Super Mario Odyssey

 Switch
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7655 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6,824 out of 7655
  2. Mixed: 401 out of 7655
  3. Negative: 430 out of 7655
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  1. DukeJon
    Aug 24, 2019
    7
    I can't fault the production values of this game, everything is top notch. The ability to be able to jump into your enemies works really well. Level designs are clever and imaginative. The way they incorporate the 8 bit Mario is also done very well. Cappy is a good addition but in two player (though he's not as fun as you think he might be). So why only a 7? Well, for me the later MarioI can't fault the production values of this game, everything is top notch. The ability to be able to jump into your enemies works really well. Level designs are clever and imaginative. The way they incorporate the 8 bit Mario is also done very well. Cappy is a good addition but in two player (though he's not as fun as you think he might be). So why only a 7? Well, for me the later Mario games (Odyssey, Galaxy, etc) although very cleverly done, can't escape the fact that platform games in this day and age are, to be blunt, quite tedious. It's a game genre from forty years ago, and for me is just too simplistic. I'd much rather be playing a fast sonic level, or shooter like fortnite, or rpg like the wticher. Nintendo have done brilliantly well to keep Mario as high profile as he is, but at the end of the day jumping on top of things is really quite boring.… Expand
  2. uchihasilver
    Nov 15, 2017
    7
    Mario odyssey is definitely a great edition to this years games but unfortunately has been aimed far too much at children rather than giving us some difficulty options, Art direction from Nintendo is as usual superb and delightful given the many colourful worlds we get to visit and explore but just like Zelda: Breath of the Wild it falls short for me which is to say It is by no means a badMario odyssey is definitely a great edition to this years games but unfortunately has been aimed far too much at children rather than giving us some difficulty options, Art direction from Nintendo is as usual superb and delightful given the many colourful worlds we get to visit and explore but just like Zelda: Breath of the Wild it falls short for me which is to say It is by no means a bad game but more the case of this game is great but because of that all of its flaws stand out way more than other games.

    First let's start of as i said before the game is way way way too easy and should have had some difficulty options in order to liven up the gameplay a bit a lot of the enemies at time just feel there to pad the world rather than be an obstacle to Mario.

    Moons . . . too many damn moons what is Nintendos issue lately? with putting way too many collectibles in their games to a point that it starts to feel more like tedium than a fun aspect, I collected almost all of the original moons in the game and a lot of them felt a joy to get they were often hidden well or required some puzzle or platforming to reach after the game however . . . You essentially double all of the moons by touching moon cubes and not only do they mark all of them on your map but a majority of them are just there no work, no puzzle, no platforming It begs the question of why? The other issue with this being you don't need to collect them all to progress the story so what felt like quite lengthy playtime from me i quickly came to realise would be a couple of hours maximum if others weren't too bothered about the collectibles

    My last gripe is with the costumes I understand that we have Cappy so we are supposed to get powers and abilities from others but at the same time all those moons we collected mean nothing more than just cosmetics =/ they should have added slight and subtle effects like the most obvious make the underwater areas suit allow you to swim slightly faster etc. some of them are cool throwbacks but other than that they just seem a tad pointless.

