Is Super Mario Odyssey a new game?
If you've been paying attention to latest craze in gaming, you know that the Nintendo Switch has set the world on fire (and I mean that metaphorically). In January, Nintendo showed the world everything their new console/handheld hybrid had to offer. Several games were announced for the Switch at the time. Games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, Splatoon 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Sword Breaker. But one game really stood out to Princess-saving vets: Super Mario Odyssey. It had flash, it had pizzazz! But while we took it all in, a troubling thought ran through everyone's mind... is this actually a new game?
Let me explain. Please take a moment to examine the image below.
Image depicting Mario chasing his hat, which has run away from home.
Now that you've had a moment to study this picture, can you honestly tell me what game this was taken from? Didn't think so. We know it's not Super Mario Bros. 3 because that game did not feature taxi cabs or fire hydrants. But what about Super Mario 64? Or maybe Super Mario Sunshine? Not so easy, is it? Before you scratch your head bald, I'll save you some time. It's Super Mario Odyssey. That's right, this generic picture of Mario running through a city filled with humans twice his size was actually taken from the game this article was written about.
Now at this point you may be thinking that this is an open and shut case. This high resolution image of a small plumber breaking jaywalking laws must obviously be from a game we've never played before, right? Wrong actually. You have never been more wrong about anything in your life. Because while Super Mario Odyssey might look like a new game, can you actually prove it is?
You're probably be wondering where I'm going with this. I don't blame you for being skeptical. I didn't believe in ghosts until I saw the movie Ghosts. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. There is a critical piece of evidence missing that would prove we are looking at a brand new game: the title.
Before I shake you to the core, I'm going to give you one last chance to see if you can tell which pictures are from Super Mario Odyssey and which pictures are from old Mario games. Good freaking luck!
Not so easy, is it?
I'm going to cut to the chase here. Super Mario Odyssey could prove that it's a new game and not simply some remastered port if Nintendo was willing to change the game's title. Now you might be thinking to yourself, "What?! Super Mario Odyssey is the perfect title! It tells us that Mario is both super and involved in some sort of odyssey!"
Yes, but Nintendo has cleverly left something absent from Super Mario Odyssey's title: the word "New."
11 years ago Nintendo decided to release a new Mario game for the Nintendo DS. They launched the system with Super Mario 64 DS (an old Mario game). But the new game was a return to form for the Mushroom Kingdom's favorite pipe cleaner. Mario had finally come back to his 2D roots!
But Nintendo was faced with a dilemma. The company hadn't released a new Mario game in almost 2 years. Would the world even remember their old hero? Nintendo's marketing team was given what seemed like an impossible task: remind the world that their billion dollar property existed.
And how did Nintendo convey that this Mario adventure was a brand new game? They added the world "New" to the game's title.
Brilliant.
"New" told the whole story. Levels? Brand new. Music? New too! Characters? Shut up.
A visual representation of Mario's ego.
If you're wondering if this strategy paid off, the answer is yes. It most certainly did. New Super Mario Bros. sold over 30 million copies.
Nintendo had no idea it could be so easy to sell a game. No more would parents and children search stores for Mario games only to be unsure if they already owned them. "New" made it clear that these games were not old.
And so it began: The age of New Mario.
If you look closely you'll notice that all of these games have the word "New" in the title. It's also important to note that they were huge successes for Nintendo.
So the company finds themselves in a bit of a pickle. They're faced with two options:
- They can lie to the world and say that Super Mario Odyssey isn't a Super Mario 64 port, keeping the title intact. Or...
- Nintendo can change the game's title to New Super Mario Odyssey, eliminating confusion and guaranteeing huge sales for a non-old product.
I will close my argument with one last test.
Without hesitating, which picture looks like the newer game?
I'm not even going to say how right I was. I won't even say it.
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