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Let's do the Odyssey! Discussing Super Mario Odyssey || Mario Month
16 Plays28 minutes ago
In 1985, Super Mario Bros debuted on the NES. Now 40 years on, two podcasters from Scotland don their finest denim overalls to deep dive into what makes the series so iconic today. Let's a go!
In this episode, join Satsunami and Martin MacAlistair as they discuss one of the greatest Nintendo Switch titles Super Mario Odyssey! But how does this game from 2017 still hold up 8 years on? How has it maintained such a dedicated community? And how stylish can our podcasting duo look with different hats? Without any further ado, let's jump up in the air and find out!
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Transcript
Introduction and Theme Brainstorming
00:00:00
Speaker
Look Martin, I'm gonna be honest with you here. I am really struggling to think of theme months for us to do. Satsu, I told you to stop calling me ma'am. Look, the point is, we need to think of something fresh.
00:00:11
Speaker
En vogue. 40 years old that reminds you of Italian plumbers. That's oddly specific. Forget it. There's not much room for debate here. Mushroom, you say? No, no, no, no, no i didn't I didn't say that.
00:00:22
Speaker
That's it! A month of Mario! Come on, it'll be fun! There'll be adventures, hijinks, I'll even throw in a free hat. I'm not doing another... Free hat, did you say? Okay, okay, let's do the Odyssey.
00:00:33
Speaker
Welcome to Mario Month.
00:00:38
Speaker
Hello everybody and welcome to the first episode of Mario
Welcome to Mario Month
00:00:42
Speaker
Month. My name's Satsunami and joining me to do the Odyssey today as none other than the one and only hat thrower himself, it is Martin McAllister. Martin, welcome back. Thank you for having me on. I'm not sure what a hat throw it is, I'm going to take it as a compliment. I'm very, very excited to talk about this game.
00:00:59
Speaker
Yeah, all I'll say is do not wear a hat near Martin McAllister because he will grab it off you. He'll just chuck it at anything and then he'll run away. It's really off-putting. It's actually, it's just an instinctual thing. I can't control it. I don't mean to do it. You know, and it's just, it just happens. You mean you Ninten don't mean to do it? I can hear the disappointment.
Mario's Legacy and Personal Gaming Experiences
00:01:17
Speaker
Yes, by the very, very subtle introduction, of course, we are indeed kicking off Mario Month after, is it right to say 40 years of Mario as a character? character do believe it's the big 4-0, gone through some changes and now he's right in middle age. Yeah, where is the time going? Because seriously.
00:01:38
Speaker
Genuinely, when we were thinking of the months to do and everything, I think it was actually you that brought this up. You were saying that Mario was 40 years old this year. And I was like, no, that can't be. The 90s was only, what, 20 years ago. Oh, okay. The 90s was the last decade, right? It was only 10 years ago.
00:01:58
Speaker
we say as we rock back and forth it's our millennial coping strategy okay but before we go on and talk about a very special game related to this series because you might have seen by the title or you might have seen by our very subtle hints there but before we jump in martin what is your history with mario have you always been a mario fan or is it just kind of been there So it's quite different for me because I didn't really have any Nintendo consoles growing up. So I've been aware of Mario, obviously. had the Game Boy, lot of Game My first Mario game was actually the Yoshi's Island one on whatever. That would have been the Game Advance think it was on. But no, I was never a Mario person growing up. It wasn't really until I got the Switch quite recently that I ended up being like, oh my god there's all these amazing games that I've never played. So I'm very new to Mario, but I am very quickly learning that I've missed out. And especially, obviously we'll deep dive into today, but Mario Odyssey, the first I played it quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. So that's kind of my history so i think i'm quite unusual and that i don't have a nostalgia in that sense for mario very much a new thing for me but i'm enjoying it all the same which i think is still pretty fun what about you what's kind of your mario history i've been well i say relatively there since the beginning but it's more thanks to my brothers who used to have a nes at the time and then they had the snes and one of my brothers used to go the nintendo route the other used to go for the sega route it was a house divided but let's not go into that
00:03:21
Speaker
but So of course, one brother was playing Sonic and things, the other was playing Mario. I didn't really have a console until I think probably the mid to late 90s when I got my very first Game Boy Color. Or it might have been Game Boy Pocket to be honest, it was one of the two anyway. But until that point, I was playing on my brother's N64 and as I said, the and NES, the SNES. So I actually have a cartridge. It's a double pack. So one of the games is Mario and the other Duck Hunt. Love that.
00:03:51
Speaker
It is wild. Why they grouped them together I don't know but i'll love it all the same. remember playing it and relatively enjoying it but and this is going to be probably one of the most heretical things I'll ever say as a gamer. I'm not overspoken. overly a fan of, you know, the n NES kind of style of games, like the side-scrollers, which sounds weird because I like Sonic, but it wasn't until his transition into 3D, ironically enough, that I really started to enjoy Sonic with
Mario's 3D Evolution and Game Impressions
00:04:21
Speaker
Sonic Adventure. And it was similar to Mario, where didn't really get into it as much until the graphics got better, and then eventually we got Mario 64, which is an absolutely a amazing game at the time anyway. think it's aged a bit now. It's really only prominent in speedrunning communities, something which we will be bringing up later. But yeah, throughout the years, I kind of kept an eye on the Mario games and I would get them for the consoles that had. You know, I had Mario Sunshine for the GameCube. I actually didn't have Mario Galaxy. I think that was my limit. It's getting too big here. I only need a world of Mario, don't need a galaxy of Mario. Yeah, it's like, wads, let's scale it back here, come on.
00:05:06
Speaker
and So I think I had Sunshine and then when Galaxy came out I was more focused on other games because I think at that point I was getting older and to the teenage years and Mario and Sonic, those kind of games I was moving away from. And then eventually when Odyssey came out in 20, is it right to say 2017 this game came out? Yeah, I think we were chatting about this because I was also kind of surprised as you were that it wasn't a Switch launch title. Yeah. But yeah, I think it was 2017. I didn't get it till 2019 just to put in perspective of what and know what version of the game i played so to speak yeah 2017 i believe it came out yeah because i got it for christmas along with the switch i think it came free with the switch to be honest at least the version i got and i think that's the only reason i got it i wasn't really rushing out to be like oh my god a new mario game as opposed to all the sonic games i played but for mario i was like yeah
00:05:54
Speaker
sure It's alright, I'll try it. And then, of course, spoilers, we both played it. have to say, I really enjoyed it at the time. But then, it's one of those games, you know, you play it at the time, you you enjoy it, and then you go, oh, what a great game. Never gonna play that again. you put it away. That was kind of my feeling for it because I haven't really played any Mario games post-Odyssey. You know, there's been Mario Wonder, there's been not all the building the levels ones. Mario Maker. Mario Maker. Thank you.
