With the launch of the Nintendo Switch, gamers worldwide are excitedly jumping into the console’s most exciting title,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, there could be another upcoming Nintendo Switch game that could be even bigger thanBreath of the Wild:Super Mario Odyssey.
Right now,Super Mario Odysseyis the second most viewed video on Nintendo’s YouTube channel. In fact, the only video more popular is the Nintendo Switch announcement.
This shouldn’t be too surprising considering Mario’s place in the Nintendo world. The Italian plumber is practically royalty and is in many ways the face of the gaming giant. So it’s expected that a new Mario game would be of special interest to Nintendo fans.
However, ifSuper Mario Odysseyis to be bigger and most successful thanBreath of the Wild, it willneed to be perfect. Based on incrediblyimpressive scoresBreath of the Wildhas receivedfrom both critics and gamers, the standard has been set high for any follow-up titles on the Nintendo Switch.
We’ll note that there’s still very little known aboutSuper Mario Odysseyright now, so there’s always a chance interest will wane as more information is released. But for now, the game is very intriguing. What’s especially unique aboutSuper Mario Odysseyis the opening sequence in the trailer. Rather than just throwing Mario into the traditional vibrant-colored, fantasy worlds of past Mario games,Super Mario Odysseywill take place, at least in part, in a hyper-realistic virtual city. In fact, it’s a bit disorienting to see a cartoony Mario running around a very detailed world, especially when the NPC characters in that world are themselves very realistic.
When the trailer was first released, many gamers compared thelook and feel to aGrand Theft Autogame. And if theongoing success ofGrand Theft Auto 5is any indication of gamer excitement, thenSuper Mario Odysseyis poised for success.
It’ll be interesting to see how gamer attitudes change as more information is released aboutSuper Mario Odyssey. In the meantime, there’s plenty to explore, discover, and enjoy inBreath of the Wild.
Super Mario Odysseyis expected to release on Nintendo Switch sometime this year.
