The Nintendo Switch has been around for a couple of years now, and tons of games have been released for the system. Whether it’s from Nintendo themselves or other developers that were allowed to publish and release on the platform. The range of titles released on the system is astounding, even with the hardware limitations of the console. Two games stand out for several reasons: Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are both considered some of the best video games, not only for the Nintendo Switch but for all time. Which one of these games is the best for you?
Storytelling
Mario Journeys Around The World
Super Mario Odyssey plays it pretty safe in terms of the game’s story; just like previous titles before, Mario must save Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. The circumstances are a bit different, like Bowser just forcefully trying to marry Peach instead of just kidnapping her, and Mario befriends and uses a shapeshifting hat named Cappy to help him on his journey, but the core story is still the same. Most of the rich storytelling lies in the lore of each location that Mario travels through, such as the Cap Kingdom, where Mario meets Cappy and gains the Power Moon ship named The Odyssey for traversal.
All kingdoms have subplots where Mario and Cappy go out of their way to interact with the residents of said kingdom to either resolve conflicts or explore the kingdom itself for more power moons. The Seaside Kingdom, for example, not only has power moons for progression but also, Mario must the inhabitants of the kingdom from a giant squid that is constantly drinking the water reserve of the kingdom, running the risk of leaving the kingdom dry of any fresh water.
One of the most memorable locations in the game is the Metro Kingdom, where New Donk City resides. Having been inspired by The Big Apple itself, there are many memorable set pieces, such as New Donk City Hall, which was inspired by the Empire State Building in New York City. Pauline makes a return after not making an appearance since the Nintendo DS title Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! Pauline is the official mayor of New Donk City and asks Mario for help with various tasks, such as restoring power to the city and finding musicians for the city’s festival that she is hosting.
An honorable mention to the Moon Kingdom, where you face off against Bowser after interrupting his “totally legitimate” wedding. After Mario defeats Bowser, the cave where they fought begins to collapse, and Mario must take control of Bowser while he’s knocked unconscious with the help of Cappy to escape the doomed cave to save Peach, himself, and Bowser. An unexpected yet wholesome act of mercy.
Link Rekindles With Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a similar story structure to their previous titles; the one true objective is to rescue Zelda from the clutches of Ganondorf, or in BOTW’s case, Calamity Ganon. Once the player has finished the tutorial, they are 100% free to do whatever they want, the game gives the player complete freedom to how they choose to progress through the story. Considering BOTW is a soft reboot of the franchise, it’s highly encouraged for the player to explore the open world of the game to learn all about the world of BOTW, how civilization has progressed, and what secrets wait to be discovered.
100 years before the setting of the game, Hyrule Kingdom was besieged by a monstrous creature known as Calamity Ganon. His dark influence had taken hold of the Guardians and Divine Beasts, and the Champions, along with many lives of the population of Hyrule, were lost to this disaster known as The Great Calamity. Link was gravely wounded in battle, and he was taken to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he stayed to heal for 100 years.
Princess Zelda stayed behind to face Calamity Ganon alone. She managed to contain Ganon in the ruins of Hyrule Castle. Link reawakens a century later with no memory of the past. He meets with the ghost of King Rhoam, who explains to Link about his past and what happened in the events of The Great Calamity. After this, King Rhoam disappears, leaving Link as the only one who can save Princess Zelda and all of Hyrule from Calamity Ganon.
There are many side stories and lore spread across the region of Hyrule, the player will discover the history of all the different races, their connections to Zelda and Link, and the world in which The Legend of Zelda takes place.
Gameplay Mechanics
Jumpman Mario Body-Snatching
Super Mario Odyssey is a platformer, action-adventure title with collect-a-thon elements integrated into the plot and gameplay. Mario is as agile as he was in his previous titles, such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Even with the added movesets of Cappy and the original movesets introduced in this game, Mario is more capable than ever, which will be needed to reach the Power Moons for progression, Gold Coins, and Purple Coins to buy in-game cosmetics for Mario.
The most prominent feature in this game is the ability to use Cappy to possess and take control of enemies and allies alike for added traversal never thought of before. From something as small as a roomba to a literal T-Rex, Mario can possess just about anything. Mario can use the enemies he possesses to his advantage to reach places and traverse hazards he normally couldn’t before. The most iconic of which is the aforementioned T-Rex and Bowser possessions. The player can FEEL the power they pack.
A Hero Helping People
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an open-world, action-adventure RPG. As stated before, the player has complete freedom on how they choose to explore the world and progress through the main story and the many side stories and hidden lore of the rebooted timeline. The player can explore all the regions of the entire map, top to bottom. There’s always something new hiding in every nook and cranny of the various forest areas and cave systems.
Not to mention, the shrines that cover the entire map, the player must complete these shrines to earn Spirit Orbs to be able to upgrade Link’s health and overall stamina to be able to explore more difficult-to-reach areas and take on more dangerous foes scattered around the map. Link is without his iconic Master Sword or Master Shield this time around, but being a swordsman and a royal knight who is the princess’s bodyguard, he can use any weapons and shells he finds on the battlefield. They all have a set amount of durability, so the player must be wary and manage their inventory.
That’s not all, as Link also has access to the Sheikah Slate, which was made from the same ancient technology as the Guardians and the Divine Beasts. Link can use the slate as a map, access memories and photos, and use the various runes unlocked throughout the game. Link can use these abilities to create bombs, magnetism, time manipulation, and freezing water to create icy platforms. These are also useful for the player to grind for essential materials and solve the various shrines around the map.
Final Verdict
Between these two titles, which one takes the cake? Hands down, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the winner of this duel. This title has much more to offer, not only in the base game but also in all the DLC available for the game. Super Mario Odyssey is more of a gateway title that can do a great job of introducing the player base to the next generation of Nintendo consoles like Super Mario 64.
BOTW, on the other hand, is where the Nintendo Switch truly shines. Nintendo went all out to make the game as memorable, enjoyable, and iconic as possible. There are many reasons why BOTW won Game of the Year in 2017 after all.
Departing Thoughts
Both titles are amazing and worth a play. Regardless of the player’s preferences, both titles deserve the proper credit for being iconic and enjoyable in their rights. These two are fantastic examples of the standards that Nintendo sets for itself to consistently create high-quality games. Sure, they’ve made questionable and frankly terrible business decisions that cause outrage and understandably damage their reputation, but every time, they bounce back by making these titles.
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