00:06:22
Speaker
Boy, is my face red. I actually just left here, you would have got tons of complaints. Yeah. All the plumbers. I ah Oh dear. So yeah, that's my history with it. I would say that I keep my ear to the ground with it. You know, like the news and things. I play Mario Kart every so often. Never played a Mario Party game, would you believe? Well, we should do that for an episode. Or like a stream. We should get you to play Mario Party. See, I would, but i also appreciate our friendship together. And I feel as Oh no, I don't. Let's get Mario Party. Let's go. Yeah, that's my kind of unless it was Mario Kart, I'm not really a huge fan. This must be how non-Sonic fans feel when the Sonic games announce, because the amount, genuinely, the amount of people... I totally agree on this one. Because the amount of people who go wild saying, oh my god, a new Mario game, oh look at the power-ups, what does this mean for the continuity? And it's like, what? He plays golf with Bowser, come on now. What's that beat around of this? Yeah.
00:07:24
Speaker
I remember that it at the Nintendo Switch Direct and then they saved Mario Wonder for like the big, big reveal and people losing their absolute mind. It's like, oh yeah, it's a 2D Mario game. That's nice. I just didn't get it. I don't get that kind of aspect of like, I'm never going to be that interested in that 2D Mario. I'm kind of similar to you in that I really, really like 2D games and I've got to say that quite a lot, but the Mario ones, I'm just like, oh yeah, that's kind of like the basis that all other 2D games are built off You know what I mean? like yeah I see the Mario games as being like, yeah they're good.
00:07:49
Speaker
You know, I'm never that invested. Something we'll probably chat about quite a lot when we come round to doing the movie. But obviously Mario's just like a blank canvas. Odyssey's a bit different, we'll chat about that. But like usually Mario, because he's a blank canvas, I'm not super excited go and explore his worlds. Because he's just, I don't know, I don't know what he's up to. I don't know who he is. But I feel like Odyssey's a wee bit different. So we'll get into that in bit more detail. But yeah, I'm not waiting for the next Mario because I'm not waiting for the next chapter of his story. You're completely right, because Mario has a very unique feature in the sense that he is, although he's iconic, he is such a blank slate.
Exploring Mario's Character and Gameplay Focus
00:08:22
Speaker
I genuinely couldn't tell you anything about his character from the games, what he likes, what he doesn't like. I know he obviously likes Peach, because that's the whole point in the game. You have to go and save Peach, you have to fight Bowser, he doesn't like Bowser. Everything else, he's just a goofy little guy. That's it. You know, there's not really anything there. Whereas for other platformers, can kind of tell that they try to put a personality in there and say what you will about the Sonic games, whether they landed or not, but they always try something different with character at least you can say oh sonic likes this sonicates that blah blah blah but with mario as you said the one hand is a character he is so boring and i'm so glad we're not doing character study in mario today we'd be done yeah welcome to shatsunami That would genuinely be it. But for the games, I think that works really well. Yes. It's such a paradox that it shouldn't work that well. But because the world around is so magical and fantastical, whether he's in space, whether he's off on holiday, or whether he's exploring the Mushroom Kingdom, or the moon, as we'll find out in this game, the fact is that he is this blank canvas. He is the tabula rasa of the gaming community. It's just so wild, but it works so well because you don't really want a deep and complex character
Mario Odyssey Gameplay and Design
00:09:44
Speaker
for these games. You just want a guy who's going from A to B, collecting silly things. And yeah, I think that's as good a point as ever to jump off and, as you said, jump up in the air and start the Odyssey, as it were. You've been dying to say that, haven't you? probably said it million times before, I'll say it million times again, Dom. So, Martin, are you ready for this? I'm looking at my watch.
00:10:05
Speaker
looking back up at the screen. Looking can back at watch. you know what time it is? I think it's Mario time. And on that note, we will be right back after these messages. Welcome to Shatsunami, a variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to anime and general interests. Previously on Chatsunami, we've analysed what makes a good horror game, conducted a retrospective on Pierce Brosnan's runs James Bond, and listened to us take deep dives into both the Sonic and Halo franchises. Also, if you're an anime fan, then don't forget to check us out on our sub-series, Chatsunani, where we dive into the world of anime. So far, we've reviewed things like Death Note, Princess Mononoke, and the hit Beyblade series. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out on Spotify, iTunes, and all good podcast apps.
00:10:48
Speaker
As always, stay safe. Stay awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated. Do you have to throw on your favorite true crime podcast before bed in order to fall asleep?
00:10:59
Speaker
Same. And it's the very reason that I created Serial Napper. My name is Nikki Young and I'm here to lull you to sleep or perhaps to give you nightmares with some of the craziest true crime stories that you've never heard of.
00:11:14
Speaker
Each episode of Serial Napper features a different true crime story told succinctly the way that it happened. Just the facts, ma'am. My focus is on unsolved crimes that need more attention, cold cases, and wrongful convictions.
00:11:30
Speaker
While true crime shows can sometimes be graphic in nature, I ensure that the story is told in a way that is respectful to the victims and their families. now when it's time for bed you can look forward to thirty minutes of well-researched And we managed to to sweet dreams and we are back after that very impromptu hot shopping session i'm glad we managed to fit it into our montage which will definiteenlyly be getting uploaded to patreon
00:12:04
Speaker
patron dot com forward launch cha tunami For legal reasons, that is indeed a joke. But yeah, let's talk about Mario Odyssey, the game that, is it right in saying, I don't want to say revitalised the interest in Mario, because Mario is a bit like Pokemon in that sense, that both of the franchises do relatively the same thing over and over again with a couple of spin-off games and whatnot. But is it safe to say that interest in Mario kind of grew when this game came back?
00:12:31
Speaker
Yeah, I definitely think so. I think obviously the Switch is like this massive selling console, but you compare it to the Wii U, which is a bit of a downer. And I think as well, 3D platformers in general, you get a good one every five years nowadays. Like they're not a particularly massive genre. Even, you know, i know you're a big Sonic fan and even like... They've changed their attack point, so to speak, for platforming. It's not just, this is a 3D platform anymore. I'm thinking Frontiers off the top of my because that was like the big budget. One where they were like, oh, it's now an open world. This thing. Really, in the last few years around Odyssey, it's only really a half full of time. And Astro Boy, you're like the only other 3D platforms I can think of. So yeah, it stands out to me. We've actualised Mario quite lot, but own little island in this whole world of video gaming. Yeah, it's a really interesting case study because something you brought up there, which I never even considered there, was the fact that before we got the Nintendo Switch, the console before was the Wii U, which was a disaster in terms of marketing because everybody thought that it was an extension of the Wii. They thought it was the same console. And don't get me wrong, it sold relatively well, but for the Nintendo console, it was abysmal. And I genuinely can't remember off the top my head. I think there was a... Maybe a new Mario Kart, maybe a handful of games and I'm probably going to get crucified by the Nintendo community here. Even a lot of the games did come out on it then came out on the Switch, you know, because obviously Mario which again I was really surprised wasn't a launch title for the Switch because genuinely when I was looking this up and I was talking to you about this as of this episode the Switch 2 is just coming out.
