Super Princess Peach Odyssey

Super Princess Peach Odyssey is an entry from the Super Mario platforming series for the Nintendo Switch. The game features sandbox-like elements similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, and revolves around Peach exploring worlds.

The game supports two-player co-op, allowing a second character to use a single Joy-Con to control Toad independently from Peach. The game also has online functionality, which allows players to compare their times/scores in certain events.

Premise
Princess Peach is my favorite Nintendo character, simply put. I think she’s very interesting (as much as a Mario character can be) and am yearning for another solo Peach title. Certain characters are getting good solo games, ala Toad, and other characters are on their 3rd solo game, ala Luigi – but Peach was shafted with one game back in 2005.

With this game, I’d like to take influence from a few different games in the series. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Super Mario Odyssey and, most notably, Super Mario 3D World.

Story
The game opening is pretty much extracted from Mario + Rabbids. Mario, Peach, Luigi, Toad and the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom are all at Peach’s castle, celebrating the unveiling of Peach’s new statue.

That’s when the Shroobs appear in the alien spaceship.

Gameplay
Much of the game is inspired by Odyssey’s gameplay. The HUD is the same, as well as the health system with Health Points over lives.

The main difference is whereas Odyssey seems to be more ‘open world’, you can collect as much as you want and move on when you’re ready, Peach Odyssey’s world system resembles 3D World; There are a certain amount of levels in each world. You have to collect Power Moons to progress. There are three in most levels. While you don’t have to get every Power Moon from every level, some levels require a certain amount of Power Moons to be unlock. And you can only move on to the next world once you collect the current world’s corresponding Star Shard.

The game features a large world map, consisting of eight worlds with an unlockable bonus world. Each world is connected by Pink Pipes. The seven Star Shards are in worlds 1-7, and the final world is the corrupted Mushroom Kingdom where Peach must defeat the Shroob Queen. Hearts in this game are pink and can be often found after defeating enemies in battle. They are sometimes dropped by them alongside Flowers and Coins. Each heart restores a wedge of Peach’s health. Hearts give 5 coins when collected while being at full health.

World 1 - Peachy Plateau
This is the first world that Peach visits on her journey to collect all the Star Shards. Peachy Plateau is the home of the Pink Star Shard.

This world, being the first location, is calm and serene. This world’s main inspiration is Pretty Pink Plaza from 3D World. The overall concept is grassy plains level meets cloudy sky levels; Hence the theme being ‘grassy, pink & cloudy’. Most of the floral is pinks, purples, blues, and whites. There are pink trees everywhere that can drop peaches, hidden cloud platforms for platforming, and rabbits running all around. This world focuses on the cloud power-up.

The final boss in this world is Harriet from Odyssey.

World 2 - Sunnyset Gulch
This is the second world on Peach’s quest and home of the Yellow Star Shard.

This world's main inspiration is Sunset Wilds from Mario Kart. The overall concept is tan canyons and mountain-like cliffs. There are cacti and tumbleweed blowing everywhere. There are hidden caves, abandoned mines. This world would be known for its constant beautiful sunset and focuses on the Sand Rock power-up.

Pokeys, Spikes, Caccacs and Ant Troopers are commonly found in most levels and King Sandmaargh is the final boss of the world.

Shy Guys and Shy Guy Tents are around this world as well, but do not attack unless provoked.

World 3 - Wiggler Woods
This is the third world on Peach's quest and home of the Orange Star Shard.

This world's main inspiration is Switchboard Falls from 3D World and Maple Treeway from Mario Kart. The overall concept is an orange, autumn forest. The trees are shedding their leaves, and everything is yellow, orange and red. This world focuses on the Tanooki Leaf power-up.

There are Wigglers, Waddlewings, Goombrats and Stingbys everywhere. Stumpers are also trying to block your path! The final boss is King Wiggler.

Shroobs
Goombas and Koopas are not the enemies of this game, rather variants of the Shroob creatures. They are evil, Toad-like aliens found all over the worlds of the Odyssey Kingdom.

The Shroobs travel around, infecting more areas and turning more Toads into infected Shroobs.