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Super Mario Odyssey Preview Thread (9/20) Three kingdoms highlighted and MORE

There's like a bright town in the distance which you travel to. But that doesn't fit the name, forgotten isle sounds like it's for the Tropical Kingdom or whatever it ends up being called.

My only doubt about it being for the Tropical Kingdom is that one was always addressed on the direct as "even tropical IslandS", and its location on the world map seems to be a clutter of small islands. I wouldn't doubt that it's for an yet unrevealed kingdom, considering the list of locations also has
Lake Lamode and the Lake Kingdom hasn't been formally revealed either - we just know of it through the amiibo box-art.
 
IF we enterain the very subjective and contradictory notion that BotW was a repetitive game, then i have bad news for you.

There will be significant repetition for you with Oddysey then. There are plenty of Moonshines that are got the same way: Ground pound a suspicious spot on the floor, Goomba Towers, telegraphed 8 bit side scrolling sessions or enemy capture to to get a nearby Moonshine. Lot's of these Moonshines fall on the same trivial category as Green Stars in 3D World or solving Deku Puzzles to get seeds.


Finding BotW repetitive and of all things lacking interesting level design i can't imagine what's your opinion of past 3D Zelda games. Specially when most of the praise for Breath came from those 2 aspects you are so down on.

On topic, noteworthy stuff:
  • Possesion absorbed many abilities of past games. Easy to notice in Seaside where cappy works like Flood abilities of Sunshine.
  • Sunshine Void style levels return it seems.
  • Boss fights will not be at Galaxy levels of coolness. On one hand the Mecha Carterpillar and Octopuss are there but every Rabbid fight i' ve seen works like Boom Boom.
  • The more complex Moonshines are not as intrincate as the best Galaxy Stars.
  • Cap Possession is a cool concept that seems handcuffed in this game. Since the puzzle or challenge to solve is so close nearby that it seems to restrain creative uses of it
Disclaimer: im going by what i' ve seen so far in all of the footage. Which is totally fair until we get the full game.

There is nothing subjective about the repetition in BOTW, it has more of it than nearly every zelda game combined, and that's assuming you don't do the korok seeds which you shouldn't. After the 30th hynok battle, the 20th lynel, the 100th enemy base that is copy pasted, the same rock on top of a mountain, the battle shrines that repeat, I don't know how you can not say it's repetitive. Also there is NOTHING in BOTW as well designed as most dungeons in TP, SS, OoT, MM. it was needed. By far the biggest criticism that even the biggest BOTW fans have is that it needed more unique areas like dungeons. The game is excellent (all the gameplay and structure changes were very much needed, and when there is a unique shrine or puzzle it's great but it's scattered all over the place) but too bloated for its own good, a smaller more focused game I feel would have been better.

I am well aware of Mario repetition, little tasks like that are fine as I know the levels shouldn't be massive. I am not spending 10 minutes wandering aimlessly in an open world and my reward is the same korok puzzle I did 50 times already, in Mario there will be stuff happening constantly, the worlds are more compact with a lot more going on.

its more about where the focus will lie, will it be about just running around big areas fooling around or be balanced with actual well designed platforming challenges. It doesn't have to be Galaxy, but it should be at least at 64s level of design. It was open but it had some really well designed areas too. I miss exploration Mario but it shouldn't go all exploration like zelda did, a balance is key, the best of both.

So if this game is 80% run around a map, collect a few coins, look for hidden moons, casually solve a puzzle or two, yeah then it won't be as good as galaxy to me. If it's 50/50 explore a map which leads to these crazy platforming sections, well now we have a greatest game of all time contender.

Exactly. It's entirely up to the individual how repetitive BotW becomes.

Not exactly, if one plays the game one way then you are making it repetitive. I did all sorts of crazy stuff with the gameplay, the gameplay was fantastic. The problem is the content in the game is repetitive and that's on Nintendo.

I try to 100% all zelda games and always loved every second of them until BOTW. Now I didn't do koroks cause clearly that's not designed to find all, still it's there, and it's the only activity for many areas of the map. I did everything else and the game gets really repetitive. It's not valid criticism to say you shouldn't do all the content, its on Nintendo to make the entire world and all it's content interesting. The game is too big for the amount of ideas they had. If you do play it just to do the story and play until you get bored then yeah you will stop before you notice how repetitive the world actually is. But with zelda I try to see every single thing.

