Mario Odyssey: NO SPOILERS!

[SAHSWAMPY]

aaah everyones getting the game XD... I need to get it!!!

 

[Mr. Squiggly Squid]

Yeah, sorry guys, but I really don't have time for Odyssey...
https://www.dualshockers.com/wp-con...330pm_UK_1497210155-ds1-670x456-constrain.jpg
:D

 

[swimmingknife]

Ah, I'm SUPER happy to finally have my hands on a copy. Not sure if this happened outside Canada, but I also got one of these for preordering...

Spoiler: Mario Air Freshener

In Australia we got a plush Cappy hat as a preorder bonus. I can't take a picture of my own, unfortunately, because I don't have a good camera at the moment, but this is a picture of one I found on google.

Spoiler

It's pretty cool, but a little on the small side. Or maybe I just have a big head. Either way, wearing it for too long tends to make my head hurt. But it's a nice thing to have anyway.

I've played a load more since I got the game yesterday morning, and it just keeps getting better. Though I think I'm either halfway or just over halfway through the major kingdoms at this point, and that kind of makes me hesitant to play more. I really want to play more, because it's a great game, but I also want the game to last, and that makes me want to put it off. Though that said, I'm still nowhere near 100% completion - I think I have about 60% of the Power Moons at most from the kingdoms I've visited so far, and there are a couple of kingdoms where I haven't found all the local coins yet - so even if I were to finish the main game in the next couple of days, there'd still be plenty to do.

 

[ForteReborn]

Posting a video here with Arlo discussing his thoughts with the control scheme, because it is a slight problem to anyone who has played it more than a hour. Also, it does not contain spoilers, only the introduction level if anyone is skeptical of clicking on the video.

I've played a load more since I got the game yesterday morning, and it just keeps getting better. Though I think I'm either halfway or just over halfway through the major kingdoms at this point, and that kind of makes me hesitant to play more. I really want to play more, because it's a great game, but I also want the game to last, and that makes me want to put it off. Though that said, I'm still nowhere near 100% completion - I think I have about 60% of the Power Moons at most from the kingdoms I've visited so far, and there are a couple of kingdoms where I haven't found all the local coins yet - so even if I were to finish the main game in the next couple of days, there'd still be plenty to do.

My only thing I get concern over is how easy the game is, and I only played about 10% at the moment? I am at the water place, but already feels like half of the game is blown off before I could start, and I didn't get that with either Mario 64, or Sunshine, which had more task involved with a learning curve due to old engine gimmicks.

I also do not like the catering to simply tell me how to do the controls, or constantly putting this big reminder during my crossing over to another location, I feel like I am taking a test for a essay before arriving (Give me a break, nintendo). But this is from someone who plays the Mario & Luigi, and everyone knows how badly tutorial those get!

Again, not sure I would regard this up there with Mario 64, or Sunshine, but it is close by far, and I love the gimmick of possessing things. Gives me a vibe of Space Station Silicon Valley, which did the same function.

 

[swimmingknife]

My only thing I get concern over is how easy the game is, and I only played about 10% at the moment? I am at the water place, but already feels like half of the game is blown off before I could start, and I didn't get that with either Mario 64, or Sunshine, which had more task involved with a learning curve due to old engine gimmicks.

I also do not like the catering to simply tell me how to do the controls, or constantly putting this big reminder during my crossing over to another location, I feel like I am taking a test for a essay before arriving (Give me a break, nintendo). But this is from someone who plays the Mario & Luigi, and everyone knows how badly tutorial those get!

Again, not sure I would regard this up there with Mario 64, or Sunshine, but it is close by far, and I love the gimmick of possessing things. Gives me a vibe of Space Station Silicon Valley, which did the same function.

Personally I'd say I prefer Odyssey over 64 and Sunshine at this point. Mostly because Odyssey fully takes advantage of its open-world levels. 64 and Sunshine had big, open levels to explore, sure, but there was very little to actually find most of the time. Odyssey rewards you for taking the time to explore every nook and cranny of the stage, and in my opinion it uses the open-world stage idea much better than its predecessors did. Though in fairness to those games, it was probably hardware limitation more than anything else that stopped them from being more involved.

