Super Mario Odyssey was definitely the most interesting game at E3 this year and I say that after having expressed doubts about the game from the first trailer. Nintendo didn’t do itself any favors by making Mario walk around New Donk City in that trailer, but after having seen several E3 demos and the various worlds, the game looks like a great follow-up to the much-lauded Super Mario Galaxy series.
What’s even better is that it looks like Nintendo is incorporating their “open air” design that they focused on in Breath of the Wild in this newest Mario title, too. There’s plenty of hidden areas in the two levels that were showcased in the E3 demo and as an example of that, take a look at this video to see what I mean.
While on the surface the levels of Super Mario Odyssey appear to be very tightly contained, any player who explores them will find new areas that you never dreamed you’d see. The Sand Kingdom’s 2D Mario platforming sections are a great example of ways to access hidden areas and while only New Donk City and the Sand Kingdom were available in the E3 demo, it leaves me wondering what sort of secrets Nintendo is hiding in the rest of the game.
What’s even better is that Nintendo seems to have given up the rigid structure of Mario as a platformer with the Game Over screen after you lose all your lives. Instead, Super Mario Odyssey adopts the Sonic approach, with Mario losing a few coins from your total instead of ending your gameplay right there.
Overall it appears there will be 30 to 50 Power Moons per level in the game, which means you’ll have to be a crafty explorer to nab them all.
Super Mario Odyssey – $59.99
