These stores offer alternative outfits such as a safari gear or a tuxedo, among others. Players can now accessorize Mario by entering stores in each themed level. At least from my short time with the title, these seemed to be the reward for finishing quests. Rather than stars, Mario Odyssey apparently will have players traveling from world to world collecting half-moons.

Along the way I destroyed crystals that jutted out of the red earth and collected coins. After learning the controls, I ran through the sand towards a distant structure. Players can long jump, triple-jump, butt stomp, perform a sudden reverse-of-direction backflip, and every other trick they remember from previous iterations of the franchise. The rest of Mario’s moveset remains largely untouched from the days of Mario 64.

These moves could be accomplished either with gestural controls or through button presses, and both methods work well. Mario also has the ability to freeze his spinning hat in place to inflict ongoing damage, and to spin the hat around him in a circle to take out a group of enemies. Upon starting the stage, the demo had tutorial signs that explained Mario’s new ability to toss his hat like a boomerang. The desert stage offered the open, yet guided experience players have come to expect from titles like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The demo that Nintendo provided to journalists at E3 consisted of two levels - a Latin-inspired desert world, and the now infamous New Donk City.

My short time with the title at E3 2017 suggests an experience with tight controls, beautiful worlds, and unparalleled whimsy. Launching this October, Super Mario Odyssey brings the tried-and-true 3D Mario formula to the Nintendo Switch, continuing the tradition of making Mario a flagship title.

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