But that said, I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure it's really fair to compare 64/Sunshine to Odyssey to begin with. A lot of people have been talking like the 3D Mario games are a spectrum of openness-to-linearity with Odyssey, 64, and Sunshine on one end, and the Galaxy games and 3D Land/World on the other. In reality I think it's more like Odyssey on one end, Galaxy/3D World/3D Land on the other, and 64/Sunshine somewhere in between.

64 and Sunshine might have had open-world levels, but they were still about going into those levels to complete a specific objective, usually with a certain general path that you had to take to get there as well. Whereas Odyssey is all about exploring the level however you want and finding stuff by yourself, with only the story-relevant stuff given as spelled-out goals. In a way it's almost a reversal of the 64/Sunshine style; lots of stated goals and a few hidden ones vs lots of hidden goals and a few stated ones. Obviously different people will have their own preferences regarding those styles, but as I mentioned before, I think the latter is a better use of the open-world levels.

As for Odyssey specifically, I think the game feels a lot shorter than it is due to the lack of breaks in gameplay. In previous Mario games you found a Star or Shine and got booted out of the level; now you stay in and get to keep exploring. In fairness it probably does make the game a bit shorter since you're not constantly travelling over the same parts of the stage again and again to get to the important parts, but I think it also just makes the game feel shorter because of the non-stop involvement. Kind of like how a lot of casinos are designed without windows so that people lose track of time and stay longer.

I've reached what I'm almost certain is the final level of the game (or at least the story), and I have close to 20 hours in it so far. I'll probably have a bit over 20 hours by the time I'm done. That probably doesn't sound like a lot given the advertised scale of the game, but it's pretty standard fare for the story of a main-series Mario game. Trying to find and collect everything is usually where you get your money's worth from Mario anyway, and Odyssey's definitely going to shine in that respect. I still only have a little over 60% of the Moons so far, and that's mostly just the ones I was able to find easily.

I definitely agree on the control reminders during level transitions though. They really get on your nerves after a while. Though thankfully you can button-mash your way through them in a few seconds anyway. The less-charitable part of me suspects that those segments were put there very deliberately as a way to hide loading times, which I guess is nicer than just staring at a blank screen, but still pretty irritating.

 

[ForteReborn]

Personally I'd say I prefer Odyssey over 64 and Sunshine at this point. Mostly because Odyssey fully takes advantage of its open-world levels. 64 and Sunshine had big, open levels to explore, sure, but there was very little to actually find most of the time. Odyssey rewards you for taking the time to explore every nook and cranny of the stage, and in my opinion it uses the open-world stage idea much better than its predecessors did. Though in fairness to those games, it was probably hardware limitation more than anything else that stopped them from being more involved.

But that said, I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure it's really fair to compare 64/Sunshine to Odyssey to begin with. A lot of people have been talking like the 3D Mario games are a spectrum of openness-to-linearity with Odyssey, 64, and Sunshine on one end, and the Galaxy games and 3D Land/World on the other. In reality I think it's more like Odyssey on one end, Galaxy/3D World/3D Land on the other, and 64/Sunshine somewhere in between.

64 and Sunshine might have had open-world levels, but they were still about going into those levels to complete a specific objective, usually with a certain general path that you had to take to get there as well. Whereas Odyssey is all about exploring the level however you want and finding stuff by yourself, with only the story-relevant stuff given as spelled-out goals. In a way it's almost a reversal of the 64/Sunshine style; lots of stated goals and a few hidden ones vs lots of hidden goals and a few stated ones. Obviously different people will have their own preferences regarding those styles, but as I mentioned before, I think the latter is a better use of the open-world levels.

As for Odyssey specifically, I think the game feels a lot shorter than it is due to the lack of breaks in gameplay. In previous Mario games you found a Star or Shine and got booted out of the level; now you stay in and get to keep exploring. In fairness it probably does make the game a bit shorter since you're not constantly travelling over the same parts of the stage again and again to get to the important parts, but I think it also just makes the game feel shorter because of the non-stop involvement. Kind of like how a lot of casinos are designed without windows so that people lose track of time and stay longer.

