It’s a widely held belief that tradies are good earners. Mario is
proof.
The blueprint for every platform game ever? Check.
The blueprint for every 3D platformer ever? Check.
Now,
instead of resting on his laurels, the little bloke has taken both
of the above and mushed them together into a work of genius. Well,
he hasn’t done it, but his bosses at Nintendo have.
Super
Mario Odyssey is gobsmacking – and we’re not talking a slip
with a wrench.
Story-wise, big bad Bowser thinks it’s a nice
day for a white wedding – to Peach. It’s kind of a Princess
Bride situation, where she doesn’t want a bar – or any other
part – of him. But before Mario can save the day his princess is in
another, erm, airship, as Bowser speeds her away. Mario’s left flat,
but a chance meeting with Cappy, who’s a sentient hat (yes, really),
leads to the two teaming up – Mario to save his beloved Peach, Cappy
to save his sister, a stolen tiara.
The pair quickly develop
quite the symbiotic relationship, whereby Mario uses the handy
headwear as anything from a weapon to a wealth collector to
something to allow larger leaps. Oh, he can also use Cappy to
possess most any sentient thing that doesn’t already have millinery
atop their bonce. This ranges from small goodies or baddies to a
hulking dinosaur.
Whereas Super Mario 64 had stars
and Super Mario Sunshine had suns, Super Mario Odyssey
has bananas, and lots of ’em. OK, they’re really moons, but we like
our nephew’s initial description better. These fuel the Odyssey, a
top hat-shaped airship which transports our protagonists from level
to level.
Through remarkably varied worlds our pair tromp,
cosplaying, puzzling, gathering coins, purple things and those
all-important moons. You’ll need subsequent playthroughs to get them
all, as new abilities unlock as you progress. Trust us, you won’t
mind revisiting.
In SMO Nintendo have raised the bar
further than we ever thought possible. If you’ve ever enjoyed
playing a game, then this is a must-have.
