Matt Skidmore bought Super Mario Odyssey on the day of its release and beat it the very next day.
“A lot of people are saying that the game is really short,” Skidmore, a junior studying games and animation, said. “But I think there’s a lot more to it than what people are giving it.”
Super Mario Odyssey is Nintendo’s latest 3-D Mario game where players play as a character who looks like a plumber, exploring many different worlds and trying to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.
He said he has “thoroughly enjoyed” the collecting aspect.
Taylor Rohrig, a senior studying games and animation, said the game makes players addicted to collecting coins and moons which allows them to unlock more of the world within the game.
“The Mario games have always been these big, bright colorful worlds, that unlike (The Legend of Zelda) games, they’re kind of quirky,” she said. “You’re just this little tiny plumber man ... the adventures you go on are so above and beyond and so ridiculous.”
Rohrig said she owns a Nintendo Switch and thinks the Mario and Zelda games are the only big franchises currently supporting the system.
Odyssey reminds her a lot of the original Super Mario 64 because they share the “same aesthetic.”
Rohrig said that game was the first in the franchise to incorporate three-dimensional graphics, making it the forerunner for future Mario games that would integrate new mechanics.
“For Odyssey, the biggest mechanic is the hat, so you can become other creatures,” she said. “One of the main advertising points is using the hat to transform into a dinosaur.”
James Vangelos, a junior studying computer science, said he enjoys the new tools each new 3-D Mario game offers because of the player’s ability to use the tools beyond their intended purpose.
“Just focusing on how you use that tool makes (the game) different,” Vangelos said. “Skilled players can use them to progress through the game faster than casual players.”
Mario games have always been about utilizing one mechanic throughout an entire game, Skidmore said.
“The mechanic of being able to throw Cappy (Mario’s cap) … opens the world in Super Mario Odyssey to a lot of different variations of play,” he said.
Cappy has many different purposes besides hitting enemies and dormant objects, Skidmore said. A player can use the hat as a platform to reach higher ground and open up secret rooms.
The game goes against the normal “couch co-op” vibe of many other Mario games, Rohrig said. She said those games are 2-D platformers that feel more satisfying when competing with friends.
“You have a better experience with the 3-D games when you want to actually get engulfed in the game and not so much get engulfed in your friends,” she said.
Vangelos only played 2-D Mario games during his childhood, but now he enjoys the 3-D games much better because of their solid design. The newer games give players a new challenge by seeing how they interact when another dimension is added.
Older Mario games have a special place in Rohrig’s heart because she grew up with the franchise. Her favorite one is Super Mario Sunshine.
“When I was little, I used to always play it when I was sick because I thought it would make me feel better,” Rohrig said.
She said the Mario games receive a nostalgic boost by catering to children and adults alike, but a fan had to grow up with the games for them to have such a powerful impact.
Skidmore bought, played and beat all of the 3-D Mario games. Now, it seems like a “duty” of his to complete Odyssey.
He said he remembers playing Mario games as a kid and being really impressed with how much the computer graphics could simulate a real world, and he still views the animation style with the same amazement. Being a 3-D animator himself, he wants to look at the work of others and see how their artistic styles may influence a future project.
Skidmore said people new to video games and casual players can still find something they enjoy when playing Odyssey.
The game’s level of difficulty is perfect for being tested, but still allows players to have a relaxing time, Rohrig said.
“I want to play the game again because I want to remember what it felt like when I was younger,” she said.
