‘selecting’ a Moon at the beginning of a level isn’t required, unlike in previous games where doing so would alter the level depending on which Star you were after. The majority of which are discoverable from the get-go – i.e. Exploration is actively encouraged in Odyssey, and the collectible Moons are littered throughout each world. New Donk City is a sprawling urban zone with nooks and crannies in between buildings all very satisfying to uncover, and the Sand Kingdom is a vast desert filled with fun little landmarks.

The worlds do vary in size, with the larger proving to be more memorable and exciting. This is a welcome move, with the exploration element added back into the mix to complement the tight 3D platforming. The technical details like textures, shadowing and lighting are all excellent throughout the experience, are amongst the best on Switch.īig Worlds: Odyssey marks a switch back from the more linear courses of the Galaxy Games and 3D World to the expansive, open design of games like Mario 64 and Sunshine. The most successful are those that stay more aligned the traditonal cartoonish Mario universe aesthetic – the Luncheon Kingdom and Seaside Kingdom in particular- with the vibrant colours and Pixar-esque animated characters bursting out of the screen. There is more variety in terms of level themes than in any previous Mario game (more in this later) with every level sporting its own visual flair.

I want to just pick him up and gobble him down. With Mario himself, it feels like Nintendo have finally nailed the look they’d been going for with previous Mario models, with the plumber excuding an almost edible quality.

Graphics: Mario and his surrounding environment have never looked better.

Worlds super mario odyssey