Im going to get 100% in Odyssey just like I do with every Mario game. Past Mario games getting 100% was a great fun challenge. I am hoping odyssey is the same, I better not run into "you are not meant to collect all blue moons" or some crap like that. Fill your game with meaningful content.
 
the bright town seems to be donk city, considering you use the eletric wire to get there

That seemed unlikely as it shouldn't be visible on the other side of the planet (I know I'm thinking too logically for a Mario game)

After giving it a closer look, this appears to be Cascade Kingdom, so Game Explain were correct

Can only find a small picture, but I tweaked the brightness and you can make out the waterfalls and brown cliffs with green tops.
bhaR0bd.png



My only doubt about it being for the Tropical Kingdom is that one was always addressed on the direct as "even tropical IslandS", and its location on the world map seems to be a clutter of small islands. I wouldn't doubt that it's for an yet unrevealed kingdom, considering the list of locations also has
Lake Lamode and the Lake Kingdom hasn't been formally revealed either - we just know of it through the amiibo box-art.

The Kingdom was described as 'tropical islands', the specific location could be a single isle, doesn't really matter.
 
That seemed unlikely as it shouldn't be visible on the other side of the planet (I know I'm thinking too logically for a Mario game)

After giving it a closer look, this appears to be Cascade Kingdom, so Game Explain were correct

Can only find a small picture, but I tweaked the brightness and you can make out the waterfalls and brown cliffs with green tops.
bhaR0bd.png

taking a look at the E3 trailer again and it seems like there's a scene at the Cascade Kingdom where Mario is pushing himself up from the ground, with a pole behind him. This might be right after the electric wire - you take it to the Cascade Kingdom, then there's a cutscene where Mario is thrown out it, and you're free to go explore and try to find the Odyssey.

https://youtu.be/wGQHQc_3ycE?t=1m41s
 
taking a look at the E3 trailer again and it seems like there's a scene at the Cascade Kingdom where Mario is pushing himself up from the ground, with a pole behind him. This might be right after the electric wire - you take it to the Cascade Kingdom, then there's a cutscene where Mario is thrown out it, and you're free to go explore and try to find the Odyssey.

https://youtu.be/wGQHQc_3ycE?t=1m41s

oh, nice find! Yeah that makes sense.
 
Anyone have any particular feelings on what's been an almost standardised UI between BOTW and Odyssey?

Stark white and flat text and icons for the HUD

A green ring gauge for breathing under water

Contextual instructions popping up depending on what you've possessed/what you're using



They even use the same button icons which is very neat.

I almost hope they use this for all their games - contextual UI for controls is pretty passive but gets everyone up to speed. Looks incredibly slick.
The soon-to-be second GOTY contender borrowing from the current GOTY? Yeah, I'm OK with that.
 

Red Devil

Member
IF we enterain the very subjective and contradictory notion that BotW was a repetitive game, then i have bad news for you.

There will be significant repetition for you with Oddysey then. There are plenty of Moonshines that are got the same way: Ground pound a suspicious spot on the floor, Goomba Towers, telegraphed 8 bit side scrolling sessions or enemy capture to to get a nearby Moonshine. Lot's of these Moonshines fall on the same trivial category as Green Stars in 3D World or solving Deku Puzzles to get seeds.


Finding BotW repetitive and of all things lacking interesting level design i can't imagine what's your opinion of past 3D Zelda games. Specially when most of the praise for Breath came from those 2 aspects you are so down on.

On topic, noteworthy stuff:
  • Possesion absorbed many abilities of past games. Easy to notice in Seaside where cappy works like Flood abilities of Sunshine.
  • Sunshine Void style levels return it seems.
  • Boss fights will not be at Galaxy levels of coolness. On one hand the Mecha Carterpillar and Octopuss are there but every Rabbid fight i' ve seen works like Boom Boom.
  • The more complex Moonshines are not as intrincate as the best Galaxy Stars.
  • Cap Possession is a cool concept that seems handcuffed in this game. Since the puzzle or challenge to solve is so close nearby that it seems to restrain creative uses of it
Disclaimer: im going by what i' ve seen so far in all of the footage. Which is totally fair until we get the full game.