00:14:11
Speaker
It hasn't come out yet as of recording this episode but I was really surprised that their main driving force, no pun intended, was the fact that the Switch 2 was coming out is going to have a new Mario Kart and that was really it and thought, well, where's the big Mario game? That is a big Mario game, but boy where's the first party, big adventure Mario game? And I'm like remember when Odyssey launched with the Switch? And then I looked back and I was like, oh, oh, I guess not then. It's just, it is strange, but I guess I can kind of understand why the Switch 2 doesn't have a main Mario game to go, rather than the spin-off cart game. I think as well they kind of want to do these things in waves don't they? So like I think the big Switch launch title was Zelda and I was having to look at myself I was chatting about it and then i think Mario Kart came out quite soon into the a couple of months in and then so think Odyssey was pretty close behind like it was just trying to pace out the releases at the start so that you're not just get everyone buys a console once and then don'll buy any more kind of thing. Yeah Nintendo were quite good for that in a way and they used that in the loosest term possible of pacing things out.
00:15:12
Speaker
Especially when it comes to their own properties, like Mario, which is their golden egg. Nintendo, if you're listening, we love you. Please don't sue us. but But yeah, with Odyssey, and usually when I start these episodes, I go into what the plot is and everything. But again, it's that paradox of it's a Mario game, you're saving Peach, and the only thing that really differs is the mechanics of it.
00:15:37
Speaker
So in this game, you essentially get thrown into the deep end of a previous adventure where you're about to throw hands with Bowser and then all of a sudden you get thrown off into this island of ghostly hats and this hat decides that he's going to help you because his ghostly hat girlfriend has also been kidnapped. Why she doesn't just fly away I don't know but hey ho I'm not the writer in these I'm not a multi-billion dollar gaming company so no matter I know, but basically you have to go through all these fantastical worlds to save Peach and fight Bowser and a couple of rabbits, which I found quite weird, I'm not going to lie. But I mean, that is the crux of it isn't it? There's not really much else you can say story-wise about this game, is there? No, and it's funny as because you mentioned Cappy, and having Cappy has a motive as well, but I can't even tell you what Cappy's kind of characterised you, like Cappy tells you to do things and you do it. You kind of summed up the entire plot of the game. And then, of course, you fight, you win, spoilers.
00:16:34
Speaker
There will be spoilers going forward, but come on, you know Mario ends. Well, technically, you save Peach. You don't get with her, but you do save her. Again, in terms of plot, it's a bit thin, but, you know, see if I was one of those guys to be like, oh, well, I hate this game because of the plot. Like, it's a Mario game. Come I mean, if i complained about the plot for a Mario game, but it's all about the gameplay, isn't it, for Mario games. So as you were saying, you get a new companion called Cappy, who basically all you have to do is throw your hat and that helps you traverse the world, whether it helps you open doors, possess people, which is super disturbing when you think about it. I don't think I would agree. Yeah, no, no, no. It's really disturbing. It's funny to begin with until he starts possessing humans.
Graphics and Level Design in Mario Odyssey
00:17:22
Speaker
And we will probably get into this in our Living in the Mario Universe episode. Yeah, i mean, stay tuned for that in two weeks. But yeah, it's quite disturbing in that way when you think about it. But again, if you think, oh, funny Mario game. Yeah, you possess people and creatures to get around, fight villains. This game probably... probably is one of the best looking Mario games.
00:17:45
Speaker
Would you agree with that? Oh 100% especially, so i'm going to talk about New Donk City a lot. I'll rip the bandaid off now. is my favourite level in all of video games, like in terms of a singular level, but I think that's a gorgeous level on its own right. But it also it's like Sand Kingdom. It's got like a night and day versions and they both look amazing. I really really love the weird Dark Souls level with the dragon.
00:18:05
Speaker
Oh yeah. It phenomenal looking game. It's funny because quite often you get people arguing about the Switch and it's, oh, it's not that capable of console. There's new games credit for now that don't look as good as Odyssey. It must have pushed that hardware to the limit right away. What's funny about that is I played this game back in, oh, I want to say Christmas 2018. In fact, no, it must have been Christmas 2017.
00:18:26
Speaker
And I remember getting Odyssey, playing it, enjoying it, and I played it on the regular Switch. And then recently when I replayed it, I played it on my Switch Lite, which...
00:18:37
Speaker
Again, I don't know if there's any differences for graphics or anything or performance, but I wish daniel was genuinely shocked to see how good this game looked. And that's what always annoys me with things like, and I won't go too deep into it, but things like Pokemon where they always complain, oh, it's a Switch game, and for any other games it's like, oh it's a switch game you can make it run well i mean that's why i was disappointed in the sonic frontiers port to the nintendo switch this shows how petty i am because they went oh it's like sonic but breath of the wild and i was like really prove it Prove it. yeah If you're going to say it's like one of the best looking games, and I'm not even a big Legend Zelda fan, but if you're going to say it's one of the best looking games of the Switch, then you better back that up with facts because there is no way, long story short, it doesn't hold up that well. I mean, it does, it still runs, but it's very laggy.
00:19:29
Speaker
But Mario, I've never experienced that in both my playthroughs. And I played this a couple of days ago before we recorded this episode. It looks absolutely gorgeous at times. As you said, you've got the level at the beginning where you meet Cappy and everything, and you go through this...
00:19:44
Speaker
Hat graveyard kind place is super weird but then you go to is it Cascade Kingdom the one with the waterfalls and things and the big T-Rex which always find weird it's like a hyper realistic Tyrannosaurus Rex amongst the Tromp chain and everything you're like what is going on here but again it's So, so creative. See, when you get to New Donk City for the first time, I completely forgot half of this game.
00:20:08
Speaker
I'm going to be honest, I completely forgot half of it. But I forgot that when you get to New Donk City, first of all, that you have to play a Metal Gear Solid-esque level. Seriously, it's like the rain's falling down and the tanks are out. You have to possess a tank to shoot down this huge metallic millipede thing. Genuinely, I was playing it and I was trying to stop myself from yelling, LIQUID!
