Our Verdict
While it was difficult to imagine how Nintendo could top previous 3D Mario adventures, Super Mario Odyssey is nigh-on perfect in almost every way. With the help of Cappy, Mario has never been as fun to control, reaching new heights and, in the hands of a skilled player, accomplishing impossible skips. You need only pick up a controller to see why this is the best modern Mario game ever.
Capturing the magic of what makes a 3D Mario game stand above the rest is no easy feat. Yet, time and time again, Nintendo accomplishes the impossible. Super Mario Odyssey takes a different approach compared to the more arcade-like Super Mario Galaxy duo, combining its globe-trotting adventure with more grounded and exploration-based gameplay. With sprinklings of nostalgic Mario magic, this may be the Plumber’s finest adventure yet, filled with memorable moments that make it one of the best Nintendo Switch games ever made, and one I have very little trouble recommending to Mario fans and newcomers alike.
Super Mario Odyssey begins with Mario and Bowser duking it out once again, only this time, the Koopa King is dressed in his finest threads. During the battle, Mario is unceremoniously knocked off the airship and Princess Peach is once again captured – this time to marry her. In the battle, Mario’s signature hat is shredded in the ship’s propellors, but a cap ghost named Cappy manages to salvage a shred of it before finding our hero in the moonlit Cap Kingdom. Cappy explains that Bowser kidnapped his sister, Tiara, to use as a new crown for Peach. After transforming into Mario’s cap, the two set off on an odyssey to rescue Peach and Tiara from Bowser’s clutches.
From the moment you boot up the game, it’s clear that Super Mario Odyssey looks and feels like a well-crafted experience. No matter if you play in docked or handheld modes, it’s quite the looker and rarely experiences any sort of immersion-breaking performance drops. The clever use of color throughout is inviting, with vivid hues giving some levels, also known as Kingdoms, a welcoming and charming appeal. It also knows when to be foreboding about some of the scarier perils you’re about to face.
If you’ve played any 3D Mario adventure since the Nintendo 64 days, you should already be familiar with many of his moves, and they all still feel great to pull off here. He can still leap far distances, hop between two walls to gain height, and even somersault from a crouching position. One change to note is that health isn’t tied to coins this time, as the life indicator at the top of the screen can be extended by collecting gilded hearts you find in every Kingdom.
To foil Bowser’s plans, you’ll need to gather Power Moons, which act as this game’s version of the classic Stars from other 3D Mario games. These power up The Odyssey: a hat-like spaceship that can reach planets far away when you collect enough of them. Each Kingdom has a distinct style, from the mariachi-themed Sand Kingdom to the tundra of the Snow Kingdom, and they’re full of fun secrets to discover.
The major twist with Super Mario Odyssey is that pressing the Y button will have Mario throw Cappy like a boomerang. You’ll need this to destroy objects and smaller foes, or collect coins, but hitting some enemies and objects with Cappy causes Mario to merge with the enemy, turning him into them. This transformation will cause the creature to grow a charming mustache, and you to gain control of them for as long as you need to. Abilities include leaping high into the sky as a frog or launching yourself into a breakable wall as a Chain Chomp, and many more.
Finding new ways to take advantage of Cappy’s power is highly satisfying, particularly later on when you can soar across the skies as a bullet bill or build a stack of Goombas to waddle threateningly toward other enemies. Cappy’s abilities complement Mario’s movement style so much, making crazy jumping feats possible and even plausible to pull off consistently. This is a massive reason why this is one of the best Mario games ever, and with a bit of practice, you can pull off some incredibly satisfying platforming feats.
However, as much as controlling Mario and Cappy is a breeze, the camera may not play by the same rules. Pointing at an angle that hides a platform or obscuring power-ups you might need to continue onward are just a handful of annoyances you might encounter on your first playthrough. Thankfully, unlike older Mario games where lives are precious, if you take too much damage or drop into a pit, Super Mario Odyssey taxes you a mere ten coins for every death you suffer, and checkpoints are extremely forgiving. It’s perfectly balanced for a younger audience who may not have the same patience for repetition.