I've reached what I'm almost certain is the final level of the game (or at least the story), and I have close to 20 hours in it so far. I'll probably have a bit over 20 hours by the time I'm done. That probably doesn't sound like a lot given the advertised scale of the game, but it's pretty standard fare for the story of a main-series Mario game. Trying to find and collect everything is usually where you get your money's worth from Mario anyway, and Odyssey's definitely going to shine in that respect. I still only have a little over 60% of the Moons so far, and that's mostly just the ones I was able to find easily.

I definitely agree on the control reminders during level transitions though. They really get on your nerves after a while. Though thankfully you can button-mash your way through them in a few seconds anyway. The less-charitable part of me suspects that those segments were put there very deliberately as a way to hide loading times, which I guess is nicer than just staring at a blank screen, but still pretty irritating.

Right, right. This has been a major focus with exploration, especially from Breathe of the Wild. My only complaint of it was lacking specific large dungeons, and they were only replaced with miniature ones to progress through, but if you like constant exploration and discovering new things, that is the game. I shall state that it did feel like a breathe of fresh air, I will be honest.

Spoiler

I also like the fact you can decorate your ship, the Odyssey with stickers, statues, and lots more. I find this game a collect-a-thon with major replay value.

 

[Raxel920]

I just got it and it’s awesome. I just got past what I think is halfway, and I want to stop playing and savor it but I can’t pull myself away.

Though that said, I'm still nowhere near 100% completion - I think I have about 60% of the Power Moons at most from the kingdoms I've visited so far, and there are a couple of kingdoms where I haven't found all the local coins yet - so even if I were to finish the main game in the next couple of days, there'd still be plenty to do.

Spoiler

After you beat the game more moons are unlocked for each Kingdom (With the black boxes). No coins though.

 

[J'Wiz]

I'm enjoying this well enough. It feels more sluggish than the other 3D Mario games, but I'm guessing they're wanting it to feel like Mario has some weight?

For the first hour, I kept trying to control the camera with motion controls. I kept telling myself "This isn't Splatoon!". I'm having a bit of difficulty with the camera, but I'm getting the hang of it.

I already found an outfit I really like. It's the (5th level spoilers)

Spoiler

science outfit. The hair change and the coat are awesome.

Also Mario's smile when you try to save is adorable. I took a screencap, because who else will?!

Pause menu "spoilers"

Spoiler

 

[Ansible]

First 3D Mario experience for me! Still trying to get use to it. Not sure how I feel about the start up and slowdown when you're getting Mario to move or come to the stop. Makes my jumps feel kinda weird.

For the first hour, I kept trying to control the camera with motion controls. I kept telling myself "This isn't Splatoon!". I'm having a bit of difficulty with the camera, but I'm getting the hang of it.

I find myself still doing this, CONSTANTLY!!! lol

Meanwhile, there's no telling how long it'll take me to finish this game.
Game: *gives Ansible a clearly defined quest line*
Ansible: *runs off to explore everything but the obviously glowing quest marker*
Game: *automatically turns on assist mode*
Ansible: *still sightseeing and goofing off*
Game: (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻/(.□. \）

 

[SAHSWAMPY]

Also Mario's smile when you try to save is adorable. I took a screencap, because who else will?!

I've never seen Super Mario so happy in my life... XD

 

[MINKUKEL]

I've beaten it and have about 40% of the moons in the game so far, and it's absolutely better than SM64 and SMS. For starters, it's actually open-world inspired. There's moons friggin' everywhere, and if you beat the game, there's even more stuff that opens up in the kingdoms.

It's actually not really comparable to SM64 and SMS when it comes to design. There's a pretty good mix of linearity and openness going on. If you're ready to go to the next kingdom or 'save' the current one, you just go to the next waypoint, and if not, you just mess around. Really nicely done I think.

The only downside to it is that it's not very hard, but there's stuff hidden around every corner, so honestly, the exploration makes up for it.

 

[ForteReborn]

Spoiler

Dr. Pepper is back, and he is here to save science! (Vinesauce joke with Joel referencing Dr.Pepper so much)

"You know you're bein' mug, Pauline?"