00:20:33
Speaker
Because I was like, it honestly felt like that. It was just so well done. And then, of course, as you said, it has a day cycle where you see the city for all this beauty and everything. It's a bit weird. It's in the middle of the sky and everything. But again, don't know why. because there's almost so much you can render and blah blah blah but honestly I thought it was just so well done this entire game was just so well done graphically gameplay wise I thought it was a lot of fun I thought the mechanics of possessing different characters and finding out what they do was really good I have to say I forgot a couple of times because I remember going to the ice world I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head but it's you know when you have to race as the seals and there's this guy sitting there and he's like
00:21:18
Speaker
Oh, I don't want to go out because I'm scared and I don't want to race. And for the longest time, I was like, how the hell? I'm like, right, okay, I've spoken to him. I kept running them back. and the other guys are like, oh dear, oh dear, we need one more racer. Completely forgetting that you could use Cappy to possess him. So I was running back and forth being like, what's an Italian plumber going to do around here to get the race? So yeah, completely forgot about that. But what i was actually really surprised at, and I wonder if you feel the same, is just how drastically different each level was.
00:21:51
Speaker
You mentioned the word weird quite a few times in your subscription to graphics, but I think that's like the overarching driving factor with Odyssey, which think to me makes it so good, is it is just really, really weird. And I think comparing it to like a Mario Galaxy or like a Super Mario Sunshine, Mario 64, whatever kind of version, Typically your games will have a running theme through it, you know what I mean? so to take Iry of Sunshine as an example, everything kind of vaguely follows what came before it. So there's a water level and it looks very different from the other levels. You can appreciate it takes place in the same general location. You know what I'm getting Mm-hmm. Yeah, even galaxy where it's supposed to be so many planets and you're in this universe, but it still all follows the same thread of these planets can all be interlinked. This game is absolutely bonkers. Like you say, there's realistic dinosaurs in it for no reason.
00:22:35
Speaker
Talking sphinxes, actual humans that don't look like Mario. There's folk people. and none of it blends together particularly well. It is multiple different graphical palettes. You could easily have presented it before this game came out, or if you'd never played it, present two screenshots side by side without Mario in it, and you would not be able to tell a Mario game.
00:22:52
Speaker
The Dark Souls level is probably the greatest version I can think of this. That dragon does not belong in the same screen as Mario. but That's kind what makes it so brilliant to me, and it is so wacky and wonderful. Yeah, I totally agree with you, because the fact that there are so many clashing ideas, yet they somehow work, As you said, let's talk about the the Dark Souls boss
Surprising Elements in Mario Odyssey
00:23:14
Speaker
here. Oh my god, I completely forgot about that. And then when they whipped out the dragon, I was like, oh, oh my.
00:23:22
Speaker
Especially because the other bosses in the games rabbits. but Yeah. It's so left of field. No, but it's like, you've got the cartoon rabbits that are all goofy, like, ooh, you bogged me on the head, and then you've got the aristocratic squint person, yeah and you know, you've got all these all cartoony and very Mario-esque, Mario-coded villains, but then you've got the, as I said, the Metal Gear Solid millipedes sucking all the energy out the side of and then you've got the Dark Souls dragon. It's like a Yu-Gi-Oh card.
00:23:53
Speaker
That's I genuinely couldn't believe it. I was looking up. Oh my God. I completely forgot. I genuinely... I don't know how I forgot. What an amazing surprise. I'd love to feel that surprise again for this game. Honestly, I remember vague bits of the game. remembered what happens at the end, relatively. I remembered the moon level and bits and pieces. I remember the T-Rex, obviously, because that was all over the marketing next to New Donk City. But...
00:24:20
Speaker
hyper-realistic dragon, the hyper-realistic humans. Do you know what it reminds me of? And again, I don't mean to keep bringing Sonic into it because I know it's Mario month, but do you know Sonic Adventure? At least the first one, where it was like you had, at least at the time, they relatively realistic humans, but then you had the anthropomorphic animals just floating about. Yeah. And everything was geared towards a city that accommodated regular people and regular humans. It wasn't for three-foot hedgehogs or eight-foot cats that fish in the sewers. You know, it was nothing like that. It was really weird. But what I love, I don't know if that's even a genre. Before you move on, sorry, just one of my friends once compared it to, you know, the episode of The Simpsons where Homer comes into the real world, the Homer 3D. Yeah. That's what Mario looks like in New Dawn City, he's just come out of portal.
00:25:10
Speaker
He's just like, what is this? I had an existential crisis because I was talking to you about this and I'm like, alright, Mario's a human, you know, he's fighting Bowser, Peach is relatively normal. Also, Peach isn't though. This is just something we accept. She looks nothing like Mario. This really dawned on me during watching the film. No, that's what I'm saying, though. It's like you think, okay, Peach looks normal compared to Mario. Mario, you can kind of accept the stylistic choices. But as you said, when you put him in New Donk City, his head's like Stewie Griffin. The big football head. Well, not football, but your big round head, bulbous nose. Right, right, right. Back off a bit, man. Like...
00:25:50
Speaker
No, he's a stocky man! Come on, he's stocky! So my justification for that is though that Mario doesn't belong in this world. We'll probably discuss this later up in the Mario, live in the Mario world. This is kind of what fascinates me about this game. This is the closest game to a multiverse, non-canon experience of Mario. So you sent me a picture, just to give people an insight into what our group chat looks like, but you sent me a picture and it was a guy on a laptop on the top of New Donk City and you said, isn't it weird that there's Wi-Fi in the Mario universe? But I don't think that There is, because, not that I don't think there's wifi, that's a really specifically weird thing to get angry about. All the forums get nothing down.
00:26:26
Speaker
I just don't think New Donk City is in the Mario universe. They never try explain it because why would they? I think this is him dropping into different universes. It's so far removed, if that makes sense. That's kind of what, to make an example of the Homer BD thing, is it is like he's just dropped into our world. I don't think Mario belongs in New Donk City. I don't think he's supposed to be there, think that's what makes it so funny.
00:26:45
Speaker
No, but he flies there, though. I know, I know. That's the one thing. i don't know what that ship's doing. I'm going to say it's like a TARDIS kind of thing going on. It's either a TARDIS or it's like, you know, something about a 40k where it disappears and then reappears. I'm going for that. The god mushroom of mankind. I don't know.
00:27:02
Speaker
but I honestly don't know the name of the genre, but there must be somewhere. It's like clashing art styles and things that technically shouldn't work, but because the game is so charming and everything, it just, it all clicks together. And that's what Mario Odyssey does feel like. You've got a lot of moments like that, as you said, with the hyper-realism versus the more cartoony elements, and they all just mesh together. Because it's a Mario game, you know, you kind of just accept, all right, it's Mario, blah, blah, blah.