    Either way overall Mario Odyssey should be picked up for the switch it's a great looking and controls superbly I do wish we had more worlds rather than moon cubes so i could have enjoyed spending more time in it's worlds but regardless this is totally a must buy    … Expand
  3. ignore78
    Oct 28, 2017
    7
    If you are expecting this to be like Super Mario 64. Then you will be disappointed. You will go a linear path, kingdom to kingdom, almost like Super Mario Galaxy 2. Super Mario 64 feels more open world then Odyssey. And you cant sneak in this mario game. i loved to do that in mario 64. it felt more dynamic. Odyssey is too easy . And one thing i feel is frustrating. is when you haveIf you are expecting this to be like Super Mario 64. Then you will be disappointed. You will go a linear path, kingdom to kingdom, almost like Super Mario Galaxy 2. Super Mario 64 feels more open world then Odyssey. And you cant sneak in this mario game. i loved to do that in mario 64. it felt more dynamic. Odyssey is too easy . And one thing i feel is frustrating. is when you have completed one level, it takes you back to the start of that level and you have to do that level all over again to find more Moons. The level has changed a little bit. But not that much like in mario sunshine. it was amazing to go in and in again and again in the same level to see how much the level has changed to find more shine sprites. I must say that Zelda is as good as Mario 64 was back then. But this Odyssey is not that good. It is fun to play through. but when it is finished. its finished.… Expand
  4. chr1so
    Oct 4, 2021
    7
    Thought is was ok. Sure there's a lot of new Mario abilities but they're not all necessarily fun.
    I was never desperate to keep playing or jump back into it, & found myself just wanting to finish for the sake of finishing.
  5. DreamCore
    Nov 26, 2017
    7
    I really like the game but it has one BIG flaw, like many others have mentioned. The game is waaay too easy. Dying with the only penalty of losing 10 coins, I mean for real? The bosses are lauglably easy as well and I havent lost even once against the first few. It's as if the difficulty was aimed toward 6 year olds. Also you only need a very small amount of power moons to progress to theI really like the game but it has one BIG flaw, like many others have mentioned. The game is waaay too easy. Dying with the only penalty of losing 10 coins, I mean for real? The bosses are lauglably easy as well and I havent lost even once against the first few. It's as if the difficulty was aimed toward 6 year olds. Also you only need a very small amount of power moons to progress to the next world which makes exploring pointless unless your're a completionist. Would be nice if you were FORCED to gather larger amounts to make it a bit harder.… Expand
  6. juaner
    Jan 26, 2018
    7
    Gráficamente increíble, los mundos son geniales y los diseños de niveles también, que el mundo evolucione al ir adquiriendo las lunas hacen del mundo algo con vida. El gameplay (el uso del sombrero) hace el juego original y algo fresco a la franquicia de la gran N, pero para mi no llega a superar a Mario Galaxy 2, los bosses son pobres y repetitivos ¿cuantas veces matamos a los conejos? 11Gráficamente increíble, los mundos son geniales y los diseños de niveles también, que el mundo evolucione al ir adquiriendo las lunas hacen del mundo algo con vida. El gameplay (el uso del sombrero) hace el juego original y algo fresco a la franquicia de la gran N, pero para mi no llega a superar a Mario Galaxy 2, los bosses son pobres y repetitivos ¿cuantas veces matamos a los conejos? 11 veces! siempre habían un mini cambio a la hora de vencerlos. La duración del juego base es muy corta, cuando uno gana siente que no se demoro nada ¿donde esta el resto del jeugo? fue lo primero que me pregunte. SI luego hay la posibilidad de ir por peach con muchas mas lunas y hacer el interminable lista de logros del Reino de los Hongos. Pero no es para nada comparable con las 49 galaxias de mario Galaxy 2.

    No siento que sea un juego malo, para nada, pero no un 8.9 siento que le falto mucho contenido más que su predecesores. Tenia mucho para explotar, aunque los lugares son re jugables hasta obtener TODO, se siente muy corto y pequeño.

    Pero enserio ame las mecanicas de este mario, el mundo 2D y el sobrero controlador AMOR puro.    … Expand
  7. DinoBeam
    Apr 20, 2020
    7
    This game is highly overrated like Botw. The aesthetic is terrible, bad color palette, some really ugly characters, and **** anime music in the climax? Its kind hard to call this a Mario game sometimes. This game has some really cool gimmicks, but it ends up feeling wide and shallow. This is definitely pretty good value for money, and no where near deserving the scores it gets. TheThis game is highly overrated like Botw. The aesthetic is terrible, bad color palette, some really ugly characters, and **** anime music in the climax? Its kind hard to call this a Mario game sometimes. This game has some really cool gimmicks, but it ends up feeling wide and shallow. This is definitely pretty good value for money, and no where near deserving the scores it gets. The fluctuation between walking around and picking up moons to frustrating challenges is also disorienting and feels bizarre. The move to a 3 hits and you're dead approach away from Mario 64's health system is also a puzzling design choice… Expand
  8. AVdE
    Oct 29, 2017
    7
    This could have been the greatest Mario game of all time, and maybe it actually is, but there are a few big issues that keep it from being a flawless masterpiece. As I am a pretty experienced Mario player (having 100%ed every 3D game with the exception of 64 and Sunshine), allow me to sum them up.

    1) Controls The core controls are wonderful. They are on par with - if not better than-    This could have been the greatest Mario game of all time, and maybe it actually is, but there are a few big issues that keep it from being a flawless masterpiece. As I am a pretty experienced Mario player (having 100%ed every 3D game with the exception of 64 and Sunshine), allow me to sum them up.

