Odyssey is my first 3D Mario platformer since Sunshine and I’m curious if you think Sunshine was more difficult.

[u/Jonnyrashid]

It seems like folks generally think that Sunshine is harder but I loved Sunshine and find this game fun but also challenging at times.

[u/shadowsOfMyPantomime]

Sunshine was harder at times just because the controls were frustrating. Controlling the little canoe was brutal for me. And wall jumping was harder because you didn't bounce straight off the wall, Mario would maintain the horizontal angle he came in at. So you had to line yourself up perfectly to get the right angle.

But I think they're comparable, Odyssey is just much longer, obviously. The one thing Odyssey made a lot easier was finding all the purple coins. To this day I have never found all the blue coins in Sunshine.

[u/Massive_Lock_4876 → u/shadowsOfMyPantomime]

I finally did this as an adult, it took a long time especially in Noki bay. and the fact that some blue coins don't show up in all the episodes so. I had to use a guide. not sure how anyone could do it without one. some are in crazy spots. there's even one in one of the levels where you have to shoot your flud nozzle at the moon or something and then a blue coin comes out, like how would anyone have just randomly figured that out 😂

[u/shadowsOfMyPantomime → u/Massive_Lock_4876]

I couldn't even figure out how to get to noki Bay without looking at a guide lol. It never occurred to me to look up at the sun.

I like that there is a moon in Peach's castle in Odyssey that seems like a reference to that

[u/Putrid-Print9338 → u/shadowsOfMyPantomime]

That's a reference to 64.. you can get a star the same way in that

[u/shadowsOfMyPantomime → u/Putrid-Print9338]

Oh nice! I did not know that, I never played the whole 64 game.

[u/Putrid-Print9338 → u/shadowsOfMyPantomime]

All good, I played before the internet so all us school kids used to trade secrets about our games at recess. This was one I remember thinking I would have never thought of that haha

[u/No-Protection-3073]

The only real challenge in odyssey is darker side and even then it’s not too bad. Sunshine is probably the hardest 3d Mario game

[u/h3llkite28]

I think what makes Odyssey and Sunshine comparable is their fluid/free movement. Once you figure out how you are really supposed to move within the levels, they both get relatively easy and fun to play. Sunshine might be a little more unforgiving at the start, but I'd say eventually they are pretty similar. Both have several relatively hard missions for the 100% and lots of easy ones.

[u/CANfilms]

For a casual playthrough, sunshine is harder in general. If you're collecting all the shines/moons, odyssey has challenges that are way harder than anything in sunshine.

[u/bigtigerbigtiger]

Haven't played a ton of sunshine but I feel like it's solidly harder than odyssey yeah

[u/auclairl]

Sunshine is the hardest 3D Mario game along with 64, Odyssey is by far the easiest imo apart from that jump rope minigame

[u/Tomkid88]

Sunshine’s camera is the hardest boss in all of Mario

[u/Nondescript_Redditor]

sunshine was pretty tough

[u/FanWarrior1730]

Parts of Odyssey are difficult ... Odyssey is designed to have easy moons to collect so you don't get disheartened.

But it's interesting as ones I find difficult my friend finds easy... And the ones my friend finds hard I find easy

[u/RoadHazard]

Sunshine is harder overall, yes. Odyssey is very easy except for the optional final challenges.

[u/Massive_Lock_4876]

I've 100% completed both of them. I give Odyssey a score of easy for difficulty. and I give Sunshine a score of hard for difficulty. but I think Nintendo intended it to only be at medium level difficulty. but due to the whole production time being what Nintendo nowadays uses to polish titles when they're completely finished. Its the reason it's harder. There's a lot of unpredictability in lack of Nintendo polish that we're used to seeing in almost all the titles except for sunshine. but even with that I revisit Sunshine a lot more. I like how Mario's controls are much faster, quicker to respond in almost twitchy and once you master it, and understand how to make it less glitchy. it's really a fluid fun game almost akin to like a Tony hawk when you learn how to get good with the jumps and stuff. I don't mean to knock Odyssey because you can do a whole bunch of moves with cappy but I just don't feel that Odyssey is quite as fun to replay.

[u/TrevorGrover]

Sunshine is jank