Super Mario Odyssey (NS)

[James]

I'm playing this with joycons docked to the screen and somewhat annoyed that there are moves I can't make because of this. Not enough to un-dock them, but it seems like it will be making the game more difficult than necessary. Hopefully there aren't moons that require any of the special moves to unearth.

[Metal Slime]

It's funny how the hardcore, obsessed wacko Sunshine fans thought this was *their game after all these years* when it's really the type of game Sunshine should have been and the proper, over the top sequel Mario 64 never received.

[BonusKun]

I love this game. It’s incredible. The most fun I’ve had with Mario since 64, easy.

This is pretty much my same thoughts. I literally put myself on internet black out since the game's been released. I was disgusted how many spoilers people have been posting on youtube & social media of the game before it's official release date.

[Uriel]

I've just gotten through the desert world and am about to move on. I've been getting most all of the moons in each world so far, moving pretty briskly to do so.

I love, love, love this game but I have this sense that I'm chewing through the content pretty quickly.

[Son of Bryce]

Uriel, you're really getting most of the moons in the desert before moving on? There's something like 60 of them in that stage, right? I just went back to replay the stage and still barely have more than half.

I'm digging this game because it's just so much fun. There's so many stupid and goofy moments in this game that I can't help but smile when swimming as a Cheep Cheep or whatever. Those little seed guys in the Forest level are low key hilarious for the sound they make. This game feels like Super Mario Sunshine if FLUDD was just one type of power-up. I've gotta give it up to this game just for all of the fun styles of gameplay sprinkled around.

I kind of feel like this game is like Super Mario 3D World with multiple stages layered on top of each other to make them feel like a Super Mario 64 stage. I love how the game doesn't really care about killing you. There's enough checkpoints and lives aren't a big deal so it can be challenging in certain places early on, where a lot of Mario games save the challenging stuff for later worlds. There's also so many optional detours to tempt you if you "really wanna get" those purple coins or power moons. I just did that "Jaxi" obstacle course and as frustrating as it was getting all the coins and moons, I had a lot of fun with it.

To me, it seems like the lines between Mario and Zelda have really blurred with these new games. There's some great puzzles hidden in Odyssey and it's fun just to see what's next around the corner. In the Forest stage, I completely ignored the intended path and walked up and around the edge of the tree trunk wall and ended up taking an entirely different path through the stage.

The one thing in the back of my head is "where the hell can Nintendo go from here?" It's like Zelda and Mario were their trump cards, and they've worked successfully to getting people to buy their new system. But typically once the new Zelda and Mario are out, there's always a drought of those big Nintendo releases worth buying a system for. They've ported some of their most successful Wii U games but they've still got Smash Bros, Mario Maker, possibly Bayonetta. Are we gonna see something from Retro Studios next year?

[Uriel]

Ok, I’ve gotten the ones that are visually obvious, either in the open or at the end of some structure built to lead you to them. In addition I’ve gotten some hidden ones so I’m at like 37 between the dinosaur world and the desert world. Knowing there’s that much more is reassuring.

Also I predict a Punch-Out revival to be unvieled next year. Bank on it.

[Frogacuda]

I'm playing this with joycons docked to the screen and somewhat annoyed that there are moves I can't make because of this. Not enough to un-dock them, but it seems like it will be making the game more difficult than necessary. Hopefully there aren't moons that require any of the special moves to unearth.

You can do everything docked. It's still a little annoying that you have to move the screen around while you're playing, but you can do them. To do the spinning hat through, you just twist the whole system like a steering wheel (or rotate the stick to do a spin and then throw your hat, but I find this more difficult). The up and down shakes are easy enough too.

Even docked, I'm finding I actually prefer the controllers attached.

[Frogacuda]

I don’t get Sunshine hate, it’s a serviceable Mario game amongst a bunch of great Mario games.

Everyone loves to say this but, no, it's not just bad on the Mario curve, it's a seriously flawed game, that is a slog to get actually get through. It carries over some of the "feel" and controls of 64, and those are still good, but the level design is at total odds with the design, the camera is appalling, and the missions repetitive and un-fun. It's like a 4/10.

If Mario 64 is Strider, Sunshine is Strider Returns: Yeah, the pieces are there, but it's a shit game and the fact that it has the benefit of a strong foundation to borrow from only makes that worse.

But it’s still better than most 3D platform games of that era. Jak and Daxter MAYBE is better. The Django Reinhardt-esque Delfino Plaza theme and the tropical setting elevates it.

It's well below average. I'd put it somewhere between Tork and Shadow the Hedgehog. Except I at least beat those games. Sunshine I traded in halfway through and had no desire to finish whatsoever.

Better platformers of the era include Rayman 2 (and even Rayman 3, which was bad), Billy Hatcher, I-Ninja, Wario World... It's not a high bar to beat.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

Just left Lost Island, 157 moons gathered total.
Really liked the Cloud Kingdom encounter!

[James]

Mario Sunshine didn't do it for me on release but I was binging Mario a few years back and cleared the whole thing with all Shines. It's not my favorite Mario but I liked the tropical theme, and some of the areas like the construction level with all the cranes and girders really felt like Nintendo learning how much of a 3D world needed to be filled in.