Beyond The Parks

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Today we're taking a little break from theme parks to give you a review of one of the biggest games of the year, Super Mario Odyssey. 

Just like he did with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild earlier this year, Josh is going to take you through the in's and out's of the game, no spoilers, we promise!! 
Written by Joshua Condon
​Around the time Super Mario Odyssey was close to being released I was excited. But generally I don't get as excited for a new Mario game as much as say a new Zelda game. I knew Mario Odyssey was going to be good, but I didn't think it would meet the level of quality and critical acclaim as Zelda. 
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​Boy was I wrong.
To say that Super Mario Odyssey is good would be an understatement. It effectively takes what has worked in Mario's 30 plus years of being on top of the gaming world and seamlessly meshes it into one incredible experience, with a few very minor shortcomings.
The story is standard Mario procedure. Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach, now with the intention of marriage, and Mario has to save her. It's simple, but Mario has never had a super detailed story unless it's an RPG.

The only addition is that Cappy, Mario's new companion, has had his sister Tiara taken by Bowser as well. What follows is essentially a wild goose chase across all the different kingdoms as Bowser makes preparations for his "Royal Wedding."

​Its simple but its a fun story to follow.
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​Speaking of the kingdoms, they are without a doubt the biggest worlds in Mario history and are jam packed with content. Everywhere you go there is something to see and do, something that feels like the development of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had a hand in. 
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​The sole factor that has kept Mario going for so many years is the game play, and that is no different here. Mario is as mobile as ever, he can jump, dive in the air, roll into a ball for speed, and throw his cap to get some extra distance.

It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, I feel absolutely confident in saying that this is the best Mario has ever felt. However, that new hat of his has a trick up its sleeve. If you throw your hat towards anything with a head, given that its not wearing a hat, you are able to 'cap'ture' it, meaning you take total control over it.

See an area out of reach? Just capture a paragoomba and fly away to it.

​See invisible floors with the moe-eyes. Glide with Glidon. The possibilities are seemingly endless. It makes traveling around the world that much more fun.
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​Now with all those additions, there had to be a change to the 3D Mario formula. Usually, you select a level and a star you want to go after, and when you get it in most cases, you are sent out of the level. That is not the case here.

​You select the kingdom, and you are free to get any of the collectibles, now moons, in any order you want, and you don't leave when you collect one. The structure feels like Nintendo 64 classic Banjo and Kazooie more than anything, and I love it. 
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​Now, the game is not without issues. They are very minor and don't lessen how good this game is, I just thought I would note them.

The game is short, beating the game takes a little over 6 hours, which is actually normal for Mario games. Now that does not mean the game is short. More than half of the moons are locked behind the final boss.

There are a staggering 999 moons available to get in Mario Odyssey, but you can only get just under 500 before the final boss.

​Its not a bad thing to have post-game content, but I just wish that they could've balanced it a little better. It does not at all make the game worse I just thought I would mention that. The game is also on the easy side, but there are challenges later on that more than make up for it.
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Super Mario Odyssey shows that Mario is still Mr. Video Game, even after 36 years. It is truly a fantastic game, and the best Mario game in a long time, one that rivals the level of quality as Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario 64.

I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of Mario, and one that rivals the quality of even Breath of the Wild. Which one is better will vary from person to person, but that should show how incredible this game is.

​Nintendo is back up on top once again thanks to the Switch.
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