    1) Controls
    The core controls are wonderful. They are on par with - if not better than- the magical controls of the Galaxy games. But the forced and awkward motion controls are a huge missed opportunity. They work fine enough and you can comfortably get through the game while ignoring them, but you'll miss out on a few useful cappy moves that keep things moving even more fluently. Having the option to customise the button mapping would have solved this issue.

    2) Length
    You can beat the base game pretty quickly; in my case over the course of a weekend. There's still a lot to do in post game, but it's balanced pretty poorly. I would have preferred a main game that was say 5-10 hours longer, with a shorter and less tedious post game. You could make the argument that this makes secondary playthroughs and speedruns more interesting, but even for those the game is too short for my liking.

    3) Difficulty
    This is the game's biggest problem. If you thought Galaxy 1's main game was easy, this is something else entirely. Even the dedicated platforming challenges can get pretty boring because of the lack of tough segments. There certainly are a few collectibles that require some skill to get, but the overall challenge for me (so far at least) has never really gone beyond "tricky". Even so, the game has a "super handholding mode" you can activate at any time for newcomers to video games. So if you're looking for a hard 3D platformer, well... Maybe give Crash Bandicoot a go.

    Okay so now that's over with let's talk a bit about the fun stuff.

    1) Presentation
    This game is gorgeous. The graphics and art style work together very well to deliver a sight to behold that only gets prettier the further you get in the game. Important to note is that the framerate tends to take a bit of a dive sometimes in New Donk City, but overall it stays at a fairly steady 60 fps.

    2) Level design
    Apart from the relative lack of challenge, I love the level design. There are tons of collectibles everywhere, with a lot of them being hid away very cleverly. Exploring the beautiful worlds is a ton of fun, and even after finding big important items the level doesn't end, so you just keep going for as long as you want. That way the pacing keeps up the entire way through and you're always busy with something.

    Okay, to prevent myself from rambling too much let me try and wrap this up.
    Despite its problems, this is a fun game. You may not find a challenge here, but what you will find is a huge smile on your face from beginning to end. It oozes with the timeless Mario charm, callbacks to his entire career, adorable characters and so much more.

