Super Mario Odyssey: 10 Reasons It's Already A Game Of The Year Contender

Not counting Mario's nipples.

By George Foster /

Nintendo

2017 has been an absolutely phenomenal year for gaming so far, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. With gems like Persona 5, Breath of the Wild, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nioh and Nier: Automata, being a contender for Game of the Year is going to be tough.

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And yet, Super Mario Odyssey has been a contender ever since its first showing earlier this year.

Crazy as it may seem, Nintendo's latest adventure for the portly plumber has looked so good from the get-go, it's looking like one of the biggest and best titles of the year. One we haven't even played or seen all that much of yet.

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Although this could be attributed to "just being another Super Mario", the reasons to get excited go a lot deeper than just legacy recognition. Whether it be the game's huge amount of content or an absolutely beautiful presentation, Super Mario Odyssey feels like it's already pushing aside the competition of every Game of the Year list. Here's why.

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10. Crazy Cap Customisation Looks Fantastic

Character customisation is a feature that hasn’t really appeared in any prior Mario title, but Odyssey looks set to innovate in a big way.

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As shown off in the new trailer, Mario has a huge wardrobe of outfits that range from references to his older games like Dr. Mario, to clothes that match the worlds he visits. The level of customisation goes deep enough that Mario can mix and match whatever he wants.

Giving players this option isn’t just for fun either, as some of the outfits will be necessary to access certain sections of the world. This was shown off in New Donk City, where Mario had to wear the builder outfit in order to get into the construction site. It’s currently unknown how deep this aspect of gameplay goes, but hopefully it’s featured in more levels as well.

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Having customisation in Super Mario Odyssey adds even more content into a game that already looks like it’s brimming with things to do.