Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
Best: “Jump Up Super Star!”
Yes, yes, Super Mario Odyssey is a joyful platformer with a lot of excellent game design to back up its hype. But when we talk about the best part of the Switch game, it’s clearly the song “Jump Up Super Star!” Featuring Pauline’s soaring vocals (as portrayed by Kate Higgins), the jazzy track serves as the backdrop for one of Super Mario Odyssey’s best levels. It’s a swinging certified banger that perfectly encapsulates the joy of Super Mario games with a catchy hook and a ton of swagger. Sucks that Nintendo won’t put it on streaming services.
Worst: The moral conundrum of possessing the innocent
One of the main conceits of Super Mario Odyssey is that Mario has a living hat companion named Cappy. Throwing the hat onto certain enemies, objects, and even human beings allows Mario to make them do his bidding. Sure, the game doesn’t sit with the implications of that very long, but you do. A wise man once asked in a since-deleted tweet what would happen if Mario were to throw his hat onto the head of a pregnant person. Does the plumber control not only the parent, but the unborn child, as well? I saw that question asked six years ago and have not been able to look at Cappy the same way since. And now, neither will you.
