Not just the controls, which were the first to really get 3D movement right (and arguably still among the best), but in the density of gameplay ideas: locations, enemies, obstacles, and ways of combining those things to make each stage feel new and fresh. Those of you who have played Mario 64 likely remember what a revelation it was at the time. It does this, however, not by reaching back to the NES (at least, not most of the time) or even SNES, but the N64. Super Mario Odyssey succeeds in a very similar way, feeling both brand new and comfortingly familiar, while setting the bar for gameplay on the system. In a way it reminded me more of the original Zelda than any of its successors the extreme freedom afforded the player in the first game turns out to have been a concept employed well ahead of its time.
It did it largely by giving its players the freedom to go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted - and making sure that wherever they went and whatever they did, it was fun and rewarding. It achieved that in spades, leaving recent Zeldas and AAA open-world games in the dust. When gamers rushed to buy the Switch earlier this year, it was, in the near term at least, on the promise of a Zelda game that looked to be the freshest in years, yet at the same time return to the series’ roots.
It’s an essential for all Switch owners, and highly recommended for any gamer with a heart and a memory. Super Mario Odyssey is a embarrassment of riches, never failing to surprise for hours and hours and maintaining an unflaggingly positive feeling the entire time. It’s almost unnerving how good Nintendo is at its job - at least, when the wizards there choose to apply themselves.
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