It might sound like a minor twist on the established Tanooki suits and Bee suits of old in theory, but in practice, Cappy gives Odyssey an entirely different feel.

This is nothing less than Super Mario Bros: The Possession. Take control of a Bullet Bill, and you can fly across dangerous stretches of lava take on a Koopa, and you’ll be able to bounce around and throw projectiles. Those old hapless Goombas, for example, have the advantage of having non-slip feet (perfect for traversing icy ground), and with well timed jumps, you can stack one Goomba on top of the other to reach high platforms. Beneath the cute window-dressing, Mario’s new side-kick, a sentient hat called Cappy, introduces a mechanic not dissimilar from the possession ability in Dishonored: by throwing his hat at certain enemies, Mario can take control of them and make use of their special abilities. Like Breath Of The Wild, Super Mario Odyssey feels like a game that looks outwards as well as inwards.

Super Mario Odyssey is, in short, a title that takes in everything from Mario’s earliest exploits to the present – and adds more than a few new ideas of its own into the mix. As fireworks splash across the sky, Mario bounces and jumps through a network of 2D and 3D environments that read like a compendium of games past. During a vaunt through a metropolis called New Donk City, a rooftop party’s in full swing, with Pauline – formerly the damsel in distress from Donkey Kong, now mayor – belting out a show-stopping tune called Jump Up, Super Star. There’s a moment in Nintendo’s latest Mario game – the hero’s first proper outing on the Switch – that perfectly sums up its joyous tone.

Super Mario Odyssey, on the other hand, feels like a true celebration for such a legendary character. But as likeable and fun as that Mario construction kit was, it arguably lacked the sense of occasion surrounding a major series entry like Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario 64. When Nintendo’s athletic mascot celebrated his 30th anniversary in 2015, the event coincided with the release of the charming Super Mario Maker.

Super mario odyssey rom switch