OlliOlli World's last DLC brought in aliens and anti-gravity beams and made me think of the Mario Galaxy games, particularly in the way that its levels seemed to push at the edges of what a platforming or skating level could be. These were high-wire acts, some of them dauntingly sparse. And yet once you came to understand what was demanded of you, there turned out to be ample room for showboating, points-hording, and self-expression, the last element being the thing that OlliOlli World is really all about.
The new DLC made me think of Mario too, but a much earlier incarnation. I can still remember the time I reached Sky Land, or World 5, in Super Mario 3. I explored the map and then swooped up into the air, where I found the second half of the world's challenges nestled within clouds.
This is Finding the Flowzone. It takes OlliOlli World and thrusts you up into the clouds. There's even a new overworld map that sits above the original one. I absolutely believe that some kind of folk memory of Mario 3 was in play when this all came together. It feels new and exciting, but it also feels like coming home. Flowzone - spoilers - is completely rad.