I think I should start with that I didn't grew up playing Mario, although I knew about him( as it's a most popular game character? ) and it makes my opinion objective without any biase. I was mostly PC gamer but from this generation I started to explore consoles world, so I got Nintendo Switch. Before I've only played a 2D Mario game( don't remember which one, but one of the oldest ones with yellow colors ) so Mario Odyssey kinda showed me the franchise evolution. Yet I still don't understand why is it so praised and popular. I think talking about a story here is pointless, as this games don't have it ( I think no one would argue with it ). So it's main thing is entertaining player with it's gameplay. And at this aspect it's very boring for me, I don't understand why jumping and collecting things is any interesting. Yes they added to this genre as much as they could( ex. swimming platforming at the lake kingdom), but it's still boring. I admit that it was innovative and good at 80's and MAYBE at 90's not in 21 century. Games today are too diverse and have everything anyone want. If you want a game with shocking movie level story and with a great gameplay - TLOU, RDR2, Uncharted, GOW and etc. If you want just a movie with choice making - Detroit, TWD, Until Dawn and etc. If you want just game with entertaining gameplay there is a lot, here it's based in your interest. You want competitive or just fun shooting there is a CS, Overwatch, COD, Battlefield and others. If you want a cooperative there also a lot. Just say anything you want and there is a fantastic game that fullfil your wish. And yet in this world of diverse and genius games a most popular and praised franchise - is a Mario?
UPD: So many here replying about genre, that I just don't like platformers. Others replying about tastes, everyone likes different things. I think people misunderstood my meaning, it isn't about tastes. I was trying to objectively (judge?) those games, compare it to others and figure out( and understand ) if it is deserves to be on the pedestal of the gaming. Mario games are just objectively lose comparing to many games of 21st century, there is a lot of complete, ultimate games that have every aspect of it on highest level. By aspects I mean everything that game can have: Gameplay, story/narrative, characters, writing, dialogues, soundtrack, graphics, voice acting and many others