Super Mario Odyssey (Peach as Penelope Confirmed)

I have yet to fall for the game in the way that I expected. It's possibly because I'm not very far in but I'm not gripped, not thoroughly obsessed, like I was with Galaxy or its sequel. Moons are thrown at you like confetti and I feel that I've only really earned maybe five of the thirty-odd in my collection so far. This sentiment is subject to change, of course: one of the main reasons I'm posting it at all is to hasten the moment where I can look back on it and laugh at Past Zero for his foolishness.

I recently found out via twitter that Mario does different hand gestures when collecting moons & they refer to past games.

First of all: bugger me with a spoon it's Fronky!  (Please don't actually.)  Cappa will be overjoyed.  Hello sir, how's tricks?  We should actually arrange to meet up in London at some point.

I feel like it's far too early to say what will and won't have replay value ten years down the line!  Especially given that you've given two of the most irritating bloody Shines as examples of replayability...  There are certainly some Moons that feel like giveaways, I mentioned this earlier on, and I do wish they'd been replaced by some lesser collectable (Moon fragments maybe?  Red Coins?).  But I'm actually quite enjoying the combination of linearity and exploration.  It feels like the best bits of SM64 combined with the best bits of the Galaxies.  Also the kingdoms you mention are the exact opposite to those Andy and Jas mention, so... something for everyone?

Mind you, I'm kind of hoping that Zero fails to get on with this - because then it will show that his taste is objectively wrong, and Bravely Second can take the place it deserves in the GNamer JRPG Pantheon.  Which is above every Dragon Quest game.

I'm at New Donk City:

And now I've finished it...:

Finally - that is a really charming touch Jas mentioned.  The Nintendo difference.

Thanks for the warm welcome

I'm alright - quite tired to be honest. But aren't we all these days?

You're right, I am too quick to assess the game's charms a decade later! But you know what I mean - there's something about the physics, set level layouts and tightly-packed levels in 64 and Sunshine that make them irresistible to return to, since you can practically pick a star/shine and off you go, there's your objective to tackle in a new way.

I can see where Zero is coming from, too, the game is very eager to dish out rewards which can make a large proportion of Moons feel trivial. Moons are more an incentive to just explore. It's certainly different, but since it does mean all kinds of players can progress through the game I don't mind it so much. Though it does mean you end up stumbling across difficult moons unintentionally rather than knowing they are there...but is that necessarily a bad thing?

I just got all the moons in Forgotten Isle. Definitely one of the best kingdoms in the game! There's an excellent piece over at Eurogamer about all the ways it piques your curiosity. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-11-02-mario-odyssey-encourages-curiosity-and-what-higher-praise-is-there

Spoiler:

Edit: Zero puts in a spoiler tag.

As you's know I am not too keen on handheld mode for Switch but having played a handful of hours of SMO like this I've had no problems that I get with other games, all the controls feel exactly the same I may as well be playing with a pro controller.

The fact I don't have to adjust the camera very much is a massive plus.

Sorry to hear that Fronk, I am indeed also quite tired.  Looking forward to bed - but after my day's writing, a certain game is demanding attention...

I do know what you mean, but I'm hoping Odyssey's levels will mostly feel the same.  I know you mentioned Cascade as one where it doesn't, but I can see that one working (not really gone back to it yet): it feels a bit like a modernised Bob-Omb Battlefield to me.  It even has the Chomps!

The Forgotten Isle is class, no complaints there.  Oh, one: no boss.  The bosses in this game continue to be great (apart from the rabbits who remain decent enough.  Point is, they're not Boom Boom).  Every level should have one!

Re. handheld mode, this is one game where I do definitely prefer playing it on the telly, more so than BotW... but that's mostly because of the ambience of the levels, and wanting to absorb myself in it.  The motion controls I can mostly ignore to be honest.  And coming off of the Galaxies and SM64, the camera is excellent: a real plus for a 3D platformer.

i luv dis gaem. I want to read more about your favourite moments! Put 'em in spoiler tags with the point at which they occur in the title, but please do post them!

"My favourite moments", eh Ballawriter? Well...

My 'funny' answer; mid-game level content:

My genuine answer, or at least the first one I thought of; early- to mid-game level content:

I thought Jas you wouldn't like on a handheld due to the motion control for some moves, which I know some can be done buttons and sticks but not all of them. Also what hasn't felt right to control on the Switch in handheld mode as they're same in terms of button layout part from the D-Pad. I have issue with big games on handheld mode but

On the Moon front given out like candy on Halloween, is that because of the handheld nature of the Switch. You can load it up, get a few moons in a minutes then turn off.

Same could be said of Zelda, do a Shrine and then finish.