    Switch owners, you definitely don't want to miss out on this one (though I don't really think that will be the case).    … Expand
  9. SWERY_51
    Aug 26, 2022
    7
    I still do not understand the review's scores. It is very short with very little ambition, and it is way too easy. Finished the main story in about 8 hours with a little more than 250 moons, not a bad game, but it looked like just a demo of Super Mario Galaxy...
  10. SL36
    Oct 31, 2017
    7
    I was really really excited for this game. Nothing I love more than a 3D mario game. Sadly it's not quite up to snuff. My main issue is that it's just too easy. Sure they can hide stuff in a level and finding them can be a challenge, but there is very little actual platforming and none of it is particularly challenging. The 'moons' (did we really need to ditch stars?) are so plentifulI was really really excited for this game. Nothing I love more than a 3D mario game. Sadly it's not quite up to snuff. My main issue is that it's just too easy. Sure they can hide stuff in a level and finding them can be a challenge, but there is very little actual platforming and none of it is particularly challenging. The 'moons' (did we really need to ditch stars?) are so plentiful and easily gotten it doesn't feel like an accomplishment. It's a good game, and it's decently fun....but don't buy the switch just for this like I did.… Expand
  11. DrZomboid
    Apr 10, 2020
    7
    As 34 years old I can't play this. So my 10y son finish the game and gave it 7/10
  12. ziozxzioz
    Jan 31, 2018
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed. Nintendo marketed this as a big comeback to the old 3D mario style, and since there were now huge kingdoms with several moons (this game's take on stars) I thought it'd be something similar to Super Mario 64, and it feels like the game really tries to cash in on that good ol' 90s nostalgia.
    So, setting the superficial stuff aside (blocky suit and hat, for example) let's see how this game compares to the previous entries.
    64 had 7 stars per level, whereas Odyssey ranges from 30 to 80 per kingdom, give or take. The kingdoms ARE bigger, yes, but the amount of moons doesn't scale accordingly. This means that moons have inherently less value than a star had in previous games.
    In my opinion this has both positive and negative sides: on one hand, the player can be rewarded for finding hidden secrets in the map with something that actually holds value, instead of say, some coins; however, the player doesn't feel as satisfied when getting a particularly hard moon if they are getting one every 2 minutes for doing next to nothing.
    After finishing the game, getting moons seems like a chore, and the 250 and 500 moon rewards are not very fulfilling.
    This leads me to my next complain: hardly ever in this game, did I feel like there was a platforming challenge that actually seemed hard. This is a huge letdown because Mario's movements in this game are an absolute joy to perform, but you never really get a chance to use them for something that makes a difference, besides the occasional golden koopa race.
    And unfortunately, to me the captures seemed like something very gimmicky rather than an actual challenge. Almost every time you need to use a captured monster, the challenge is identifying that you need that capture. Once you take the frog to the place with the high ledge, you get your moon and the deal is done, no platforming skill required.
    The thing that gets me when comparing this game to Galaxy 2 for example, is the fact that upon getting all 250 stars, the game rewarded you with a painfully hard level where you had to apply everything you had learned during the game. It was a brilliant reward to give players who wanted to go the extra mile and doing the 100%.
    Mario Odyssey has two post-game levels: Dark Side of the Moon, a boss rush; and Darker Side of the Moon, a platforming level comparable on the surface to Galaxy 2's Grandmaster Galaxy.
    The problem is that the idea of difficulty for this levels is having them be long (and without checkpoints). They're not difficult, but you can get easily frustrated when after dying you have to repeat everything from the start.
    I had an interesting thought while playing this game. BotW and Odyssey were marketed kind of similarly, as a more open and adventurous game, with a bigger focus on exploration. There's a big problem with this approach for Odyssey, as opposed to Zelda.
    The only tangible rewards you can ever get out of exploration in Odyssey are moons and purple coins. This takes A LOT out of the mystery of exploring the land. In Zelda you can get new armor or weapons with unknown effects, or new ingredients to craft or cook, that's rewarding.
    Another problem with exploration in this game is that there is content locked before the endgame for no apparent reason, and this isn't communicated clearly. When I first began playing and reached Cascade Kingdom, I decided I was going to get every moon in the level before moving to the next one, but then I realized there were moons that were impossible to get, that is, blank spots on the moon list. After beating the game I went back and found out what those moons were: A Peach moon, which is a regular moon given to you by Peach, a couple of underground levels, a second koopa race... I don't understand why this content is locked at the beginning. The game is supposed to give you freedom to explore every kingdom, why don't they just do that? The moons that I had gotten and the layout of the level had become a blur by the time I got back and I had to re familiarize with the level and remember which moons I already had for no good reason.
    Overall I don't think this new approach suits Mario very good, and I hope to see a real comeback to the harder levels of previous games. I hope people start seeing this game for what it is rather than what it looks like, so we get better Mario games down the line.    … Expand
  13. SilentlySlow
    Oct 27, 2017
    7
    Uninspired, slow paced, and artificially long, this game is nothing but mediocre and overrated.
    The game boasts a staggering 600+ moons, yet half of them are obtained by simple means just to boost the Moon count.
    Assets are reused from previous games. Grass is textured. City is lifeless. Bland level design. The only people who will find difficulty in this game are 8 year old children    Uninspired, slow paced, and artificially long, this game is nothing but mediocre and overrated.
    The game boasts a staggering 600+ moons, yet half of them are obtained by simple means just to boost the Moon count.
    Assets are reused from previous games.
    Grass is textured.
    City is lifeless.
    Bland level design.
    The only people who will find difficulty in this game are 8 year old children at best. Whatever happened to the difficulty Nintendo was known for? Nintendo has finally catered to the casual audience making this title... Average.    … Expand
  14. BRpreahBR
    Oct 27, 2017
    7
    the game is good but it does not deserve the high rating it is receiving. The game is very reminiscent of super mario 3d world and a bit of super mario 64. The phases are relatively large and a little pointless which makes the player get a little tired and not look for all the items in the stage.

    Graphically it is equal to super mario 3d world except in some phases that the game is    the game is good but it does not deserve the high rating it is receiving. The game is very reminiscent of super mario 3d world and a bit of super mario 64. The phases are relatively large and a little pointless which makes the player get a little tired and not look for all the items in the stage.

    Graphically it is equal to super mario 3d world except in some phases that the game is beautiful.
    There are several frame rate drops and it seems that the game does not run at 60fps.

    The game camera is extremely bad. At times it gets in the way and you end up dying depending on what you are doing.