00:27:31
Speaker
I think part of it as well, you kind of mentioned it there but just jump on it, it is such a phenomenally fun game to play. You're so sucked into just the movement and the joy of being Mario, and I'll tell you a quick story, but there was a thing not long after Mario came out, and people realised that when you land in New Donk City, the music starts.
Mario Odyssey Fan Community and Creativity
00:27:49
Speaker
if you use the ship to get to the top of New Donk City, and you're standing at the top, no music, and then as soon as you land in New Donk City, as soon you jump for the first time in it, it goes, and it starts playing song.
00:27:58
Speaker
This is like after you finish the main story. people kind of realised, oh, as long as you don't touch the ground, the song never starts, right? And this became this thing that people would then do challenges to try get all the way to Pauline without starting the music. I just think, when was the last time you actually played a game with that c childish intent to do something silly? You know, that's kind of what this game does to you it encourages you just to be silly and the world's silly as it is but I think the game feels silly that you just play silly it feels silly and you just kind of go along with it because it's like you're playing make-believe that's kind of the biggest thing I say about it but I think the reason i love it so much and the reason that the speedrunning community and stuff have grabbed it so much is the game is so silly to play and feels so fluid that people have just found themselves going back to it and just doing silly things like how far can I jump?
00:28:40
Speaker
You know, and like how how often do you actually do that in games nowadays? Honestly, I was so shocked and I think this is partly because of you telling me about it, but I was so shocked at the fan community around this game in terms of the challenges and things because it's one thing for the game to be popular, people play through it, maybe they'll do the odd speedrun or two, but the The fascinating thing about the speedrunning community is they're not just trying to speed through it as fast as possible. I mean, that's the core of their ideology, as it wears gamers. But the fact is they're trying to break the game in ways that you never thought were possible. So what I was watching the other day, and I don't know if you've seen this video, but someone made a video where they were trying to complete Mario Odyssey as fast as possible, but they were also trying to do it with the least amount characters. And what I mean by that is usually throughout the game, you have to throw your cap onto different animals, different creatures and things so that you can get from one side of the level to the other. But people found ways to not do that. So like at the very beginning, you have to throw your cap onto a frog. and then that'll allow you to jump really high and whatnot. But people found a way to get around that and just jump on cafe and keep going up and up and up until I can't do it personally. There was another one that was really weird. I don't know if you saw this. I don't want to call it the nut glitch.
00:30:01
Speaker
Yeah, call it the nut jump. The nut glitches. I'm going to nut jump in the air. Yeah, there's one where it's like you get a kind of acorn-esque seed where usually you throw it in a bit dirt in the game and it grows like a beanstalk. But what the speedrunners found was if you dip it in water and then you throw it and then you do the perfect dive and recapture, there's a really small window that you can re-grab it, but also allows you to infinitely jump.
00:30:27
Speaker
And they were doing that in like Bowser's Kingdom where they were trying to go forward and forward. And the fact that even nowadays that people are still finding these exploits, they're still finding these clutches. It is insane, isn't it? Yeah, and one thing I think to really drive someone for me, like this idea of fun and silliness, is Mario's got all these different movements that you can play through the game and never use, right? If you jump three times in a row, he goes he does like a triple jump.
00:30:52
Speaker
There's different types of cap diving you can do, so you can dive onto Cappy and bounce in midair. Different wall jumps, there's a spin jump. There's all these different movements, and you can chain them together. in a really effective way to traverse the landscape, which is kind of why the speedrunning community is kept alive, is that people are constantly figuring out new ways to chain together movements, and the game doesn't require any of that. Maybe some of the harder moons might need you to move kind of fast, but typically there's not much required from these games, are quite easy if you just play it at face value, but this has got so much under it, it really rewards you for playing about and actually just mucking around, which I think is really funny.
00:31:24
Speaker
So yeah, like for the speed running community stuff, sort of things that you mentioned like min captures and my favorite run is nipple percent, which is you have to buy the costume that Mario has no shirt on as quickly as possible, because why not? But like this stuff is super rewarding because, you know, people are constantly figuring can actually do this movement and obviously like there's glitches and stuff. And I think that's part of the fun, but less intended. But Mario's movement is constantly getting up. People are going, oh, I could probably chain together this jump. And there's a speed running community, there's a whole stuff. trick jump community as well, which is hilarious to me. And it's like you jump from one platform to the other and it's this massive spreadsheet of 200 jumps on it and people have learned to do them all and it's incredible just the silliness of it all. Because something that you touched on there was the fact that the game rewards you for this and I've seen it before where people do trick jump into
Exploration and Nostalgia in Mario Odyssey
00:32:07
Speaker
this and initially thought oh it's not an accessible area but then they find loads of gold coins there that they can just run through and I love that in games and again I know I keep bringing back to Sonic Adventure but they did a very similar thing where it was like if you spin dashed over to another bit that you know was a risky jump but if you did it then you could get different items and things, extra lives and whatnot. And it's the same with this game. Maybe not extra lives. If you die, you just lose coins, which is a pain when you're trying to save up for Nipple Mario, as we said.
00:32:38
Speaker
But it's amazing that the game doesn't try to penalise you for it. It doesn't say, you have to play this in a particular way, otherwise we are not going to be friends anymore, kind of thing. It is such a good way to incentivise players. And again, there is such a spectrum of the ways you can play this, because on the one hand, you've got your kids, your casuals, people who are just like, okay, I'll take it, you know, jump by jump, I'll be very careful. You've got the sweaty try-up. so they're like that's me yeah they completely break the game then you've got the speed runners you've just got vast amount of different play styles and it's been a while since i've seen a game like that where you can actually tackle the game in different ways like that it is a Amazing to see. I love it. Personally, I think it is such a good way to incentivise players to say, look, if you get up here, you'll get loads of gold coins.
00:33:32
Speaker
If not, no problem. There's a bunch of gold coins down there and whatnot. And speaking of the gold coins, of course, you can use the gold coins to buy different outfits or in the world itself you can buy different trinkets and different outfits and uniforms. I absolutely love it. I think it is so creative because at the very end you get a Odyssey-fied version of the Mushroom Kingdom from Mario 64. It was so nostalgic. See going back to that and that was one of the first games I do genuinely remember playing and being like wow this game is massive even though it's not that massive nowadays but it's like it's so big there's so many worlds etc and it was so cool to see that nowadays and see where all started if that makes sense and the 3d space you know it brings a tear to your eye at times you think it's amazing how mario although he has changed in terms of his gimmicks and things they always keep the core of what mario is If that makes sense. Yeah, 100%. I think, as you mentioned, you feel like these worlds are massive. And one thing that I think they've done a really good job of in this game is you want to explore. Again, keep harping back to New Dunk City, but genuinely think it's one of the greatest levels ever made in games. But you're talking about people can play the game in their own way.
