True to its word, Nintendo gave us all a meaty chunk of Super Mario Odyssey gameplay to chew on at E3 2017. And what a chunk it was, starting with the reveal of a T-rex wearing Mario's new (sentient) hat and revealing that players will be able to control anything that can wear the adorable little body snatcher:
There's a ton of new gameplay details to pick apart here, so I'm just gonna list 'em off, bullet point (or would it be Bullet Bill?) style in the order they appear:
Welcome to the world(s)
- Mario games aren't usually big into vehicles, but right at the start we see him driving a teensy scooter around New Donk City.
- See that store in the background, Crazy Cap? Keep it in mind for later.
- A mostly black and white universe with buildings in the shape of hats is going to be part of our travels.
- As is a South American(?) desert with giant crystals and Mayan-esque ruins
- Did you ever wonder what Mario would look like wearing a poncho and a sombrero? Wonder no more.
- Floating high on the cliffside above the triceratops skeleton, we see what looks like a spinning heart. Is it reusable a la Super Mario 64 or just a one-time pickup?
- Yup, Bowser's kidnapped Peach again. But why'd he dressed so spiffy this time? Turns out that's his wedding outfit, and the king koopa plans to make Peach his officially this time. It's probably just for tax reasons, though. Those castles don't come cheap ya know.
- Mario's hat hasn't always been possessed of course - and this short glimpse shows us Cappy (yes, that's his real name) in his true form.
- Whirling, spinning, hula hoop-style hat throw!
- Mario gets patriotic with his striped overalls and star-spangled shirt. And look, another one of those hearts!
- Even when he takes other forms (like a sombrero), Cappy can still be used just like normal.
- Birds in hats! Light poles designed like hats! There's a lot of hats in this world.
- Taking a page from A Link Between Worlds, Mario flattens himself and goes 2D to scale this tower. Reports from the showfloor say this is also accompanied by a change in sound effects and music.
Mario the body snatcher
- Judging by the cinematic camera angle and the surprise on Mario's face, this is the first time he possesses another creature via Cappy. He must get over it fairly quick because then we see…
- Goomba Mario
- Koopa Mario
- Bullet Bill Mario
- Rocket ship Mario (his powers aren't limited to living things apparently)
- Fireball Mario (being shot across a candy-coated landscape)
- Robot Mario
- Electric spark Mario (sliding down a power line that looks like it connects to the same 2D tower segment from before, only this time the level is shown at nighttime - does time progress naturally or is there a way to change the time from day to night?)
- Cheep Cheep Mario (which hopefully makes this underwater level less of a pain)
An evil wedding planner family and a few surprises
- Hey, I didn't know Mario could play guitar
- Bowser's really going all out for this wedding, even decking out his airship. But Mario's also sporting his Sunday best.
- A Nintendo Treehouse livestream would later reveal this to be a boss fight against the wedding planner group of evil bunnies that Bowser has hired: the Broodals. The one we see in this trailer is Harriet, and she can swing her long, braided hair like a dangerous chain.
- The Broodals don't appear to be the only big bads in Mario's way, as we see when he takes control of a golem's flying fist so he can punch it in the face.
- Odyssey isn't just the name of the game or what Mario does, it's also the name of his special ship, which can cross dimensions. Looks like it's powered by Power Moons - SMO's equivalent of Stars/Shines.
- Remember that Crazy Cap store? Looks like this is where Mario will get to don his many costumes, including safari, chef, swimming, and football-themed outfits.
- Taking over enemies isn't just for show, as we see Mario get new abilities in Koopa, Goomba, Chain-Chomp, taxi cab, and stone head forms (notice how when his sunglasses come down, platforms appear).
- Taking over cartoon monsters and inanimate objects is one thing; stealing the body of a more realistically-rendered human? That's a little creepy, Mario!
- More forms, including a tank and the t-rex from the opening.
- Who's the lady with the snazzy dress and big, brunette hair? None other than Pauline, the woman Mario saved from Donkey Kong back in the day. She's gone on to become Mayor of New Donk City!
- Coming October 27. Can't wait.
Make sure you check out our full E3 2017 schedule to stay tuned for all the details as they arrive, and check out our roundup of all the E3 2017 trailers.