    Anyway ... the game is nice but not for a 10 or 9.7 note ... It was shown a great innovation in Mario with the use of the hat, but in general the mechanics of the game is the same as always and the use of hat is repetitive ... this way, maybe because of the little innovation I noticed, at most it deserves a 7 note ... it's a nice game, modest ... nothing more ... more a fail of the nintendo ...

    o jogo é bom mas não merece a nota alta que está recebendo. O jogo lembra muito o super mario 3d world e um pouco do super mario 64. As fases são relativamente grandes e um pouco sem sentido que faz o jogador se cansar um pouco e não procurar todos os itens da fase.

    Graficamente está igual ao super mario 3d world exceto em algumas fases que o jogo está bonito.

    Há varias quedas de frame rate e parece que o jogo não corre a 60fps.

    A câmera do jogo é extremamente ruim. Em diversas vezes atrapalha e voce acaba morrendo dependendo do que está fazendo.

    Enfim... o jogo é bacana mas não para uma nota 10 ou 9,7... Foi mostrado uma grande inovação no mario com o uso do chapeu, mas no geral a mecanica do jogo é a mesma de sempre e o uso do chapeu é repetitivo... desta forma, talvez pela pouca inovação que percebi, no máximo ele merece uma nota 7... é um jogo bacana, modesto... nada além disso... mais um fail da nintendo...    … Expand
  15. nightfox541
    Dec 4, 2017
    7
    Fun, beautiful, 3D plat-former with some new gimmicks thanks to Cappy. The game is aimed at younger players as most adults with gaming experience will beat the main story without dying more than a handful of times. The first half of the game is that painstakingly easy. The second half adds some challenge though with collecting numerous moons (a few difficult). Don't expect to find any sortFun, beautiful, 3D plat-former with some new gimmicks thanks to Cappy. The game is aimed at younger players as most adults with gaming experience will beat the main story without dying more than a handful of times. The first half of the game is that painstakingly easy. The second half adds some challenge though with collecting numerous moons (a few difficult). Don't expect to find any sort of spectacular story here. Conclusion: Good, charming game, but a little overrated.… Expand
  16. EM3R50N
    Dec 28, 2017
    7
    Comment 1: Very short game and doesn't take much time to beat.

    Comment 2: Loved Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, even Super Mario Bros ... but this game can't hold my attention and seems like it was made for very young players. Sad!

    PS: Breath of the Wild is a 10!
  17. RAUNA101
    Oct 31, 2017
    7
    Un mario que luce espectacular, suena igual, pero que no evoluciona mas haya, una cámara que en ocaciones te hará sentir molesto y un game play que raya en lo arcaico, solo los viejos fan boys de nintendo dirán que es un juego perfecto.
  18. Mats2468
    Dec 4, 2017
    7
    If you have played very much Mario games earlier, then you will sometimes get tired of Mario Oddyssey. I had the kind of fun, but the '' weary feeling '' got into the game quite quickly. It is the same goal when you travel to the places where you go. If you intend to collect ALL the moons, well good luck. Nothing beats Galaxy 2 yet in my opinion
  19. Tahdar
    Nov 5, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoy it at first sight. But after two worlds it is bored. Each world is different but at same time is the equal at the previous one. You arrive, search for moons and special coins, and kill the world boss with the same dynamic.
    The history has the same profundity and history that the previous one: save the princess.
    It is a good game, but it’s not a 10’s game.
    -1 for DLC named amiibo    … Expand
  20. vora_bat
    Jan 1, 2018
    7
    I'm giving the game 7 out of 10, because i'm not a Nintendo fanboy, and I acknowledge the existence of other games, that deserve 10 out of 10, and Mario Odysses is definitely not one of them. Mario Odyssey is a fine game. It is fun, but a very repetitive. It uses a lot of mechanics from previous games, and invent just a few new. The main problem of this game, is that if you're notI'm giving the game 7 out of 10, because i'm not a Nintendo fanboy, and I acknowledge the existence of other games, that deserve 10 out of 10, and Mario Odysses is definitely not one of them. Mario Odyssey is a fine game. It is fun, but a very repetitive. It uses a lot of mechanics from previous games, and invent just a few new. The main problem of this game, is that if you're not collecting all the moons on all levels, which is absolutely not important, you will finish levels pretty quickly, because the requirements to beat them are too simple.… Expand
  21. Dalium
    Nov 7, 2017
    7
    This game was great though it is the same old reground mario game. The only difference is a new hat that lets you posses a mario creature. For a 3D platformer it's pretty great, though there is way to much stuff packed into too little a space. It didn't pull me in like Galaxy or 64 did. This game was way too over hyped.
  22. Frankie_Doodle
    Sep 13, 2020
    7
    The good:
    - movement feels great
    - fun boss fights
    - runs great

    The bad:
    - abundance of filler content
    - lack of consistent art style
    - some moves require motion controls
    - lack of challenge
  23. Angel_Sigh
    Nov 6, 2017
    7
    Umm...how can I put this...?