 

[Sifu]

I wouldn't really say either Odyssey or 64 is better. They are comparable, and very similar in many ways, but they do take different approaches to the same concept of open world levels. In both games, you get to choose where you go in each level, and you may have a rough idea of what you are supposed to do, but you can wander off and find things.

I like 64 because I could easily 100% each level, while in Odyssey the task of 100% even a single kingdom feels overwhelming. But what Odyssey gets in return is a feeling of constant discovery that is even more intense than what 64 has.

In terms of progression from level-to-level, 64 takes the cake. Exploring Peach's Castle and finding each world made the entire game feel much more open and real, but the linear progression in Odyssey made me feel kinda weird, especially towards the end of the game. I do like the journey around the world, but ultimately it feels like an excuse to continue a trend from recent Mario games that I don't like.

Spoiler: Late game

Also, I don't like how the last three kingdoms are basically linear boss rushes. We only have 9 (10 if you count Mushroom Kingdom, which isn't unlocked until the end of the game) sandbox levels, while in 64, we had 15, plus plenty of extra levels.

 

[Foxtrot]

So I've been bindging the game the past two days and id say I'm already about 60% done with the main story so far. Honestly, I'm unsure how to feel about Odessey currently. Like others have said Odessey is its own beast, not really comparable to 64/SS at all. Yet I have this inate desire to compare it, which leaves this game in a funny spot currently.

I'm definitely enjoying the game so far, but there is also a lot I'm kinda eh about. Firstly I find the controls to be a massive issue, I honestly despise that Cappy is the main form of attack becsuse I never can use him properly due to the unneeded inclusion of motion controls(seriously Nintendo? I thought we were past this). Also while I understand that the game isnt as short as it actually is, it still feels shorter than id like. The main story feels like it will be over in about 2 more hours of gameplay which is really gonna suck.

I'm just hoping the end game rewards are good.

 

[Green Waffles]

SPOILER ALERT
Mario saves Peach
Peach saves Mario with radishes and crying
Mario kills Dumbledore(not Snape), attends Bowser and Peach's wedding as the best man, then runs off to start an 80s rock band with Pauline.
I've yet to think up a reason to buy this game sadly. I grew up playing Mario games, but I don;t see me playing this enough over Splatoon 2 to make the purchase worth it.
'3'

 

[MINKUKEL]

So I've been bindging the game the past two days and id say I'm already about 60% done with the main story so far. Honestly, I'm unsure how to feel about Odessey currently. Like others have said Odessey is its own beast, not really comparable to 64/SS at all. Yet I have this inate desire to compare it, which leaves this game in a funny spot currently.

I'm definitely enjoying the game so far, but there is also a lot I'm kinda eh about. Firstly I find the controls to be a massive issue, I honestly despise that Cappy is the main form of attack becsuse I never can use him properly due to the unneeded inclusion of motion controls(seriously Nintendo? I thought we were past this). Also while I understand that the game isnt as short as it actually is, it still feels shorter than id like. The main story feels like it will be over in about 2 more hours of gameplay which is really gonna suck.

I'm just hoping the end game rewards are good.

The game only becomes better as you complete it. I think the point is that the 'story'/beating the game isn't the main focus or goal this time aruond. I was hesitant at first too to beat the game so quickly, but ultimately beating this game is more of an arbritrary thing.

And why don't you just control Cappy with the Y button? The whole reason there are extra motion controls only while playing with seperate joycons should clue you in on the superfluous nature of them. The only thing you can't do without them is throwing up and down and you never need that.

 

[Sifu]

The game only becomes better as you complete it. I think the point is that the 'story'/beating the game isn't the main focus or goal this time aruond. I was hesitant at first too to beat the game so quickly, but ultimately beating this game is more of an arbritrary thing.

And why don't you just control Cappy with the Y button? The whole reason there are extra motion controls only while playing with seperate joycons should clue you in on the superfluous nature of them. The only thing you can't do without them is throwing up and down and you never need that.

