Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey will easily rank as one of the best Mario games ever made. It's pure fun, plain and simple.

Super Mario Odyssey is by no means a perfect game -- or even the best 3D Super Mario platformer -- and thankfully the game doesn't need to be. More importantly, Super Mario Odyssey is a bold re-introduction to 3D Mario and one that is flat-out mandatory in 2017. The game is not the challenging, rigorous exercise found in the series' past so much as a deep dive into abject fun originality. Placing creativity and wonder above all else, Super Mario Odyssey is Nintendo's equivalent of a Pixar movie: magical, creative, and captivating, no matter what age you are.

Shoot for the moon.

Super Mario Odyssey is a culmination of thirty years of Mario, and a celebration of video games.

Super Mario Odyssey represents a shift in direction for Mario. For about a decade we had exceptional but tightly structured 3D series entries, but this new arrival’s building blocks go back to Super Mario 64. It’s a very modern take on ‘sandbox Mario’, however - Cappy and his abilities are key additions that freshen up the formula, and we have a sizeable and diverse set of lands to explore. Odyssey will, inevitably, now enter the discussions about the ‘best’ Mario games. In the second half and post-credits - in particular - it takes on a life of its own, showcasing incredible design and develo...

The core Mario franchise has constantly defined and redefined video games. Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World built and perfected the 2D platformer, with Mario World continuing to be the benchmark of quality over 25 years later. Mario 64 established the qualities necessary in a 3D platformer equally strongly, and the franchise has been working towards perfection since.

It's extraordinary, really, that after all this time a new Mario game can feel as fresh as any that preceded it. Cappy is a revelation, exploring Kingdoms is bliss, and Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece.

In almost every way, the game acts as a love letter to fans of the 3D iterations of the Super Mario franchise. From the spectacular Kingdoms and all of their hidden secrets to the minute nods to past ventures and friends, the entirety of this adventure is a joyride from beginning to end – with countless hours that can be invested into the title long after the narrative has been completed. The formulaic changes have helped modernized a genre that has long been dormant, which is an immense feat in and of itself.

Mario’s games have been around for almost as long as game consoles have been a thing, but thankfully, he’s always evolving. We rarely get the same Mario twice. Super Mario Odyssey delivers on that ongoing promise of originality and innovation: It distills the venerable series’ joyful, irreverent world and characters and best-in-class platforming action, and introduces a steady stream of new and unexpected mechanics. It’s all spun together into a generational masterpiece.

Has there ever been a bad 3D Mario game? Many would reserve that honor for Super Mario Sunshine (my least favorite), but it’s a far cry from a failure. No, before shipping any iteration of its flagship franchise, Nintendo ensures that a proper level of care goes into its plumber, and that streak of quality still remains unbroken with Super Mario Odyssey.

If you're a Switch owner, you probably already have Super Mario Odyssey. If you do not, and you even remotely enjoy platformers or Mario, I don't know what you are waiting for - pick up this game.

For a character nearing 40 years old, it’s amazing that Mario has remained not only a beloved character but one whose games are generally expected to be great. From that perspective, it’s no surprise that Super Mario Odyssey is, yes, a great game. But more than that, it’s a fantastic, even fundamental addition to Mario’s legacy. From a plumber to a doctor to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this will not be the last Mario game, but it is almost certain to be lauded as one of his best.