    Okay, I think most people would say that Nintendo has had a pretty damn amazing 2017: Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Arms, Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and now Mario Odyssey. That's an exclusive lineup of first party titles that any other publisher on earth would kill to have. It's the best year any publisher has had in a very, very long time...perhaps    Umm...how can I put this...?

    Okay, I think most people would say that Nintendo has had a pretty damn amazing 2017: Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Arms, Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and now Mario Odyssey. That's an exclusive lineup of first party titles that any other publisher on earth would kill to have. It's the best year any publisher has had in a very, very long time...perhaps ever. All of those games are excellent, a few of them are game of the year contenders on their own, and Breath Of The Wild...well, I've written a long review where I tried, and failed, to get across in just 5000 characters how good a game it is. For me BotW is the greatest game ever made, so Nintendo would have had an incredible year even if it wasn't for all the other brilliant titles they've released.

    In light of that, in light of the incredible run of form they're on, and in light of just how much I enjoyed the Mario Galaxy games - which are the only 3D mario games that Nintendo really got right - I was expecting...a lot. I bought a Switch for this(I played BotW on my Wii-U in case you were wondering) and I waited to unbox it on the day Odyssey was released and the game came in the post - all because it's an 'event' kind of game.
    It genuinely pains me to say it, and I've been fighting against the feeling for a while now, but this is just nowhere near as brilliant as Galaxy 1 or 2. I'd have a hard time saying if it's as good as Super Mario 3D World. The problems are not that numerous but they are significant:

    - It's too easy. Simple as that. A lot of people have said it, and they're right.

    - The sensation of actually getting a moon is far less rewarding than getting a star(the moons are basically the Odyssey equivalent of stars from previous Marios) in Galaxy 1/2 or SM64. This is because there are over 800(!) of them. If you've played Breath Of The Wild think of it as the equivalent of collecting Koroks and nothing else- Koroks are fun, and they're a mild diversion in BotW, but to structure an entire game around them would not be enjoyable. And it isn't. Allied to that is the fact that some, even most, of the moons are as easy as finding a Korok. This touched on the problem of difficulty again.

    - But the difficulty is probably not the main problem. I could deal with it if it wasn't for the fact that the level design is so...uninspired. For anyone who's played either Mario Galaxy, even if you didn't like it as much ass I did, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to remember some piece of level design that impressed you, something that surprised you. For me those games were full of surprising, original, mind-bowing environments - I remember, for example, a level set in a house, where all the lights went off and a spotlight began moving through the place. As long as you stayed inside the spotlight you were okay but step outside and you died. Not because you couldn't keep up, or some enemy got you in the dark, but because the _only parts of the level that existed were the parts lit by the spotlight_ and if you wandered off you just fell into black nothingness. This allowed for a whole load of clever, on-the-fly challenges as you had to keep up with the spotlight. This was such a stunning level, so breathtakingly original, that I had to rewrite the previous bit three times before I could accurately convey what happened when you played it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in anything I've played so far that comes close to that level, or the many, many ones like it in Galaxy 1 and 2. The license to experiment that came with setting Galaxy in space and zero grav environments is lost in Odyssey, which is just flat progression from island-world to island-world.

    - Which leads me onto the final significant criticism - it's open world, which a lot of people like. Personally I don't think it works for Mario. Or at least Nintendo still haven't managed to make it work. When they put Mario in tight, focused, self-contained levels it is intense and imaginative and they can experiment with the design. There's no filler in the Galaxy games because they don't involve the constant wandering around and backtracking and empty spaces that all open-world games have. I fundamentally disagree with the idea of 3D Mario games being open-world - I think the twitch gameplay and imagination and focus and intensity of 2D Marios, which I grew up on and which I love, is diluted when it's transferred to an open world. The whole ethos of Mario is pure gameplay - it's not exploration and wandering about, and that kind of stuff just doesn't suit Mario, at least not as Nintendo have done it so far.

