Super Mario Galaxy vs. Super Mario Odyssey
Given his stature as a gaming icon, it would be easy to forget gameplay is at the core of Mario’s success, not the character itself. Super Mario Bros. was a near perfect example of pure gameplay in a 2D package and became the benchmark by which all side scrolling games would be compared. Then, Mario 64 did exactly the same for 3D game design, completely setting the standard and would go on to influence nearly every modern third person game.
Things got even better with Mario Galaxy, released in 2007. Galaxy pushed the Wii to its absolute limits and producing a vibrant spectacle that looked utterly beautiful, even on that limited hardware. The game’s design, too, was a marvel to behold, showing a level of ingenuity in its design that once again trumped rival platformers.
Mario’s debut on Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console carries with it a great weight of expectation. Speculated to launch this fall, gamers will be hoping for another instant classic. Gameplay demos showcase a Sunshine-esque iteration, with a sandbox level design reminiscent of Galaxy. To exceed Galaxy’s 97 Metacritic rating, though, Odyssey is really going to have impress.
