, you get a really neat 2D section where you play as SMB Bowser, and once you get to that final room, you hear the electric guitar and get ready to jam out. Break Free (Lead the Way) is such a cheesy, feel good song packed in with as much Mario references as Jump Up, Super Star!, and it just...works. It feels like a moment more out of a 3D Sonic game than a Mario game, but the game has more than earned its chance to have this kinda conclusion.

Odyssey is the first Super Mario game that pushes for a comedic ending, something that might be a trend if the Bowser's Fury ending is anything to go by. It's an interesting choice because while the game has its comedic moments, it still generally took itself seriously, at least earnestly enough to treat its events with some gravitas. The ending instead brings things back to earth, having the cast act like the Mickey Mouse or Looney Tunes-esque characters they are deep down and resetting the status quo to the usual. While it's not a big sticking point, I actually am kinda mixed in the direction of the ending in that regard, though Peach being able to show some agency in her conclusion is a satisfying change of pace. While I'm not holding my breath, I would love for this to be the final Super Mario game that involves Peach getting kidnapped. The ending as set up here feels like the conclusion to that line of storytelling, and both Super Mario Maker 2 and Bowser's Fury don't feature the princess getting kidnapped. I can hope, but I doubt Nintendo cares all that much.

It's good to be home in the Mushroom Kingdom. But the adventure isn't over. I gotta get to 880 Power Moons!
 
the capture mechanic's logical conclusion - being able to capture Bowser himself and tear through the collapsing moon cavern, that one last power trip to end a wild adventure. And they make it feel that way - Bowser busts up massive blocks and moon rocks like it's nothing, you get a really neat 2D section where you play as SMB Bowser, and once you get to that final room, you hear the electric guitar and get ready to jam out. Break Free (Lead the Way) is such a cheesy, feel good song packed in with as much Mario references as Jump Up, Super Star!, and it just...works. It feels like a moment more out of a 3D Sonic game than a Mario game, but the game has more than earned its chance to have this kinda conclusion.

I don't have enough superlatives for this.
The moment you realise you can capture Bowser through to that ending is just phenomenal.
 
So, I've finally done it. All missions completed, all costumes purchased including DLC, 880 Power Moons obtained, rematch with Bowser finished. The only things I would have left to do are maxing out the Moon counter at 999 (and as an extra treat, to max out the counter at every single shop in the game), which I previously achieved in my original file, and get to level 50 of Luigi's Balloon World (I'm at level 49 and have to play find it like 160 times right now?). So I'll do those two in tandem at some point.

I'm elated to share that this replay of Super Mario Odyssey has solidified the positive feelings I expressed in my first post here on the thread. Odyssey is an incredible experience, one of Mario's finest, and still my favorite Switch original game. Nearly every single aspect works for me - Mario's sublime controls, the eclectic variety of kingdoms with their different art styles and music and structures, the many different captures giving you lots of unique ways to move around environments as a compliment to Mario's standard jumps, the pacing and structure of progression throughout the campaign, and yes, even the sheer amount of Power Moons, "filler" or otherwise.

I do have my nitpicks. I wish the motion controls could be mapped to buttons for the sake of accessibility. I found finding the Regional Coins to be a bit of a pain at points and the fact that the best way to find them is with an Amiibo is frustrating (with the caveat that for this run I didn't use the Amiibo), though I still find the Sunshine Blue Coins to be much worse. Maybe the game could have pushed the difficulty a little further at points, as it's a pretty comfortable ride overall? But these don't stop me from absolutely adoring Odyssey.

Here's hoping the next 3D Super Mario game can exceed my expectations and blow me away just like Odyssey did!
 
It’s a masterpiece. Enough said.

Those leftover files in the 3D All-Stars launcher paint a potentially interesting picture for the next 3D Mario, but i’m still not sure how soon we’ll see it, since I do believe it competes with the next 2D Mario (in production for about as long) and Tokyo’s other project, the mysterious 2D action game. We’ll have to see which of them shows up next year.
I know this is WAY late to be asking this, but where did you find this information?
 


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