    There are a plenty of good elements to Odyssey - the controls are very tight and some of the Cappy captures are...fun. And the costumes get a big thumbs up. But fundamentally it is just lacking in the starburst of imagination and breathtaking level design that makes Mario at his best the greatest video game character there is. I am disappointed.    … Expand
  24. frederik1478
    Aug 3, 2020
    7
    just finished Super Mario Odyssey And it was fun and I enjoyed it but it's kind of enjoy it but it's not amazing it Good games to play while you are watching something on your laptop
  25. Manc_Prophecy
    Jul 16, 2023
    7
    If like me, you grew up during a time where Saved by The Bell was a hit tv show, and Liverpool FC actually won league titles, then you'll be more familiar with the all time popular game Mario Bros. Which has through the years evolved into a game people of all ages can enjoy.

    So what does Mario Odyssey offer what other Mario games do not? Well the first most notable is the new 2 player    If like me, you grew up during a time where Saved by The Bell was a hit tv show, and Liverpool FC actually won league titles, then you'll be more familiar with the all time popular game Mario Bros. Which has through the years evolved into a game people of all ages can enjoy.

    So what does Mario Odyssey offer what other Mario games do not? Well the first most notable is the new 2 player feature, which allows players to enjoy the Mario experience with friends and family! The setup is that similar of Mario Sunshine which was an absolute ground breaking game in the series, and a much improvement on the big seller Mario 64.
    The special ability to over take enemies like Hammer bro, Goomba, Bullet bill and even a T-Rex...... A FRIGGIN' T-REX!!! An ability introduced into the game makes it really enjoyable to play, and it's good to see from Mario Sunshine that Nintendo EDP have come up with innovative ways to keep Mario fresh with a change of ideas by involving these abilities as apart of a story.

    Now I use the term "story" loosely as Mario doesn't really have a story, well a good one anyway. Now if like me you're thinking "who buys a Mario game for the story?" then I can level with you, but the fact that they have tried to implement a story (and a weak one at that) tells me that they didn't really take in consideration how weak it really was. It's so unnecessary, that you don't even need to pay any attention to it, the ending is only stupid anyway.

    It's far from an amazing game, but if you want fun and easy game time, then this is a certain purchase for you.    … Expand
  26. xgamrx365
    Oct 17, 2019
    7
    Graphics 7
    Story 6
    Gameplay 7
    Audio 7
    Fun Factor 7

    The game was designed for children, and the difficulty level falls in line. It's worth purchasing when the game is on sale.
  27. jpacor
    Feb 8, 2018
    7
    Unpopular opinion, but I found Super Mario Odyssey to be incredibly average. The graphics are great, and the game itself is funny and bizarre in all the best ways. However, as a game it is very average and there isn't a whole lot of content. This isn't really a "sandbox" game by any means, it is mostly linear, which is fine for a platformer, it just so happens that the platforming is veryUnpopular opinion, but I found Super Mario Odyssey to be incredibly average. The graphics are great, and the game itself is funny and bizarre in all the best ways. However, as a game it is very average and there isn't a whole lot of content. This isn't really a "sandbox" game by any means, it is mostly linear, which is fine for a platformer, it just so happens that the platforming is very average too. The game is definitely worth playing if you are into past Mario games and platformers, but I'd suggest being patient and waiting until the price comes down… Expand
  28. frysguineapig
    Nov 22, 2017
    7
    I like the game, but it's short, and because of the playthrough mechanic, it's a bit grindy to go back through the various worlds again, to collect more power moons.
  29. JohnGrey
    Nov 3, 2017
    7
    A decade from now, when games consumers and journalists alike look back on the present period, which I have little doubt will be recognised for the commercial and philosophical crucible that it has in fact become, I believe that Super Mario Odyssey will become the poster child for Nintendo as it currently stands, a battered dinosaur with loads of fight and talent that is doing its utmostA decade from now, when games consumers and journalists alike look back on the present period, which I have little doubt will be recognised for the commercial and philosophical crucible that it has in fact become, I believe that Super Mario Odyssey will become the poster child for Nintendo as it currently stands, a battered dinosaur with loads of fight and talent that is doing its utmost to walk the line between its shrinking Eastern and Western markets, whose disparate focuses and trends has landed it squarely in the unenviable master-of-none position. So to is Super Mario Odyssey. It would be easy to take shots at the low-hanging fruit of where the game fell to tropes and creative inconsistencies, from lifting the plucky and annoyingly explicative sidekick/minder from Zelda's playbook to the jarring artistic conflicts between the PS2 absurdist nightmare of the Luncheon Kingdom, the 360-era uncanny valley of New Donk City (which inexplicably has a cartoonish Mario character as torch-singer-in-chief) and the ripped-straight-from-Final-Fantasy Ruined Kingdom. SMO's problems, however, go deepen than that, straight through in fact to the definition of what makes a Mario game.

