Unlike other Mario games, Super Mario Odyssey does not use the old fashion lives system. As we’ve pointed out before, instead of a Game Over screen, players will simply lose 10 coins and start at the nearest checkpoint.
See also: Shirtless Mario with nipples is freaking people out.
Now Nintendo has explained why they ditched the good ‘ol lives system for a more modern solution. In an upcoming issue of GameInformer, game director Kenta Motokura spoke about the subject:
“We thought about how a lives system would work in this kind of broad, exploration-focused game. In this sort of game, there would be a lot of different restart points. We decided not to use the lives system because it was not an element that was absolutely necessary.
We also thought that it would affect some users’ desire to play because, while users who are good at the game would rarely see the (game over) screen that comes up when Mario runs out of lives, inexperienced users would probably end up seeing it frequently.”
The lives system isn’t the only gameplay change in Super Mario Odyssey. The game also removes the 1UP system.
Super Mario Odyssey launches later this month exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. A recent tech analysis of the game revealed that Nintendo has increased resolution of the game since it was showcased at E3.
