Are you feeling burnt out on the traditional map-based overworlds in Mario games? You know, where you navigate a map, each dot represents a level, and you hit A to enter? Even titles like Super Mario Wonder stick to this format. It makes me ponder how revolutionary the hub worlds in Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy were. However, after Galaxy 2 returned to the standard map-to-level design, 3D Land and World followed suit, and Odyssey didn’t incorporate a hub at all. I really think this approach could be ripe for innovation! Imagine a 2D Mario game that’s like one massive level with various interconnected areas. Think Super Metroid but even bigger. For a 3D game, what if there was a huge world where Mario has to gather keys and explore branching paths to reach new areas? Something akin to a mix of Paper Mario and a Zelda adventure would be amazing!
3 Answers
I think Bowser’s Fury captured the essence of what you’re after. It’s more open-ended, and I bet the next Switch Mario game will build on that concept!
Have you played Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle? It has that vibe you’re describing—a more interconnected world with paths branching out like in Zelda.
Honestly, I’m a fan of linear Mario worlds; they have their charm! But I totally see your point about needing something fresh.
Yeah, I’ve heard great things about it too. I need to dive into BF; it seems to fit the bill for what we’re missing.