And it did it all two weeks before Odyssey released on Switch.

A loveable protagonist? Huge sandbox levels? Hat-based powers? Check, check, check. Indie darling A Hat in Time ticks all the boxes of a great open-world platformer à la Super Mario Odyssey.

Fans of games like Super Mario Odyssey will love this game. Yooka-Laylee has been criticized for borrowing too much from the classics, but who says you have to reinvent the wheel? The fun abilities, satisfying platforming, and hilarious, tongue-in-cheek writing style more than make up for any shortage of vision. It’s lighthearted with attitude⁠ classic cartoon fare⁠ from an era before the industry became obsessed with the gritty and unsentimental. In keeping with mascot platformer tradition, the dialogue is snarky and sarcastic without delving into the crass or rude. This copied mechanic feels new thanks to the clever move sets of the hero duo. Like in Banjo-Kazooie, players will have to switch between Yooka and Laylee in order to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Those who grew up with an N64 have already guessed the heavy Banjo-Kazooie inspiration (the name Yooka-Laylee is an overt homage to Rare’s platformer, too). Playing as its adorable chameleon and bat duo, players traverse a series of large stages, grabbing collectibles and smooshing baddies along the way. Yooka-Laylee is a love letter to the platforming collect-a-thons of the ’90s and early 2000s. King Koopa’s irregular tantrums interject moments of insanity amidst the familiar platforming quite the contrast from the self-paced exploration of Odyssey. There’s one spicy twist: every few minutes, Bowser goes nuts, unleashing jets of fire and conjuring a rainstorm of glowing blocks. The second game, Bowser’s Fury, plays like a smaller, tighter Odyssey. You’re not limited to Mario, either Peach, Luigi, and the gang are all here with their own unique abilities.

It’s a side-scrolling platformer in the vein of classic Mario but with 3D stages and a gimmick for each of the game’s worlds. The meat of this mash-up is in Super Mario 3D World, which offers an interesting mix of old and new mechanics. Neither game is as expansive or lengthy as other games like Mario Odyssey, but together, they make a formidable package with dozens of hours of content. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury gives you two Mario games for the price of one. Poi: Explorer Edition Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Games liek super mario odyssey pc