To be fair Galaxy games had some repetition too, some of the stars involved redoing certain stuff under specific circumstances(time limit, limited health, etc).
 
Anyone here thinks this game will make everyone one forget super lucky tale exists? Like if I'm a dev.. I wouldn't release a game thats a platformer around the time of mario odyssey
 

phanphare

Banned
I did a bad thing...

I watched more footage of this game from Giant Bomb's video

god damn this game looks amazing. that octopus looking thing with the ball of water surrounding it and the mechanics tied to that are amazing. and that boss fight looked incredible. and the underwater 2D section.

this fucking game yall...
 
It'd be amazing if there was no hub world...at first. Then when you open up
Peach's Castle
you also open up access to Odyssey's other worlds the good ol'
Mario 64
way, along with remakes of past stages still in their same locations on the walls.
 
Anyone have any particular feelings on what's been an almost standardised UI between BOTW and Odyssey?

Stark white and flat text and icons for the HUD

A green ring gauge for breathing under water

Contextual instructions popping up depending on what you've possessed/what you're using



They even use the same button icons which is very neat.

I almost hope they use this for all their games - contextual UI for controls is pretty passive but gets everyone up to speed. Looks incredibly slick.
As a graphic designer I really like the all white, bold yet minimalistic look, hope they keep this trend for other titles as well.
 

Platy

Member
Because it's teasing some kind of 64 throwback level

No, lets be real

People are loosing their minds because they expecte at least a remake of the first floor of mario 64
that is basically being set to dissapointment


...please don't dissapoint
 

RagnarokX

Member
That seemed unlikely as it shouldn't be visible on the other side of the planet (I know I'm thinking too logically for a Mario game)

After giving it a closer look, this appears to be Cascade Kingdom, so Game Explain were correct

Can only find a small picture, but I tweaked the brightness and you can make out the waterfalls and brown cliffs with green tops.
bhaR0bd.png





The Kingdom was described as 'tropical islands', the specific location could be a single isle, doesn't really matter.

Yeah, I was just watching Gamespot's video of Cap Kingdom and that's very clearly Cascade Kingdom off in the distance, which makes sense.

---------------------

The tropical islands are no doubt the 4 islands in the middle of this planet's version of the Pacific Ocean, where Hawaii is. Just because there are 4 islands on the map doesn't mean the game plays on all 4; individual islands have individual names. Forgotten Isle is the name of one of the islands in that island chain, and the name fits with it being full of ancient ruines and dinosaurs.

It's just like how Mt. Volbono isn't Volbono Mountains, New Donk City is 1 city in a whole country, etc.
 
Yeah, I was just watching Gamespot's video of Cap Kingdom and that's very clearly Cascade Kingdom off in the distance, which makes sense.

---------------------

The tropical islands are no doubt the 4 islands in the middle of this planet's version of the Pacific Ocean, where Hawaii is. Just because there are 4 islands on the map doesn't mean the game plays on all 4; individual islands have individual names. Forgotten Isle is the name of one of the islands in that island chain, and the name fits with it being full of ancient ruines and dinosaurs.

It's just like how Mt. Volbono isn't Volbono Mountains, New Donk City is 1 city in a whole country, etc.

Oh, for sure. It's super likely that it just refers to one of the islands - I was just trying to raise a possibility for it being a random stealth announcement, because the more kingdoms the better, hehe (considering the sphynx scene would be a stealth announcement of the Lake Kingdom too if we didn't know it through the box-art). Does the Tropical Kingdom have any Dinosaurs besides Glydon, though? I thought he was the only dinosaur we saw there and we already know he's in Seaside and the Sand Kingdoms. Thought the Tropical Kingdom was going more towards "weird" with the wigglers. I don't think that's a knock against the desolate feel of the area, though.