While meeting the minimum threshold to finish the game is relatively straightforward, grabbing all the collectibles will take many pleasurable hours. Sometimes, you’ll find a hidden Moon as part of an environmental puzzle or maybe a brief 2D section as classic Mario to leap over gaps or avoid damage against barrels or fireballs. The challenge is always fun, whether it’s a basic task to help you get to grips with the game or a more taxing conundrum.
It takes some dedication to find them all, and 100% completion is at an eyewatering 999 Moons, but casually you need only a fraction of these to finish the game. Some areas are far larger than others, so you may find yourself revisiting the same Kingdoms over and over to find them all, including a few lunar-themed levels that challenge you to navigate their traps by mastering Mario’s movement with the help of Cappy in zero gravity.
If there’s one small thing about Super Mario Odyssey that doesn’t quite work as well, it’s the Broodals. These bunny-like foes are the main boss enemies you fight along your journey, they act as Bowser’s wedding planners, and that plan is to prevent a pesky plumber from spoiling the big day. The sad truth is that their repeated fights are mostly over as soon as they begin, with predictable patterns that are easy to exploit. That’s not to say Super Mario Odyssey doesn’t have decent bosses elsewhere, such as the Sand Kingdom’s Knucklotec or the Mecha Wiggler terrorizing the Metro Kingdom. It’s just that bosses overall take a backseat compared to the regular levels.
What makes Super Mario Odyssey so special compared to other 3D Mario adventures is that it’s a game about moments. A particular favorite is the Metro Kingdom, otherwise known as New Donk City. Here, you find Pauline, a familiar face from Mario’s long and distant past, who appears for the first time in over 30 years. She’s now New Donk City’s mayor and a singer in a jazz-style big band. To this day, I’ll never forget the first time I entered the pipe to play through a Donkey Kong-inspired set of platforming levels, complete with Pauline singing Super Mario Odyssey’s main theme ‘Jump Up, Super Star!’. It’s a catchy tune in a level filled with nostalgic touches that those who have enjoyed every Mario game from the beginning, including me, get a kick out of it.
For those who love unlockables, Super Mario Odyssey has a bunch of costumes you can buy to change up Mario’s appearance. These generally match the theme of the levels, such as a caveman loincloth and skull combo that would suit the dinosaur-themed Cascade Kingdom, but others refer to games from Mario’s past, including Wrecking Crew’s construction outfit to Yoshi’s Cookie’s chef uniform or Mario’s Picross’s explorer gear. None of these are mandatory to finish the game, but the option to spend coins on new threads is welcome.
There’s also plenty of Super Mario Odyssey Amiibo support for those who collect the Nintendo-themed figurines. The dedicated Super Mario Odyssey trio gives you their respective wedding outfits to wear, and yes, Mario looks fetching in a wedding gown. Other character figurines from different lineups, such as Luigi, Wario, and Diddy Kong, will unlock a respective costume, which is a lovely touch if you own the figures already for other games such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Since its release, Super Mario Odyssey has had a few free updates that add new challenges to keep you playing. Luigi’s Balloon World, for example, is a competitive multiplayer mode that has you either hiding a balloon in a level or hunting down another player’s balloon in record time. It’s more of a distraction than a core part of the experience, but it can be a true test of your platforming skills. While these efforts aren’t precisely part of what makes Super Mario Odyssey such an important game for the Switch, they are fun distractions that can give you a break from the near-endless Moon hunting.
To say any more than that when it comes magic of Super Mario Odyssey will deprive you of the sheer enjoyment that this platform game brings. It’s a timeless example of how excellent game design can triumph, even when facing competition against newer games in its own series. The very fact that Super Mario Odyssey has maintained relevance despite multiple Mario re-releases, and the next generation of Mario platformers is a testament to just how perfect a Mario adventure it really is.