A few weeks ago, I got dragged down a rabbit-hole discussion of what defines a "core" Mario game . One proposed definition relied on Mario trying to reach an explicit "goal point" or exit at the end of the level.

While a core Mario game could have secondary goals (like collecting red coins or one-ups) and while there might be multiple exits in a single level, getting from the start to the end has always been a defining characteristic of his adventures. Even more open 3D games like Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy have retained this model to some extent, ending with a run through the level and putting Mario back to the start after he collects a star (or "shine").

By this strict definition, Super Mario Odyssey can't really be considered a core Mario game at all. The game's wide-open "Kingdoms" don't have any set end points, instead they exist more as spaces to run and jump around at your leisure. When you stumble on one of the many power moons that are Mario's most explicit goals within these levels, the exploring continues on from that same point after a short animation. On top of that, you only need to collect a small handful of these available moons before you're allowed to move on to the next Kingdom (and back) at your leisure.

This may sound like a small difference, but it changes the flow and feel of the standard Mario adventure in a profound way. Super Mario Odyssey is decidedly not a game about getting from point A to point B. Instead, it's a game about just having a wander, getting lost in inventive environments, and seeing what happens.

Many moons

While there have been plenty of hidden secrets in previous Mario games, Odyssey seems more explicit about making those hidden gems the point of the adventure. Secret areas that might have hidden a power-up or cache of coins in another Mario game are much more likely to hide one of the game's hundreds of power moons in Odyssey. These secret locales therefore reward players with a much more concrete and countable bounty for your aimless exploration.

Most levels have dozens upon dozens of these power moons to find, and dozens more become available only in the end-game after the main credits have rolled. At first glance, it seems almost impossible that these Kingdoms have enough room to house the dozens of power moons listed in the game's checklist. Then you start exploring and finding those hidden nooks and crannies that aren't visible in those first panoramas, discovering just how dense the rising, twisting, layered level design can be.

























A skippable story

I don't want to dwell too much on the paper-thin plot in Super Mario Odyssey, because it's not a major focus of the game. Still, the now-classic " I don't want to dwell too much on the paper-thin plot in Super Mario Odyssey, because it's not a major focus of the game. Still, the now-classic " save the princess " motif is looking more dated than ever as presented in Odyssey. This time around, Bowser is explicitly kidnapping Peach to be his forced bride, which is a kind of horrifying idea if you put more than five seconds of thought into its G-rated presentation. The game puts a sharp point on this plotline by introducing the Broodals, four bunny-like wedding planners that hound Mario through the various kingdoms while looking for wedding necessities like a cake, a ring, a gown, etc. A slight "girl power" twist for the princess near the end of the game doesn't do much to reduce the retrograde simplicity and extremely dated gender roles that are in full force here. While the easy-to-ignore plot isn't enough to ruin the game, it does drag the experience down just a bit, and comes off much tackier in extended hi-res cut scenes than it ever did in instruction book arcana.



With hundreds of moons to find, some end up being more interesting than others. You'll occasionally find a moon simply hovering right in your path, seemingly rewarding you just for existing at this point in the game. Others announce their presence through a rainbow glow from a nondescript crate, or they're given to you simply for talking to one of the heavily animated citizens standing around a Kingdom's central town.

For the most part, though, the designers show a lot of imagination coming up with new and engaging tasks for Mario to complete. Often you'll see a moon on a high ledge and wonder how in the world Mario can jump high enough or far enough to reach it before exploring a bit more and finding the correct path hidden in some out-of-the-way place. Many moons tax your powers of observation, making you look for that hidden hole in the wall or becoming visible only when you turn the camera back around that blind corner you ran past earlier.

Some moons made me grin with their absurdity, like a race between rotund, bouncing yetis or a quest to park a motor scooter on a skyscraper rooftop. Some moons made me laugh out loud with their unexpectedness, like when a glowing, moon-hoarding pigeon just happened to fly into my path inside the urban-inspired Metro Kingdom. And some made me nearly throw my controllers in frustration, like a timed challenge that saw a moon disappear just a split second before I could get Mario to reach it.