00:34:44
Speaker
And in New Dunk City, there's a whole bunch of rooftops, but there's also the street level, but there's also the medium level, and all these things are accessible and platformable. And you need different levels of skill to do different things, but they're all... accessible. Same with the desert world, there's like a whole different section and I feel like everything's very amazingly put together. I'm going off the deep end here with art being video game art here but what they've done a really good job of is when you intentionally put two things out in a video game, it's like two locations, by that process you have then accidentally on purpose created a space in between those two objectives. So this has gone off the deep end, I'm so sorry. But what this game does so well, because it's so fun to play, because it feels like anything could happen, traveling's fun. Even spaces between two objectives, you're like, anything could happen here, it's fun to go around it. I very rarely use the fast travel in the game, because I want to be in those spaces between objectives, because I don't know if I'm going to hit something funny or I don't know if something's gonna crawl at the sand in the Sand Kingdom or you know i mean that kind of thing they've built these little worlds in such detail the Mushroom Kingdom stuff at the end is like the epitome of that to me they've got all these locations that we're in the other games but the time between them is so much tighter now and it feels so much more fluid and that's that kind of what I would call next gen it's not next gen anymore Yeah, but that's what games should be looking at, that kind of, what is the point of the things between the objectives?
00:35:58
Speaker
And that's what this game I think excels and and that's what makes all the worlds feel so, so good. And I have gone completely off the deep end with the part of the conversation, but hopefully that made some kind of sense. No, you're completely right, though. i think what this game does, and is very rare nowadays for a game to recapture this feeling, but it gives you a sense of nostalgia, even if you're not a fan, because as you were saying, you weren't massively into the games like growing up.
00:36:25
Speaker
Whether you're an old fan, a new fan, someone who dips in and out like myself, at the end of the day, this appeals to everyone. And this is one of the golden arrows that I think Nintendo still has on their arsenal, that they're able to appeal to everyone with Mario because Mario is relatively inoffensive. You know, it's all about the gameplay. It's not really so much about the story. There is a story, but let's face it, if you're going into Mario for the story, reach out to us.
00:36:53
Speaker
I genuinely have got questions. Not including Paper Mario. Paper Mario's exempt. Those games have stories. Yeah, yeah. Mario RPG and Paper Mario. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, you know, the general mainline games. This isn't Mario RPG slander by any means or Paper Mario erasure or anything. But, yeah, it is quite a universal game. And for good reason. When people think of Mario, they think of, oh the mascot of gaming, is as much as it pains me to say as a Sonic fan. But, you know... When you think of Mario, Mario has definitely been more consistent in the quality of the games than most gaming mascots, I would say. I think the win-to-lose ratio is relatively high for Mario. Obviously, you've got Mario Hotel and the Sega CD-i games, which ah Let's face it, for those one or two, you know, you've got a thousand different other ones, you've got your Odysseys, your Sunshine Galaxy, 64 even as well. So it's amazing how even in 2017 they were still able to capture that nostalgia in a bottle and be like, okay, now it's time, release it, and just...
Highlights of Mario Odyssey (New Donk City & Bowser)
00:38:02
Speaker
Capture everybody's sense of childlike wonder. And I absolutely loved it because I loved the sections as well when you went 2D. And, you know, normally i hate when games do that, when they go back to, oh, it was a 2D game, so 2D roots. And I'm like, oh, I don't like it. But when they do it in this game, they do it in a really clever way. because it's quite limited, and you have to get through to when the other power moons and whatnot, but when you actually get through it, it's just has so much fun to do. It's a joy to play. It doesn't feel like a laborious task, that you're like, oh great, we've got to play another 2D bit. We're forced to do it. You know, it's a lot of fun, and I think the epitaph hit to me of that and it's my turn to gush about new donk city here metro kingdom oh my god there's a mission where you have to help mayor pauline who i have to say it's so cool to see her again because for anyone who doesn't know am i right in saying that pauline was i don't want to say damsel in distress but you know the person in jump man yeah that's that's kind of a joke isn't it yeah and was really surprised when they brought her back as like a fully 3d model and everything i'm like
00:39:08
Speaker
oh cool and of course they've made her a mayor not just a damsel in distress and things that's really cool to see but even more cool is when she ends up saying i need a couple of musicians and you go around town you get musicians and it's an easy way to get power moons but once you do that she's like oh do you want to join the festival and you're like hell yeah And then it cuts and you're like, oh, I wonder what's going to happen if it's going to be a cutscene. And no, it's all of a sudden, everybody's in the finery. You know, she's in the red dress singing. You're taking it to a stage. She's like the coolest mayor I think ever.
00:39:43
Speaker
Ha ha! sings the iconic, and we were joking about it earlier, the Jump Up Superstar song, which I think is only one of the few times there's actually any spoken dialogue, wo if that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, it must be, yeah. Yeah, because usually, again, other than Princess Peach going, Mario!
00:40:01
Speaker
so You know, other than that, you don't really get much. It's all kind of Banjo-Kazooie speak. And I mean, no offence to Charles Martinet, who voices Mario. Lovely guy, by the way. I just want to point that out. Oh, that's awesome. I was waiting for you to name drop. I wondered if you've taken way longer than thought. Let me just put this name off the floor.
00:40:18
Speaker
Yeah, this is a speed run. Next episode. Hey, did you know? Before COVID, I genuinely think this is 2019 when you, me, and... Was it being you? Yeah, when you, me, a couple other friends, we went to the Glasgow Comic Con. It was Acme Comic Con before. they decided to abandon the Scotland. I'm not bitter. Anyway, so they ended up getting in Charles Martini, who is, of course, the voice of Mario, and would you believe Parthenax, the dragon from Skyrim, which always, like, did you know that, genuinely? I didn't know that. No.
00:40:50
Speaker
That's a complete reveal to me. Yeah, because genuinely I'm going to bring up in the next episode because I have a lot to say about voice acting and things about the film. But yeah, you think he's like, oh, the goofy Mario, Luigi, Wario, Wario, Luigi, and you know, all the other characters. But then you see his range for other characters like that. You're like, he is so... such a cool voice actor. The point I was going to make was that I have a signed copy of Mario 64. The only kind of semi-embarrassing thing, and this is nothing against him, because obviously he was getting into the character as the Mario voice actor. That was the main thing he was there for. I kind of poster. That's so funny.
00:41:30
Speaker
I know, but he signed my cartridge for Mario 64 and everything, so that's like one of my main prides and joys, obviously. Here's a gaming memorabilia. It's signed by Mario himself. I love it. Ryan Drummond and all the other Sonic people, I'm coming for you next time.
