Super Mario Odyssey Director Explains Why Mario Is Still Popular

From the original Donkey Kong to the latest Nintendo Switch title Super Mario Odyssey, Mario has been around for decades. During that time, he has been everything from a plumber, to race car driver, to Battle Royale combatant. The character’s charm never seems to waver, even among older gamers. Recently, Kenta Motokura, the director behind Super Mario Odyssey explained why.

The game director gave his explanation during an interview with GQ and it seems the secret lies with reinvention. For every iteration, the one constant in video games with Mario in it is the characters. They simply change what they do and yet for most of it, the roles are the same. Mario is the hero, Luigi is the sidekick, and Bowser is the enemy.

“I think in general, players are always looking for something new, they always want something new out of their games. So I think Mario just always has to be trying new things and taking on new challenges,” Motokura said.

In the newest game, it would seem that the developers have taken this concept to new heights. For those who are still unfamiliar with how Odyssey works, the game literally allows players to turn Mario into anything. The protagonist can take over both animate and inanimate objects with the use of his magical hat. As a result, Mario can be a box, a fish, or even a giant bullet.

The title has yet to launch, but early reviews are already trickling in and it seems most reviewers absolutely love Odyssey, Express.co.uk reports. If it’s not getting near-perfect scores from critics, it is getting showered with praises for revolutionary mechanics and absolutely changing the game for platformers.

What most reviewers seem to agree on is how original the game is. It basically reinvents the formula with regards to games that the Nintendo mascot is involved in and succeeds in every respect.