It’s not like being able to switch to other characters is anything new in video games, it’s just Nintendo has done it in a way that has that Nintendo flavour of taking something and going further with it, using their skills in game design to make it such a wonderful addition to a Mario game. It’s the fluidity and playful ideas that Nintendo packs into the game’s playground that make the mechanic special and inventive than it has any the right to be. The elegance and ease of taking over something is done in a flash, wasting no time to interrupt gameplay to get Mario into a foreign body. There are some fascinating challenges brought on through the use of possessing entities, such as climbing up huge walls with a sphere shaped bird that cannot fly, but has a piercing beak to kill enemies, but more effectively, it is used to climb surfaces by pinning itself into a wall, then holding down the stick to flick up, launching itself to a higher position to once again stab its beak into the wall. A neat stage in Lost Kingdom has small caterpillars that lock their behind into the ground while they extend their bodies, enabling Mario to extend out to other platforms or wrap around obstacles to collect stray coins. Later areas begin to truly shine with examples of Cappy’s power. The E3 trailer featuring the T-Rex is actually one of the first things Mario is able to control, abusing the height and strength of a dinosaur to smash through parts of the Cascade Kingdom. Nintendo aren’t shy to demonstrate early what can be accomplished with the power of Cappy. Everything that can be taken over has its own small set of skills, some more exciting than others, but they are all there for a reason to interact with solving something in the world they are part of. enable Mario an additional way to smash things, while Goombas are… well often more used for puzzles, as they can be stacked on each other to create a tower of Goomba that impresses a lady Goomba hidden around in each Kingdom. Trademark Mario enemies, such as Hammer Bros., Goombas and Bullet Bills, are possessed to make use of their powers – Bullet Bills give Mario the ability to travel over space at high speeds and explode to break blocks, Hammer Bros. Nintendo are masters when it comes to maximising mechanics in their games, and Cappy is fully abused to offer exciting gameplay moments. All it takes to capture is the throw of the hat, or two depending if the object has a defence mechanism to stop possession on a first hit (ironically, it’s usually a hat), then Mario is transported into the entity, giving it a red cap and a moustache to signal Mario is now in control. No longer are trademark flower power, stars and giant mushrooms featured, instead, Cappy enables similar power-ups through capturing one of the 52 enemies or objects across the kingdoms. was in Super Mario Sunshine.Ĭappy brings a different approach to power-ups in a Mario title. Cappy has a fantastic ability that enables his wearer to fuse into enemies, a very handy mechanic that the game fully utilises, but more importantly, is a better addition than F.L.U.D.D. Mario isn’t invited, but sets out to put a stop to this with the help of Cappy, a strange ghostly hat, who has had his partner, Tiara, stolen along with Peach. To make it one of the best weddings ever, Bowser is visiting each Kingdom and stealing their prize possessions to use for his special occasion. Bowser has once again taken Princess Peach from her castle, but this time Bowser is going all in he has set up a wedding ceremony to make Peach his wife. It’s the same as most other mainline Mario games, but with a bit of added flair. One area where Super Mario Odyssey doesn’t surprise is the story. Super Mario Odyssey, on the other hand, continues where Nintendo left off with Super Mario Sunshine, returning to the sandbox platform gameplay that elevates it with a big focus on surprise and discovery over linearity. It’s not like the previous title, Super Mario 3D World, was bad, it was a great platformer, but it felt safe and more focused on bringing a working multiplayer to the world of Mario. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a huge shift for that franchise, and while Super Mario Odyssey isn’t as a big of a change for the red ( now ex) plumber, there are new ideas here that show Nintendo can still make amazing Mario titles that feel fresh and reinvigorating. It is exciting to see Nintendo in this state, and that attitude is gushing into their current releases for the successful hybrid console. The release of the Switch has brought a Nintendo who is confident and actively out to prove why they are some of the best in the business.
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