00:41:47
Speaker
Got my Sega Mega Drive, so I'm like... Nah, jokes aside. Lovely guy. Going back to the game when I was talking about the voice acting, you've got the voice actress who does her singing absolutely wonderful, and it's an interactive experience where you get 3D and 2D sections, and they recreate the Jumpman sequence, where you have to jump over the barrels and then hit the boxes underneath a Donkey Kong. I hope it's not a real Donkey Kong, because otherwise that would be... yeah messed up it's like the sacrificial Donkey Kong to just throw off New Donk City's very backwards in that regard but otherwise it's just fantastic and it blasts you in the face with nostalgia because it's a relatively new song it was obviously a new song when the game came out but it's just it feels so iconic and it wraps you in that kind of cosy blanket of nostalgia doesn't it
00:42:37
Speaker
Yeah, and I was mentioning it to you before, but it reminds me of in like an Indiana Jones film, or like a James Bond film, where they know they've hit a good sequence and they they drop the theme. You know what I mean? like They tease the jump-ups of Starzong, that's kind of the main motif, that the main jingle for it is the main motif of the music. But they know the sequence is phenomenal. The fireworks are going off, they hit the song, and then once you kind of finish the whole sequence, you're this rooftop with the band. The first time i did it, i didn't want it to end. I just sat there for a little bit, and then Mario starts dancing, if you leave him to do it.
00:43:04
Speaker
And just like this, what an amazing touch of randomness that they would have that in there. Yeah, that sequence, I think, is a bow on what is a great game, and I think that it's a great piece. If anyone was to play a single piece of gaming, that honestly might be the bit that would get them to play, because I just like maybe not in the face it's not you want to earn it but at the same time it is just like such a perfect little sequence and it catches everything great about gaming in my mind like that it's really fun it's really bright and colorful the game itself you still have to play it it's not like it's completely unreal you just have to jump over stuff you can still lose it's just a lot of fun still a secret moon in there so there's still the exploration It's just like a really phenomenal piece of gaming.
00:43:39
Speaker
And the other sort of bit, just when you talk about nostalgia and stuff, the other kind of bit that I think takes me back to that kind of like child like, whoa, was the bit where you capture Bowser and start playing as him at the end. Yeah. Because that feels super rewarding because the game teases, oh, you can capture a dinosaur. Oh, you can capture the bald guy in Shiveria. And they never explicitly tell you you're going to capture Bowser. But then it happens and it's like, of course, why didn't I think of that? You know, like, and as soon as it happens, it's like, this is such a tremendous, like, remember playing that bit for the first time and they they drop a different theme for that bit as well. They're so confident in that piece, which is what I think really drives it home. But you're so rarely, gaming companies, think, are so unconfident in this stuff at the moment where they don't want to be so, i don't know what the world would be.
00:44:21
Speaker
Wacky. Yeah, so wacky, but just let the moments play out. I don't want to call it Marvel-esque, Cuba, because it's been getting done for long before, that but you know that kind of thing happens, let's undercut it. Yeah. You know what mean? That kind of big moment happens, but then the good guy trips over and falls. You know, that kind of wacky thing, and I feel like you get a lot of that. And I think a really good example this is like Astro Bot. It completely wore its heart and its sleeve and did the same thing, which is like, this is just a funny adventure, just have her have a good time. but It won people over because it was just like, yeah, this is just a weird game. And I feel like this is the epitome out of that bit where you capture Bowser, and the game just goes, yeah, go have some fun and it's just like a brilliant sequence and I feel like it's something that games really don't have the confidence in I feel like this whole game is so confident it's so wacky it shouldn't work it does there's no conclusion to what I'm saying here up but just it's a phenomenally confident piece of work and that they don't feel they have to undercut it it's just it is there for the whole world to see it they know you're gonna love it you know it's as good as that it's unapologetic that't yes It's how they just lean into the wackiness. They say at the very beginning, no explanation. Oh, here's a realistic Tyrannosaurus Rex. Let's just possess that and, you know, crash through. Oh, here's the realistic dragon. Imagine if you could possess that. Jesus.
00:45:30
Speaker
i I would be dead. Probably Peach as well. But yeah, you know, there's all of these clashing things. You're completely right that shouldn't work and whatnot. And I love games that lean into that. It's so wacky. It's so over the top. But they don't try to over explain that. If I'm going to play a game that is heavy in narrative, you know, I'm going to play a game that's a bit more mature or is leaning into that kind of thing. Because I don't play Mario to get force fed. that, oh, we have mushrooms because of blah, blah, blah. I feel like this is something that is going to come up in the next couple of episodes, but I don't play Mario for that. I play it for the
Evolution of Gaming Icons and Mario's Legacy
00:46:10
Speaker
gameplay. i play it for the visuals and everything. It's honestly one of these nostalgic properties that has lasted just incredibly incredibly long and I am so both surprised and pleased about that because a lot of series and again you know brought up Sonic and there's even other ones like Banjo-Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, all of these platformers even Pac-Man surprisingly has become like a Metroidvania character. Or it's that's coming out soon. That is really weird. All of these gaming icons are evolving and changing in their own ways, whether they're being more serious, whether they're being more goofy. They've all kind of evolved. And I feel as if the status quo there is Mario. Mario's not really changed overly. Again, other than the spin-off games like the Paper Mario series, the RPG one. This is such a long-running game series that you would think shouldn't really work, and especially with Odyssey. And honestly, see that last moment where you take over Bowser. See, when I played it at the time, I remembered that. Going to the moon and everything, and the low gravity, that was so fun. And being able to jump on the cathedral in space. Again, cathedral in space, usually for any other game you go... Why is there a cathedral in space? But in this it's like, oh, hell yeah, cathedral in space, let's go. hey Yeah. Yeah. Like genuinely, I had the biggest smile over on my face both when I first played it and when I played it a couple of days ago when you possess Bowser and it is just the funnest gaming experience. And you realise how powerful Bowser is. When he's just absolutely we destroying all these rock walls and things like that. You have to run through and rescue Peach and you have that big moment where you escape just in time.
00:47:56
Speaker
It's honestly like, you know those posts that you get in social media where it's like, men will look at this and say, hell yeah. That was my moment for this. I was like, hell yeah.
