Super Mario Odyssey was pretty damn awesome, with it being Nintendo's second 95+ game in the span of 7 months. That being said, the future of Mario is definitely interesting.
Right off the bat I'd like to discuss Odyssey. The open, yet closed nature of it was definitely something I appreciated. It felt like 64, but without a hub world. The varied nature of the worlds and the controls/graphics have quickly turned it into a game I'll forever place in the top ten. That being said, the future of mario seems to be in a few places:
1) a more expansive sequel to Odyssey
The game isn't short compared to other mario games, but Odyssey's unique style leaves it open to a much longer and deeper game. Introducing more to each kingdom and building open the vast nature of the game would create another memorable entry in the mario series
2) Linear mario games mixing galaxy/3d world structure
With Odyssey, I don't think Nintendo will abandon the linear route. Saying that, Galaxy and 3d world are considered the strongest linear 3d mario games. Depending on how Nintendo wishes to treat Mario, I see either a Galaxy 3 or a new series taking ideas from the other entries taking place. I'm sure with the Switch they'd prefer to either make a new series or bring interest to the Wii demographic, so this is up in the ai
3) a potential (but unlikely remake)
The Switch caters to the consumers who grew up with the N64 and the gamecube (although not as significantly). Nintendo would only benefit themselves with a Mario 64 or Sunshine remake.
Nintendo did state they prefer to improve with their remakes instead of simply fixing graphics, which is why those two games are great options. Optimizing controls and adding more content would make them enjoyable games in 2017, and highly memorable remakes to already legendary games.
Regardless of what Nintendo chooses, I'm pretty damn happy about Odyssey, and can't wait for the next game
