Super Mario Odyssey desert level secret room

These flagpoles also form warp points that you can use to fast travel around Super Mario Odyssey’s huge levels.

That’s not the only thing that Nintendo have changed up with Mario – he now has his health wheel back, as seen in Super Mario 64, and it isn’t re-filled by collecting coins, but by heart containers or by passing checkpoint flagpoles. In New Donk City, Mario can possess electrical wires to travel quickly up skyscrapers, or flagpoles in order to spring himself around long distances. This can sometimes be surprising – when I threw my cap at a Bullet Bill in the desert world, I wasn’t expecting that I would actually become the Bullet Bill, basically granting you temporary flight to cross gaps that would otherwise be tough to platform around. Cappy can be thrown as a ranged attack, be thrown as a mobile platform that Mario can jump on, collect items from a distance (and have his range increased by pinball-like bumpers), and most importantly of all, allows Mario to possess objects and enemies. He can do so many things, and adds so much to the gameplay, that it’s almost overwhelming, and will definitely take a lot of time to master. Let’s talk about Cappy – Mario’s new hat, and the central character that Super Mario Odyssey is based around. In fact, spinning around sends Mario into a brand new move – a pirouette where he throws his hat around him, forming a kind of flying shield. I started trying out Mario’s quick turns and side-jumps, triple jumps, crouch long-jumps, and just spinning around. When I first got my hands on Super Mario Odyssey, the first thing I tested out was the most important part of any Mario game – the controls. Super Mario Odyssey has all the hallmarks of an unforgettable Super Mario experience, and evolves the series into new and exciting directions. On the first day of E3, Tuesday, it may just as well have been Times Square on New Years Eve – packed wall-to-wall with people forming an impenetrable mass, all waiting for their first chance to play Super Mario Odyssey. And the demo didn’t disappoint, offering two 10 minute glimpses at levels in the game (the desert and New Donk City) – and from going hands-on, I can tell you, it was worth lining up for (although perhaps not for 3-4 hours like some attendees).

The first proper Mario title on the Nintendo Switch, and the first open-world Mario title since Super Mario 64 and Sunshine, the game was the main focus for Nintendo on the floor, transforming their entire booth into a replica of New Donk City from the game.

One look at the floor at E3 2017 would be enough to tell you what was the most popular title on show – Super Mario Odyssey.

Super Mario Odyssey desert level secret room