00:48:07
Speaker
Hell yeah, that's a so cool. You better put that up on TikTok. To advertise the episode, just make a look at this and say, hell yeah, this is Bowser running through there. Bowser running there. ah is true oh Honestly, these games, and especially Odyssey, make you feel like a child again. And I love games like that, because the last platformer I think I played that I felt like a child again was an indie game called Spark the Electric Jester 3. As weird as that sounds, it was a guy who used to mod Sonic games and then he made his own character and his own world and things. Again, it's a similar thing where while the story's a bit thin and maybe a bit overcomplicated, at the end of the day I had such a blast playing that because it reminded me of all the old games I played growing up. And for Mario Odyssey as well, think this is one of the best games of the series and that is a high bar to set you know considering what's came before it and a lot of the games that have come before it you think oh it's a bit dated the graphics aren't great the gameplay doesn't hold up as well especially for mario 64 as much of a Trailblazer as that game is it hasn't really held up as well I mean better than some other games of the time but yeah think as well it started a whole bunch of things it was experimental and it didn't all work I think that's like fair to say for Mario 64 I think even the most devout Mario 64 fan would have put that Even then, i think that this game showcases how good Mario can be. And again, it shows how Nintendo can be such a powerhouse of gaming because in a world where, and again, this is my turn to go off the deep end here, but in a world where we've got games that are very similar or they're all trying to copy one another, if you look at Call of Duty and Fortnite, they're almost indistinguishable. At this point, you've got other games that they try something new, it just doesn't quite land.
Mario Odyssey's Unique Charm and Future Anticipation
00:50:02
Speaker
You've got the usual microtransaction ones.
00:50:04
Speaker
ah You've just got a load of games that are, they don't capture that same feeling. You know, that's a very, very hard thing to do. I'm not saying that every game can't do that, but it's a very difficult thing to do. And it's something that, going back to PlayOdyssey, is something that it does perfectly. Now, is it perfectly?
00:50:23
Speaker
Nah There's a couple of And this is me Nitpicking here Because there's a couple of And we were talking about this Before we came on There's a couple of levels That I'm not very keen on Like the food level I just don't like it As an aesthetic I'm sure you agree as well with that I don't like the pink lava I don't get it Yeah No It's the gastric acids just don't like it Maybe Is it like You know that old advert They used to show for the I can't even remember What you call But it was like The heartburn Like Gaviscon Oh Gaviscon Yeah And it was like, you know the two firemen that goes down the throne you go You're gonna fight fire! All the younger listeners out there will be like, what the hell are they talking about? Gabba who? Gabba who? Yeah, it's probably that, to be honest. But yeah, there's a couple of levels I'm like, oh god, this is dragging on a wee bit long and everything. Not for New Dog City, I'm totally with you there. I think that was incredible from start to finish. There's an amazing bit where it's like you go through a pipe and then you get in a Vesper and then you get chased by a Tyrannosaurus in the middle of the city.
00:51:26
Speaker
like Oh my God. That was incredible. I loved that. 10 out of 10, no notes. Honestly, other than that, and again, as I said, a couple of minor points and it's maybe more just I have to get good at the game. But I really enjoyed it. I cannot praise this game enough. I think that it is a solid platformer. And if you're introducing anybody to gaming and you want a fun, lighthearted platformer, this is the one.
00:51:50
Speaker
This is genuinely the gateway to getting somebody into gaming. Yeah, i totally agree with you. It's not a perfect game, but I think it's so uncynical that it doesn't matter. Yeah, there's bits. Like I said, yeah I'm not a big fan of the Food Kingdom either. I think the Wooded Kingdom is fine, but I think I wish it was more. Yeah, same. It doesn't really matter because they don't really care themselves. Yeah.
00:52:13
Speaker
the bits you don't like you just power through in it i think it i don't know to phrase it but feels like it doesn't matter that it's not perfect in such a weird way it just wears its heart it's even two cares and it does lots of wahacky stuff and so it works some of it doesn't some of the captures i'm not big fans of moving about in yeah but again it doesn't matter because here's me doing a weird capture you know the whole game setup like that, and I love what you were saying there, it does feel like the perfect first game because it's like a love letter to gaming and in the to the Mario franchise but also it stands on its own feet, like said before, the movement, the world, everything about it is so funny and fun and just like uncompromisingly weird, you kind of have to love it for it. Definitely. It's a game that, I've said this before, but it's a game that appeals to everyone. Whether you are a challenge runner or this is, as you said, your first platformer or even just your first game in general. This is a game that's going to capture imaginations.
00:53:01
Speaker
And even eight years on that we are talking about this game. I can't believe it's been eight years since this game came out. But it's honestly just amazing because when I think about Mario games, I do think, again, we made a joke about that, that, oh, the 90s was 10 years ago. anything but that's how I feel about this game I thought oh right Odyssey's the new game you know it came out a couple of years ago it's like no no no it came out eight years ago we've had so many games in between we've even had a Princess Peach spin-off with her game we've had the again the kind of Cartoon-y Super Mario Brothers one, the Paper Mario one, I think, as well, has had so many in between then and now. And again, I'm not a massive, massive Mario fan. I don't follow every game religiously. I just know that they're out there. So honestly, I think this is an amazing game. It sounds redundant to say if you have not played this, go check it out, but seriously, I think now's as good a time as any, and I think this will be one of the games that no doubt the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with. I would be severely surprised if they don't make it backwards compatible with it, because it is, it's just such a perfect game. And the only other thing I can think of is unless they have a Mario game to match this, or have an Odyssey match, 2, but I feel as if if they have an Odyssey 2, then they're putting themselves on the firing line there that they might risk tarnishing, as it were, the reputation of the first one. So it'll be interesting to see where they go with it, essentially. And yeah, I can't wait to see it. But if you haven't played this game, definitely that well go check it out. But before we wrap up, is there any other final points you want to make? I think you threw your hat and captured that all pretty well. but I think that sums it all up. Perfectly. And I'm excited to see what the next sort big 3D Mario game is now. As always, Martin, thank you so much for not only joining me in and the very first episode of Mario Month, but returning.
00:54:51
Speaker
Returning to the show. Thank you so much. Absolutely a pleasure to be And before we wrap up, where can these lovely listeners find your content? You can find me all over social media, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Just look for Martin McAllister, whatever you type in your little search engine, I'll inevitably pop up. And if you would like to check out more episodes of Mario Month, as well as more episodes from ourselves, then you can check us out at website, chatsanami.com, as well as all good podcast apps.
00:55:19
Speaker
I also want to thank our amazing Pandalorian patrons, Robotic Battletoaster, Sonia, Ghosty, and Cryptic1991. Thank you so, so much for supporting the show. And if you would like access two exclusive episodes, behind the scenes, bloopers, as well as tips on how to keep your hat safe from Martin, then you can indeed check us out on patreon.com forward slash chat tsunami. This podcast is also a member of the Podpat Collective. For further information, please check out our Twitter slash X page at podpatcollect.
00:55:50
Speaker
But until next time, thank you all so so much for listening to this episode. Stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.