Montion Controls also enable the cap spin, which is a really useful move. I’m personally fine with motion controls when they work (see my appreciation for ARMS), but unfortunately the gesture is very finicky. One moment I’m able to spin Cappy by jerking the Switch from side to side, the next moment, it sends Cappy flying up in the air, and I have to rotate the Switch to spin Cappy. I don’t know what algorithms they are using for the motion controls, but they need polishing.

But looking at ARMS and Splatoon, I know Nintendo is very capable of making motion controls work, and I think it is a good thing they are pursuing them, even if they aren’t always hitting bullseyes.

 

[Flareth]

Rant aside, this is far and away the best Mario game I've played since Mario 64 (and maybe even better than that). But I do have one question:

Spoiler: Level layouts and Moons

So, you know about the moons that require you to find a warp painting in another level to access a special far-off platform in the host level? Well, I got stuck trying to figure out how to get the one in the Cascade Kingdom until I finally looked up a guide, which told me the painting was in the Snow Kingdom.

Thing is, when I went there, the painting I found took me to the Lake Kingdom instead. The actual Cascade warp was in the Seaside Kingdom instead.

You'd think the guide I used was merely mistaken, but both that and another source I found had a picture along with it that clearly showed a Cascade Kingdom painting where it wasn't in my game, and I kinda doubt that'd be the thing someone would photoshop.

Can anyone check to see what's there in their copy of the game? I'm curious to know what's behind this disparity.

 

[Sifu]

Rant aside, this is far and away the best Mario game I've played since Mario 64 (and maybe even better than that). But I do have one question:

Spoiler: Level layouts and Moons

So, you know about the moons that require you to find a warp painting in another level to access a special far-off platform in the host level? Well, I got stuck trying to figure out how to get the one in the Cascade Kingdom until I finally looked up a guide, which told me the painting was in the Snow Kingdom.

Thing is, when I went there, the painting I found took me to the Lake Kingdom instead. The actual Cascade warp was in the Seaside Kingdom instead.

You'd think the guide I used was merely mistaken, but both that and another source I found had a picture along with it that clearly showed a Cascade Kingdom painting where it wasn't in my game, and I kinda doubt that'd be the thing someone would photoshop.

Can anyone check to see what's there in their copy of the game? I'm curious to know what's behind this disparity.

I’m going to guess that this could be caused by

Spoiler

whichever one you choose to go to first gets hooked up with one, then the second goes to the other. But It’ll be good to see more data about this.

 

[J'Wiz]

The motion controls for the cap throw are pretty awkward. There is a motion for throwing your cap upwards that only works for me 30% of the time. Admittedly it's still helpful. There's the spinning cap throw, and then there's ROLLIN' AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! The fast Sonic roll is really useful when speed is a priority.

I beat the main story of the game myself. Like everyone else, I really enjoyed it. This game did so many things right. Gushing in spoiler box.

Spoiler: Postgame spoilers

The references to the earlier games weren't as heavy-handed as they could have been with the exception of the Super Mario Bros ones. Admittedly references to Super Mario Bros will always be obnoxious, so I guess that's just the way of Mario life. When Mario rescues Peach, they play the theme from Mario Bros 3 where she is rescued, and I couldn't help but squee at that. Chargin' Chuck's return was welcome for me, along with the noise from Super Mario World when you kill him. Finally there's a star in Peach's Castle. It's when you stand on the sun carpet and look at the ceiling. I wish the star said "Sorry, no wing cap here.", but just having a star in that location is still something I got needlessly excited over.

New Donk City was awesome. It's such a fun place to explore. Sure you have city shenanigans in other games, but this is the only time you get to do them as Mario! Also the final story scene was marvelous. "Jump Up Super Star" playing while reliving Donkey Kong, while all of those people cheer me on gave me a rush. I was also wearing a Mafia outfit.

There's no shortage of cool outfits in the game. I did not expect it actually. I figured there might be one or two outfits per stage, but nope. There's way more than that. I even get to dress as Weegee.

Kind of disappointed in Ruined Kingdom. Such an edgelord kingdom, and there's not even that much to it. I wanted to collect some purple coins and buy a Hot Topic shirt.