Super Mario Odyssey

[Data]

Mario is back in another remake.  This time in 720P on the Nintendo Switch.  The basic cannon to a traditional Mario story remains the same with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach while hiring a cavalry of malefactors to harass and provoke our betrothed pal Mario.

It is suggested from the official Nintendo E3 gameplay footage that there may be a potential marriage proposal awaiting the virtuous Peach.  If you played Sonic Generation from back in 2011 you know how Sonic Team combined 2 dimensional Sonic from Mega Drive with 3 dimensional gameplay from Dreamcast era.  Odyssey to me seems to borrow these elements of gameplay but improves on the camera flaw that Sega's version was plauged with.  The biggest talking point of Odyssey though is Mario's hat.  It is clearly going to be a major part of solving puzzles and completing sidequests.

My concern with Super Mario Odyssey is how this so-called "possesion" gameplay mechanic teaches players that they can control other beings without their consent. As Jessica Jones has shown us, this is tantamount to rape. Nintendo needs to include a consent quick time event or some other sort of minigame where the player has to gain enthusiastic consent every time before Mario can gain possession of an enemy or object.

 

[E-Day]

I'm not sure I would call this game a remake. It's not really remaking anything from past Mario games.

[Data]

It looks an awful lot like Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine engine with the objective being to collect regular coins, red coins and moons.  Although the concept of possessing the soul of you're pray is new for a Mario game, it isn't all that innovative to select different characters to complete a common objective.  

Sega always had problems with the camera in their Sonic games so they decided on a design choice in which Sonic could jump and then hit jump again and it would dash to an enemy.  This was so Sonic wouldn't fall off cliffs because the player can't see.  Nintendo in my opinion seemed to use this concept as seen in this video where Mario travels across a power line.  It also seems like they borrowed ideas from Sonic Generations.

New characters and sprites seem like a major update for the franchise in this game and fans will love it although I do not feel moved.

[kitsunebi]

Calling it a remake is just silly. 

Personally, I found the initial level shown in this demo a little off-putting.  I just don't see Mario existing in a real-world environment of skyscrapers and people in business suits.

[Data]

Remake is not the appropriate word but regurgitate might be a better fit.  Super Mario Odyssey regurgitates it's colect-a-thon style end game from Mario Sunshine and it's physics from Mario 64.  Furthermore, Nintendo have taken design choices from Sonic Adventure.  Specifically the multi-character assisted goals, Sonic being rendered in a real city called Station Square as well as the action move double dash.  The way Super Mario Odyssey blends the stages between 2D and 3D are strikingly similar to Sega's 2011 sleeper Sonic Generations.

What really worries me though is that children will be playing this and the only message they will be getting is consent doesn't matter when you're victims are helpless.

 

[kitsunebi]

3 minutes ago, Data said:

What really worries me though is that children will be playing this and the only message they will be getting is consent doesn't matter when you're victims are helpless.

Mario has been mass murdering countless "enemy" creatures populating the Mushroom Kingdom for over 30 years and no one has seen fit to protect the children yet.  Where are you when we need you, ESRB???

[Data]

27 minutes ago, kitsunebi77 said:

Mario has been mass murdering countless "enemy" creatures populating the Mushroom Kingdom for over 30 years and no one has seen fit to protect the children yet.  Where are you when we need you, ESRB???

A little bit of animated violence is innocent enough but this new possession mechanic I believe crosses a moral line.  It is not about merely squashing Goombas and riding turtles anymore.
It is now permitting the player to control an object to reach their own ends.  This is a clear violation without receiving verbal consent and without duress before taking something or someone captive.

[te72]

Did you somehow miss all the horrible, agonizing sacrifices that Yoshi was subjected to? Mario is a slave driver, dude literally PUNCHES his steed to make him eat things that he may or may not even WANT to eat... Mario's just a terrible person, simple as that.

 

...yet I've never played a main Mario game I didn't like.

[kitsunebi]

4 hours ago, te72 said:

Did you somehow miss all the horrible, agonizing sacrifices that Yoshi was subjected to? Mario is a slave driver, dude literally PUNCHES his steed to make him eat things that he may or may not even WANT to eat... Mario's just a terrible person, simple as that.

[E-Day]

13 hours ago, Data said:

A little bit of animated violence is innocent enough but this new possession mechanic I believe crosses a moral line.  It is not about merely squashing Goombas and riding turtles anymore.
It is now permitting the player to control an object to reach their own ends.  This is a clear violation without receiving verbal consent and without duress before taking something or someone captive.

I think you are overthinking this way too much. No kid is going to see it that way.

[te72]

On 7/6/2017 at 2:20 AM, kitsunebi77 said:

Awesome Yoshi meme

This is exactly the image I had in mind when I posted my last reply... glad to see we're on the same page.

[twiztor]

On 7/6/2017 at 7:35 AM, E-Day said:

I think you are overthinking this way too much. No kid is going to see it that way.

totally agreed. 

comparing a "possession mechanic" to rape is ludicrous. these are all animated (i.e., non-living) creatures and made specifically for this purpose. i think we'll all be ok.