Footage has appeared online of Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey presentation at Gamescom 2017, including an interview with producer Yoshiaki Koizumi about the game. What may be of most interest to fans, though, is that the video features the first detailed look at the Luncheon Kingdom, along with a few other tidbits.
The first ten minutes or so of the video focus on what those who have followed the game’s progress already know, but it does include an extended look at various elements from the game — including the T-Rex cameo from this year’s E3, the Cap Kingdom, and what it’s like for Mario to capture a frog (in what may be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the frog suit in Super Mario Bros. 3). The latter half of the video shows off a fair amount of the Luncheon Kingdom, the Cookatiel, and some of Bowser’s chef-themed minions.
According to Mr. Koizumi, the Kingdom itself was inspired by Europe, since Europe is known for its wide variety of food cultures, and the music itself is meant to evoke thoughts of Italy in particular. Goombas wear chef’s caps, and the Hammer Bros. have traded in their hammers for frying pans — but there’s still plenty of familiarity for those concerned with the game’s new ground, particularly in terms of gameplay.
The level shown during the interview has a similar style to those from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, in that it gives the player the general idea of the level, but then gives you free reign to explore and chat with the kingdom’s denizens as you wish. One of the features Mr. Koizumi makes a point to show is capturing a lava bubble — since, as he says, it allows you the most freedom to move about in lava in any Mario game. Plus, it makes use of the Joy-Cons to move about in various ways.
Image via Video Game Wallpaper
A few other details were revealed as well. One concerns the Crazy Cap Store and how different branches of the store will have different items in stock, encouraging you to check out each one. Some may also be pleased to note that Cappy’s explanation about the different regional coins — what they are and where they can be used — does not appear every time you first pick up such a coin.
Finally, there’s the depth of the kingdom itself. If you look at the display under the coin counter in the top left, you’ll notice 18 dots — one of which is filled in with the light blue color of the Luncheon Kingdom’s Power Moons. Despite no official announcement of how many kingdoms or how big each one is, concerned fans can at least rest assured that there seems to be a lot to do in the Luncheon Kingdom.
There is also a second video of Luncheon Kingdom gameplay you can see above. This one covers the same cheese level, but shows off a good deal more of the level and how Power Moons can be found in unexpected places, simply by exploration and experimentation.
That’s it for now, but make sure to check back for any news coming from Gamescom 2017 or updates on Super Mario Odyssey!