But I also don't think it's the same situation as Mt. Volbono or New Donk City: On the direct, at least, the Tropical Kingdom was mentioned as "including tropical islands". I don't think New Donk City or Mt. Volbono were ever advertised as anything other than the titular city/the landmark, and the map stays true to the names/landmarks shown. Either way, I'm erring on the hopeful side, haha, I wouldn't bet a lot on it being a new kingdom either.
 

RagnarokX

Member
Oh, for sure. It's super likely that it just refers to one of the islands - I was just trying to raise a possibility for it being a random stealth announcement, because the more kingdoms the better, hehe (considering the sphynx scene would be a stealth announcement of the Lake Kingdom too if we didn't know it through the box-art). Does the Tropical Kingdom have any Dinosaurs besides Glydon, though? I thought he was the only dinosaur we saw there and we already know he's in Seaside and the Sand Kingdoms. Thought the Tropical Kingdom was going more towards "weird" with the wigglers. I don't think that's a knock against the desolate feel of the area, though.

But I also don't think it's the same situation as Mt. Volbono or New Donk City: On the direct, at least, the Tropical Kingdom was mentioned as "including tropical islands". I don't think New Donk City or Mt. Volbono were ever advertised as anything other than the titular city/the landmark, and the map stays true to the names/landmarks shown. Either way, I'm erring on the hopeful side, haha, I wouldn't bet a lot on it being a new kingdom either.
They're referring to the kingdom, which is made of four islands, but you only visit one of the islands. So technically you are visiting islands since the one you go to is part of a chain. All of the locations in the sphinx's riddle are landmark names, not kingdom names, so there's no need for island to be plural.

Also the palm trees in Forgotten Isle are shaped just like the islands on the map and the islands on the map are surrounded by purple poison water.

Lake Lamode is in Lake Kingdom, and the place it is on the map happens to have the biggest lake in the world.
 

Nuts2U

Member
Calling it now, we've seen literally everything new already from videos and
the twist is that the game is actually just an HD remake of SM64, Frog Fractions style.
 
They're referring to the kingdom, which is made of four islands, but you only visit one of the islands. So technically you are visiting islands since the one you go to is part of a chain. All of the locations in the sphinx's riddle are landmark names, not kingdom names, so there's no need for island to be plural.

Also the palm trees in Forgotten Isle are shaped just like the islands on the map and the islands on the map are surrounded by purple poison water.

Lake Lamode is in Lake Kingdom, and the place it is on the map happens to have the biggest lake in the world.

I know all that, heh, I'm just holding out hope that since we have to justify the name with a "technically" for it to fit, Forgotten Isle means an, as of now, yet unknown island in a different kingdom. It's super likely that it is referring to the Tropical Kingdom level, of course, but here's hoping it's a stealth reveal, just like Lake Lamode would be if we didn't have the Amiibo Boxart.
 

hotcyder

Member
how long do you think each kingdom will take to 100%?

First time? Probably will take a couple of hours of exploring and examining, not to mention figuring out the task. Though I imagine speedrunners will be able to get ticking off objectives down to a fine art.
 

sanstesy

Member
As they already have online leaderboards for the mini-games, I would have loved leaderboards for collecting every moon in a kingdom or something along those lines that unlocks after the credits.
 

The Lamp

Member
Because it's teasing some kind of 64 throwback level

I know that. It's not a big deal to me because
i highly doubt they will do anything but remake 1 level of SM64, a level I've probably played through ad nauseum
. I hope that's not the big secret surprise for the game.

Also where the hell is Yoshi
 

sanstesy

Member
Yeah, I'm also not a fan of throwback levels - never mind multiple throwbacks - where they just reuse level design from past games. It's cool for one level but for an entire kingdom it's just wasted resources that could have been put on a completely new one. I hope that the Mushroom Kingdom at least will just be a throwback in theme only but with
Isle Delfino
I have less hopes as it's so closely tied to one game only.
 

Skronk

Banned
So glad I was in for the Switch day 1. I hope they drop a huge shipment with this game so everyone can get in on it.
 
Do you think that's been hidden from the demo globe? I don't remember noticing it, could be really tiny though, they altered the mushroom position on the poster for better visibility.
 
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