In every Super Mario game, you know you are playing as Mario. You know you are going to jump, collect coins, stomp on enemies and rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. Yet, fans are still drawn to this iconic 3D platformer like bees to honey.

The gameplay is no different in the latest Super Mario Odyssey. The mission is simple - in each level or world you are travelling, gather enough Moons to power a ship called Odyssey to chase and stop Bowser, who is on his way to forcibly marry Princess Peach.

Sounds simple enough. But the worlds that you will be traversing are dotted with creative puzzles for you to solve, and mini-bosses for you to defeat. At some stages, you will even revert back to eight-bit 2D platforming.

However, you have a new companion called Cappy.

It is a sentient cap that allows Mario to attack enemies by tossing it at them. At times, it also allows Mario to "possess" characters.

For example, toss that cap at a frog and Mario becomes a frog, enabling him to jump even higher. Mario can even become a T. Rex dinosaur.

Cappy allows you to play in many ways. For example, you can opt to jump your way through obstacles, or you can "possess" a rocket and make it to the other side quicker. It is up to your creativity.

Furthermore, every one of the worlds is bright, colourful and beautifully crafted. And each world, along with its habitants, is vastly different from another one, which makes it an absolute joy to explore and discover hidden Easter eggs. You will meet old characters as well as new ones.

In addition to coins, each world has its own local currency that you can use to buy more outfits for Mario. Thus, you will be more inspired to explore each world. It is just incredibly fun to play and explore, with surprises in every corner you turn.

In short, if you own a Switch, you must have Super Mario Odyssey in your game collection.

Trevor Tan