Super Mario Odyssey Can Alleviate Depression, According to New Study

A new study has found that Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey can have a big impact in alleviating depression. Perhaps more than any other video game publisher, Nintendo’s first-party games such as Super Mario, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing are often cited by fans as eliciting the most joy. Now, a study has come about to not only verify these beliefs, but has indicated that Mario Odyssey, in particular, can have some positive impacts on one’s mental health. 

According to an extensive report from Frontiers in Psychiatry, a test was done to monitor the impacts of 3D video games on individuals with depression. In total, 46 participants took part in this study over a span of six weeks where they were then split into three groups. One of these groups played Super Mario Odyssey, another used a program called CogPack, and the third then received standard treatment for depression symptoms. At the end of the test, it was found that those in the group that played Super Mario Odyssey were able to offset their depression most effectively. 

“Results indicate that after six weeks of training the 3D video gaming group showed a significant decrease in the proportion of participants with clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms by self report and a higher mean training motivation when compared with the active control group,” the study’s conclusion read. “Furthermore, results suggest significant improvements in tasks of visuo-spatial (working) memory performance during post-testing in both training groups, however, the 3D video gaming group demonstrates more selective improvements and does not perform significantly better than the other two groups. Still, these mixed findings suggest that video game training may be a cost-effective and feasible intervention for patients with MDD that can be used in conjunction with regular treatment and therapy.”

As the conclusion of the study indicates, Super Mario Odyssey alone isn’t enough to completely help with the effects of depression. Still, when combined with other methods that include therapy, it seems that there is a lot that video games can aid with on this front. While Super Mario Odyssey was simply the title that was used for the purpose of this study, there are surely countless other games from Nintendo or otherwise that could prove to be beneficial in this same way. 

[H/T Nintendo Everything]