elwingo
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Super Mario Bros. is an interesting series. It started with easy and convenient 2-D platforming fun, then transitioned to 3-D, some more 2-D, and has gone on that cycle for years. Ever since the cycle of 2-D and 3-D every few years, starting with New Super Mario Bros, it progressively gets more and more stale. The last Mario game within the span of New Super Mario Bros. and Odyssey that had mechanics that differed from other titles was Super Mario Galaxy in 2008. I feel if the Switch hadn't came, and the mind of Shigeru Miyamoto didn't click so hard for this one, this would've been the beginning of slow downfall for Nintendo's golden-boy.
Nintendo and Miyamoto-sensei have perfected their craft on this one, beginning simply with just the mechanics. They eb and flow of the game is just simply perfect. The game has some of the best platforming mechanics ever created in video games. Mario's animations in the game are humanoid and cartoonish, in a way that isn't jank. The game works very similarly to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in how there are very basic moves available, and you can combine moves to master and make combos, which is normal in most fighting games. But in this case, it's a 3-D platformer. How did they achieve that? The simple sows of leather made it possible. The newest companion to Mario, Cappy. Cappy provides for great movement and mobility, and is like the back-rest for the level designers whenever they are in a situation where they need Mario to head in a certain direction. Direction is extremely important in open-zone/world games, and the camera is just perfect for this game in that case. Most people who play the game don't even realize how astonishingly well the camera flows into the game. There isn't a point where you just suddenly go "Hey! Why's it doing that?", or just suddenly start struggling with the perspective. It built on Super Mario 64's camera, which had inspired most 3-D games and platformers you know today, and fixed all it's limitations and problems. The movement and camera control compliment each other in a way I haven't experienced much in video games. There still are two things lingering above my head that I haven't mentioned up to this point. The level design, and story. To begin, I think the level design is almost flawless. The game knew it's audience and prepared many routes for the player to use.
Beginner: Most likely a child or person who hasn't experienced Mario or many video games.
Moderate: Maybe has played Mario and is playing it safe.
Normal: Expected route, made for everybody.
Hard: Has played Mario, challenging themself.
Speedrunner: Has already played Mario and the game itself before, going to skip all routes.
The game doesn't outwrite tell you this on your normal menu screen, but through my many playthroughs, I can confidently tell you this was planned from the beginning. Little hints are given through block placement, signs, even in the Odyssey leaning you to different routes depending on your level of play. I absolute adore this and gives great playability, even if you aren't a speedrunner. And the levels itself, oh boy it's fun. The game imitates the feeling of being a speedrunner and the clean dopamine rush going through your head when using Cappy. Anyone who has played Odyssey can tell you, the feeling when you hit your first cap-jump. (Being a dive (ZL + Y) and then throw cappy (Y)) Some of the best instances of level design I can list are:
2-D Moons
Metro Kingdom
Sand Kingdom
Moon Kingdom
etc.
The story featured in the game is your average Mario story. Though this story was about the same as your 2-D Mario games, and certainly a worse story than Super Mario Galaxy, I felt very attached, some how. I did want to save Princess Peach. I did want to stop Bowser. This was a feeling I never really felt before for most 2-D Mario games. I usually just save the 'damsel' and go on with my day, having completed a decently fun experience. However, I think I figured out why I felt more attached. The other games previewed a one-perspective story to show. I think we needed a new way to look into Mario, to actually understand his journey. We weren't previewed, we watched, enjoyed, loved. This is no longer a story to show.
It's an epic to tell.
Nintendo and Miyamoto-sensei have perfected their craft on this one, beginning simply with just the mechanics. They eb and flow of the game is just simply perfect. The game has some of the best platforming mechanics ever created in video games. Mario's animations in the game are humanoid and cartoonish, in a way that isn't jank. The game works very similarly to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in how there are very basic moves available, and you can combine moves to master and make combos, which is normal in most fighting games. But in this case, it's a 3-D platformer. How did they achieve that? The simple sows of leather made it possible. The newest companion to Mario, Cappy. Cappy provides for great movement and mobility, and is like the back-rest for the level designers whenever they are in a situation where they need Mario to head in a certain direction. Direction is extremely important in open-zone/world games, and the camera is just perfect for this game in that case. Most people who play the game don't even realize how astonishingly well the camera flows into the game. There isn't a point where you just suddenly go "Hey! Why's it doing that?", or just suddenly start struggling with the perspective. It built on Super Mario 64's camera, which had inspired most 3-D games and platformers you know today, and fixed all it's limitations and problems. The movement and camera control compliment each other in a way I haven't experienced much in video games. There still are two things lingering above my head that I haven't mentioned up to this point. The level design, and story. To begin, I think the level design is almost flawless. The game knew it's audience and prepared many routes for the player to use.
Beginner: Most likely a child or person who hasn't experienced Mario or many video games.
Moderate: Maybe has played Mario and is playing it safe.
Normal: Expected route, made for everybody.
Hard: Has played Mario, challenging themself.
Speedrunner: Has already played Mario and the game itself before, going to skip all routes.
The game doesn't outwrite tell you this on your normal menu screen, but through my many playthroughs, I can confidently tell you this was planned from the beginning. Little hints are given through block placement, signs, even in the Odyssey leaning you to different routes depending on your level of play. I absolute adore this and gives great playability, even if you aren't a speedrunner. And the levels itself, oh boy it's fun. The game imitates the feeling of being a speedrunner and the clean dopamine rush going through your head when using Cappy. Anyone who has played Odyssey can tell you, the feeling when you hit your first cap-jump. (Being a dive (ZL + Y) and then throw cappy (Y)) Some of the best instances of level design I can list are:
2-D Moons
Metro Kingdom
Sand Kingdom
Moon Kingdom
etc.
The story featured in the game is your average Mario story. Though this story was about the same as your 2-D Mario games, and certainly a worse story than Super Mario Galaxy, I felt very attached, some how. I did want to save Princess Peach. I did want to stop Bowser. This was a feeling I never really felt before for most 2-D Mario games. I usually just save the 'damsel' and go on with my day, having completed a decently fun experience. However, I think I figured out why I felt more attached. The other games previewed a one-perspective story to show. I think we needed a new way to look into Mario, to actually understand his journey. We weren't previewed, we watched, enjoyed, loved. This is no longer a story to show.
It's an epic to tell.