    Positioned like the answer to the abortive and much-debated Super Mario 64 sequel, to be fair SMO superficially ticks a few boxes in that regard, namely sandbox worlds, and mission-defined and exploration-based collectibles. That said, to this reviewer, the desperate appeal to casuals and first-timers was on parade virtually from the first moments of the game. Movement control was what one would expect from a modern 3D Mario, which is to say masterfully tight, and in the context of this game criminally wasted by the utter lack of opportunity or demand for precision jumping and platforming. Worse still, any such requirement would have been robbed of the slightest urgency by the lack of the traditional lives system, indeed of any possibility at all of losing the game. Instead, it feigns the pretence of a Sonic Boom-style currency-as-lives faux-penalty that is rendered laughably pointless by the sheer volume of coins that can be accrued with virtually no effort at all.

    Super Mario Odyssey is not a bad game at all, but it is not an especially good game either. It is a thoroughly lower-middle-of-good, baby's first Mario game that is meant unquestionably to appeal to a new, younger audience that has less love for challenges than it does for colourful guided tours whose difficulty curves fall slightly below skimming a EULA on Steam and clicking Next to continue. It will undoubtedly be championed in years to come by those that have sought something, anything, vaguely resembling the success of Nintendo's meteoric domination a generation ago. Already, polls and screeds are ferociously trotted out, generating ledes questioning whether the newcomer has eclipsed the masters of the past. From a visual and mechanical perspective, this cannot be argued nor should it be surprising, the newest iterations of technology are almost always superior. The greatest consideration, however, is the degree to which the game affects the industry as a whole. Super Mario Bros. established the platformer as ultimate genre of its time. Super Mario 64 spawned a decade of powerful and successful mascot-driven 3D platformers. Will there be a resurgence in 3D platformers following on from such a standard bearer as Super Mario Odyssey? If the performances of Yooka-Laylee and A Hat In Time are indicative, almost certainly not. In that context, Super Mario Odyssey, whilst generally (or perhaps vaguely) worthy, is, just as arguably, one more very refined horse buggy for buggy enthusiasts in a world having long since moved on to the automobile.    … Expand
  30. spectrumspecter
    Oct 28, 2017
    7
    I think 7 is realistic. The game is polished. It's fun and silly. But difficulty is notched right down. The progression feels a bit muddled also.

    The graphics look pixelated. I remind myself that a standard tablet could not run a game as smooth as this... but the jagged graphics still spoil immersion. One good thing I can say is that the gameplay feels solid: a spiritual successor to    I think 7 is realistic. The game is polished. It's fun and silly. But difficulty is notched right down. The progression feels a bit muddled also.

    The graphics look pixelated. I remind myself that a standard tablet could not run a game as smooth as this... but the jagged graphics still spoil immersion.

    One good thing I can say is that the gameplay feels solid: a spiritual successor to Mario 64 (where IMO Sunshine / Galaxy fell short). The Cappy mechanic is great.

    Finally a fresh flagship Mario on the Switch. A good showcase for the system. But it's strictly casual.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Switch Game of 2017
2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
2
#2 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
97

Universal acclaim - based on 114 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 114 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 114
  3. Negative: 0 out of 114
  1. Pocket Tactics
    Dec 3, 2024
    90
    While it was difficult to imagine how Nintendo could top previous 3D Mario adventures, Super Mario Odyssey is nigh-on perfect in almost every way. With the help of Cappy, Mario has never been as fun to control, reaching new heights and, in the hands of a skilled player, accomplishing impossible skips. You need only pick up a controller to see why this is the best modern Mario game ever.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jan 10, 2018
    100
    The best entry to the best platforming series is so ridiculously huge it’s like a theme park made of theme parks. It’s a wonderful tribute to Super Mario 64, but it’s not a lazy homage. Super Mario Odyssey draws inspiration from the superb classic to top it and everything that came after it. [13/2017, p.38]
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jan 7, 2018
    95
    Perhaps no past Mario game has ever elicited so many smiles as this, and even if every other winning aspect of its design were set aside, that reality alone would make it a masterpiece. [Issue #31 – January/February 2018, p. 39E]
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