Nintendo never fails to amaze me with their ingenious game design and Mario Odyssey is no exception. The ability to transform into creatures with a throw of Mario's hat never stopped being fun, and it was an awesome shake up to the already tried and tested Mario formula. The game had a perfect difficulty curve and some of the end game content was still a good challenge for any Mario veteran. I squeezed every last bit out of this game all the way up until 100% completion. A great introduction for Mario onto the Nintendo Switch and a game that brought me so much joy. It was also just as fun sitting down and watching my partner play once I had convinced her to give it a try. Nintendo and Mario very rarely disappoint!

What more is there to say about this game that hasn't already been said? I was introduced to the game by a friend not long after it first came out. I remember at the time scoffing at the graphics, not yet being old enough to appreciate that a video game can be so much more than that. Little did I know at the time that this game would go on to become an obsession that would keep me playing for hours upon hours, both playing with friends and surviving alone in my own unique world. I fondly remember gaming sessions with friends where we would all struggle to play on our cheap, ancient laptops. However it is a testament to the game that this never spoilt our enjoyment. The game grew with me over the years as I began to upgrade my gaming setups, until the very proud day when I was finally able to switch my render distance to 'far'! Unfortunately as the years have gone on I have found myself returning to Minecraft less and less, and the slightly repetitive nature of the game keeps me from giving a 5 star rating. Nonetheless, Minecraft will always give me very fond memories of my childhood and I'll be forever grateful for the countless hours I spent playing this game with friends.