Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

Like Breath of the Wild, Odyssey is a new entry in a long-running series that belies its age with sprightly invention, taking big risks with an established formula, and having all of them pay off handsomely. Mario might be getting on a bit, then, but a dinosaur? This astonishing adventure proves he's anything but. [Dec 2017, p.98]

Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece. It surprised me regularly, delighted me constantly, and smashed my expectations in ways I’d never have predicted. The deftly woven combination of nostalgic themes, intuitive gameplay, and incredibly inventive design make this not only the best Mario game to date, but one of the most joyful and compelling games ever made.

It’s impossible to pinpoint a fault in Super Mario Odyssey, which both elegantly and eloquently surprises and calls back to its storied history. It’s a game full of surprises; one that plays with your expectations and supersedes them in almost every way. If you have a Switch (or are yet to get one), it’s simply essential.

I’d usually count myself a completionist who’s only goal is to earn every single achievement possible, but Super Mario Odyssey showed me that there’s so much more to it than collecting things. Maybe I’ll revisit the wonder of the Cascade Kingdom and ride a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I could even play fetch with a shiba inu amongst the sand dunes, or bust out Mario’s infamous swimsuit and test my skills against an ornery octopus thirsty for revenge. The best part of getting to the game’s ending is the fact that it’s a journey of your own creation, and if you reflect on the game as a whole, it’s really a linear quest that somehow feels more freeing than the largest open-world game.

A mix of the nostalgic, the fantastical, and the wonderfully bizarre, Mario's latest adventure provides more than a dozen tantalizing playgrounds to explore. With hundreds of collectibles, Kingdoms full of delightful details, and secrets waiting around every corner, Super Mario Odyssey is bound to keep players exploring long after the credits roll.

This is another Mario all-time classic that we'll be remembering and celebrating for decades to come.

Mario's latest outing is big, bold, and bursting with new ideas, and like Breath of the Wild, is another instance of Nintendo going above and beyond to redefine our expectations. It's a shining example of refined creativity, and another crown jewel for Switch that is without equal.

Platforming perfection, full stop.

A joyful celebration - and evolution - of the Super Mario series, that encapsulates all the fun and creativity of video gaming at its very best.

Super Mario Odyssey represents a shift in direction for Mario. For about a decade we had exceptional but tightly structured 3D series entries, but this new arrival's building blocks go back to Super Mario 64. It's a very modern take on 'sandbox Mario', however - Cappy and his abilities are key additions that freshen up the formula, and we have a sizeable and diverse set of lands to explore. Odyssey will, inevitably, now enter the discussions about the 'best' Mario games. This writer won't be crowning it as number one just yet, but it is nevertheless worthy of the discussion. Particularly in the second half and post-credits it takes on a life of its own, showcasing incredible design and development flair. It's also a wonderful showcase for the Switch, and could introduce a whole new audience to the wonders of Mario in three dimensions. For the veterans among us, it's yet another special release to remind us of why Mario is still gaming's number one.