Super Mario Odyssey E3 Trailer & Press Assets
The star of Nintendo’s E3 is none other than Super Mario Odyssey. We knew going in that Nintendo would have a huge focus on this game, and their booth was completely transformed into New Donk City, right from the game! With over 50% of the booth dedicated to playable Super Mario Odyssey kiosks, it’s obvious they have faith that this will be the game everyone will want for their Switch when it launches on October 27, 2017. First order of business: watch the E3 2017 trailer (even if you’ve seen it, watch it again – it’s that good).
OK, now that you’ve picked your jaw up off the floor (and have that wonderful Big Band jazzy song stuck in your head), let’s take a look at some of the new features revealed today. We already knew that Mario would be able throw his hat, which by the way is officially called Cappy in this game, but now we know that it has multiple uses. Of course you can use it to stun enemies or to even jump on it like a platform to reach new areas. But, Mario can also use it on certain enemies and items to capture them and take control of them! So, for example, if you see a landmass that’s just too far to jump to, you might want to possess a Bullet Bill and rocket over there in style.
Each world (which are called Kingdoms in this title) will have its own unique currency to collect. You’ll be able to spend the Gold Coins and Purple Currency at various shops. Some items in those stores can only be purchased with that Kingdom’s local currency, while others can be bought with the traditional coins. We’ve seen Mario don different hats to give him different powers, and indeed he can even find matching outfits to avoid the style police. When I saw the game earlier today I thought one of his outfits looked awfully familiar, the red and white pinstripe suit was definitely from NES Open Tournament Golf. Sure enough, other outfits are from his adventures elsewhere. Take a look!
This is the first time Mario is returning to true sandbox style adventure since Super Mario 64. I guess Sunshine sort of did something similar, but not nearly on this scale. What this means is there will be huge areas to explore and plenty of NPCs to talk to and help out. There are tons of puzzles to solve and secrets to discover. The graphics are some of the best yet seen on the Switch, and the music…phew…don’t get me started. It’s so amazing, and I’ve barely heard any of it! To say this is my most anticipated game of the year is an understatement. I’m so happy with the direction Nintendo is taking this game in. It’s full of wonderment and awe and laced with just the right amount of crazy to keep even the most jaded gamer smiling.
Of course this wouldn’t be a modern era Nintendo game without amiibo support. Some of the various Mario figures that have released in the past will be compatible and will allow you to unlock special costumes for Mario when scanned. However, you don’t want to use your dusty old amiibo with this shiny new game, do you? Ho, no! You’ll want the brand new ones to add to your wall of nerdiness, and they have a dual purpose! You can use them as wedding cake toppers, assuming you ever find that special someone that wouldn’t cringe at the idea of Mario…cake…toppers.
I had Super Mario Odyssey pegged as coming out the Friday before Thanksgiving, but man I’m happy I’m wrong! It’s coming out on October 27 and I can’t wait! Can you?
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
