10 Obscure Gaming Clues That Explained Confusing Moments

The Confusing Moment

Super Mario Odyssey received near-universal acclaim from critics and players alike, but there was one rather peculiar sticking point with many in the otherwise incredible level New Donk City.

As a not-so-subtle parody of New York City, the vibrant metropolis sees Mario hanging out amid the city's hustle and bustle, namely regular humans going about their day.

Except, the humans in the level look nothing like Mario: their body proportions are more "realistic" and their faces look considerably less cartoonish.

And so, we have to consider whether or not Mario really is even human at all, and if he is, why the hell does he look so different from "normal" people?

The Clue

For starters, the game's director Kenta Motokura confirmed pre-release that Mario is indeed human while addressing the discrepancy directly, adding, "In the world, there are many different types of people, you know."

But there's actually a somewhat subtle confirmation in the game itself that Mario isn't some secret alien being.

Polygon quite eloquently illustrated Odyssey's many attempts to double-underline Mario's humanity throughout, noting that this is the first game in the series to show Mario shirtless, nipple controversy and all, that he can play frisbee with a dog, and he'll even take a nap if you leave him idle.

It's all part of a sly campaign on Nintendo's part to ensure players aren't dissuaded of Mario's humanity, even if the presence of tall humans in New Donk City remains incredibly jarring.