Just I don't do that all my session on Mario have been about 4hrs long.

mas wrote:

I thought Jas you wouldn't like on a handheld due to the motion control for some moves, which I know some can be done buttons and sticks but not all of them. Also what hasn't felt right to control on the Switch in handheld mode as they're same in terms of button layout part from the D-Pad.

It's mainly games that use the right analogue stick fairly heavily like: Spla2n, MHXX & BotW as I can never find a comfy position to place my hands. As for SMO motion controls? I rarely use them, in fact I've only needed to use them when taking control of certain enemies that I need to make jump higher.

Another thing I'm liking is making Mario cosplay various movie characters.

Mario outfit possibilities:

ZeroJones wrote:

"My favourite moments", eh Ballawriter? Well...

Yes!  Zero's last two posts are exactly the sort of thing I'd love to see more of here.  I genuinely feel that anyone who owns this game, and makes a post on this forum on any given day without mentioning at least something they loved about SMO, should be banned.*

Re. Zero's first spoiler:

Re. his second:

Re. the outfits - yes.  This is what Mario's all about, finding new great ways to enjoy the game.

And now, a couple of my 'wow' moments (with the exception of that one New Donk bit that'll be on everyone's list):

Tostarena, general exploration:

Tostarena, story progression:

Gardens level, general exploration:

Snow level, story progression:

Crystal vegetable level that you've all seen in trailers, general exploration:

Finally, general exploration, several levels:

The crystal veggie level's where I am thus far.  The 'bitty moons' may indeed be a concession to handheldness, but I hope not every Nintendo Switch game concedes to handheldness.  I'm hoping for the best of both worlds, not compromises (weird though it feels to refer to [currently] my two favourite games ever as 'compromises').

*For seven seconds.

I'm on the same level as you are Balla - spent ages in the Sand Kingdom but I've more or less being covering the story moons in the Kingdoms after that. I'm planning to properly comb each level for moons after I've beaten the game.

One of my favourite moments so far...

New Donk Spoilers:

I've not seen that!  My own fault for looking under spoiler tags I'd not fully examined.

I've now finished Vegeworld...

and:

I'm waiting until postgame for full exploration too.  Right now I want to get to the final boss and stop being spoiled!

Horrifying costume combination:

JayMoyles wrote:

I'm on the same level as you are Balla - spent ages in the Sand Kingdom but I've more or less being covering the story moons in the Kingdoms after that. I'm planning to properly comb each level for moons after I've beaten the game.

One of my favourite moments so far...

New Donk Spoilers:

I risked looking at the spoiler but thankfully I had done that bit, so much fun.

----

I do love the outfits in SMO too as it just adds that little bit extra charm to Mario when you have him in one that fits the kingdom you're in.

Balladeer wrote:

and:

Spoiler chat:

I beat the game last night! Honestly, I feel like I've barely dipped into the game properly though. Going back through some of the previous kingdoms to unearth Moons has been a treat thus far - the game just keeps on surprising me! Insanely good.

Postgame and Final Boss Spoilers:

Absolutely not:

Anyway, kingdom after that:

And now (after that):

Should finish the main story tonight or tomorrow, I think. Whaddagame.

Final level (I think) - slightly disappointed:

I'm now bottling out of my run to Bowser to go try that jump rope moon. Just because I know I'll hate it and I want it out of the way.

So, with each new Kingdom I explore & new enemy I absorb I think it'd be impossible for them to go back to Mario's old power ups as they'd just seem so boring in comparison. In fact the majority of them you could base around an entire game.

I don't know about that. I still don't think there's anything quite as grand as Ice Mario, or the Wing Cap, that I've experienced so far in SMO. Fire Mario can do one though.

Gwyn400 wrote:

Final boss spoiler:

...damn, I wish I'd gone with my gut/as a Samurai now!

Anyway, after becoming ROPE JUMP CHAMP and failing to find that Jay spoiler thing, I beat the game!

And what a final sequence:

Balla wrote:

I don't know about that. I still don't think there's anything quite as grand as Ice Mario, or the Wing Cap, that I've experienced so far in SMO. Fire Mario can do one though.

Being a....

Spoiler:

Erm... agree to disagree?  Zero said it elsewhere, that most of the transformations actually slow things down.  While I don't think that's a bad thing, I still prefer the more fast-paced power-ups in general, like the Ice Flower.  And while the transformation you mention is great, it's still not as freeing a form of three-dimensional transport as the Wing Cap.  Even if that use you mention is better than anything the cap is used for, it can't compete in terms of pure movement.

Actual, genuine criticism about the postgame:

Picking nits, I know.  I am having a night's break before I crack on with the postgame!

Also (ending chat):