Super Mario Odyssey: Difference between revisions

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"Mario Odyssey" redirects here. For the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode, see 9001: A Mario Odyssey.

Template:Infobox Super Mario Odyssey is a platforming game for the Nintendo Switch released on October 27, 2017.^[1] It is the eighteenth title in the Super Mario series and the sixth 3D Mario title on a home console after Super Mario 3D World. The game has sandbox-like elements and revolves around Mario exploring Earth-based settings, similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, with his new partner, Cappy. Unique to this game, Mario is able to throw Cappy onto certain enemies and objects, allowing Mario to take control of them. Mario can also dress in different costumes, several being based on previous games.

The game allows for two-player co-op, allowing a second character to use a single Joy-Con to control Cappy independently from Mario. The game also has online functionality, which allows players to compare their times/scores in certain events. In addition, amiibo can be used to unlock certain costumes early as well as obtain free hints towards the locations of Power Moons and regional coins.

Story

Mario encounters Bowser on his airship.

Beginning "in the skies above Peach's Castle," Mario and Bowser are seen fighting one another on Bowser's airship, with Princess Peach on board as well. Bowser punches the ground as Mario jumps backward. Bowser jumps at Mario and shoots fire at him, which misses. Bowser then throws his hat at Mario, which misses while knocking Mario's cap off his head, and then turns around, hitting Mario, sending him flying. Bowser then takes his airship towards the skies, as he prepares a forced marriage to Peach. He leaves Mario's cap adrift into the ship's back propellers, shredding it in the process. A piece is obtained by a Bonneter named Cappy, who eventually finds Mario in Bonneton, located in the Cap Kingdom.

Mario meets Cappy.

Afterward, Cappy pokes Mario. Mario wakes up, surprising Cappy, and catches up with him after he flees. Then Cappy introduces himself and explains to Mario that Bowser not only had attacked the kingdom, destroying its airship armada, but had also kidnapped Tiara, Cappy's sister, using her as Peach's wedding headdress. Mario and Cappy team up to stop Bowser's plans and save both Peach and Tiara, and using the piece he collected, Cappy transforms into the Mario Cap, allowing Mario to use Cappy's abilities. Cappy also informs Mario that they may be able to find a usable airship in the next kingdom, accessible from the Top Hat Tower. However, upon reaching the top, Mario is encountered by the Broodals, who were hired by Bowser as his wedding planners. After defeating one of the Broodals, named Topper, Mario and Cappy use a spark pylon to travel to Fossil Falls of the Cascade Kingdom, where they find the airship, named the Odyssey, which uses Power Moons as energy to travel. Soon after, Mario and Cappy find and defeat Madame Broode, the boss of the Broodals, and her Chain Chomp. Using the power of the Multi Moon obtained from Madame Broode, the Odyssey is ready for sail, and Mario and Cappy use it to chase after Bowser and the Broodals.

Mario and Cappy confront Bowser in the Nimbus Arena.

Mario and Cappy travel through several kingdoms. After going through Tostarena of the Sand Kingdom, Lake Lamode of the Lake Kingdom, and the Steam Gardens of the Wooded Kingdom, they encounter and defeat Bowser in the Nimbus Arena of the Cloud Kingdom. Bowser then shoots at the Odyssey, causing it to crash and land in the Forgotten Isle of the Lost Kingdom.

Bowser prepares to attack the Odyssey again with the Ruined Dragon.

After Mario rescues Cappy from a Klepto and collects more Power Moons to restore the Odyssey, they travel through New Donk City of the Metro Kingdom, Shiveria of the Snow Kingdom, Bubblaine of the Seaside Kingdom, and Mount Volbono of the Luncheon Kingdom. They then attempt to enter Bowser's Castle in Bowser's Kingdom; however, they are encountered by Bowser before they get there. Instead of fighting Mario and Cappy, Bowser orders the Ruined Dragon to attack the Odyssey. This causes the ship to fall to Crumbleden of the Ruined Kingdom, where Mario and Cappy directly fight and defeat the Ruined Dragon. After restoring the Odyssey again, they finally go to Bowser's Castle and find Bowser with Peach. Bowser reveals that he plans to hold his wedding on the moon, and leaves Mario and Cappy to fight the Broodals in the RoboBrood.

Mario breaks into the Wedding Hall.

Mario and Cappy destroy the RoboBrood, sending the Broodals flying as they recover another Multi Moon. They then head off to Honeylune Ridge of the Moon Kingdom to stop the marriage between Bowser and Peach. They interrupt the wedding as Bowser is attempting to put the Binding Band that was previously stolen from Tostarena on Peach. Bowser then stomps the floor, revealing a trapdoor under Mario and Cappy. Cappy grabs Mario by the fingers and tries to pull him out of the trapdoor, but his hands slip, causing him to drop Mario and fall into it himself. Bowser jumps in after them and engages them in battle, but he is defeated. Mario, Cappy, Peach, and Tiara are reunited but soon discover that the area they are in is collapsing. Mario uses Cappy to capture Bowser and escape, with all of them eventually returning to the moon. Mario and Bowser then simultaneously propose to marry Peach, with Mario offering a Rocket Flower and Bowser offering a Soirée Bouquet. However, Peach rejects them both and leaves with Cappy and Tiara. Mario and Bowser get upset, but Peach then calls from the Odyssey, saying, "Let's go home!" As the ship takes off, Mario and Bowser run after it. While Mario successfully jumps on it, he stomps on Bowser, leaving Bowser stuck on the moon.

The Odyssey later lands in the Mushroom Kingdom near Peach's Castle, where Cappy says that he enjoyed the adventure and wishes to continue traveling with Mario to collect more Power Moons. They do so, going through the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as Rabbit Ridge of the dark side of the moon and Culmina Crater of the darker side of the moon in the process. Meanwhile, Peach and Tiara travel the kingdoms on Peach's "own terms," while finding Power Moons themselves that they give to Mario when he meets up with them.

Gameplay

Super Mario Odyssey returns to the explorative sandbox-like gameplay seen in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, where Mario explores various areas in order to collect Power Moons to power the Odyssey airship to fly from kingdom to kingdom. There is no central hub world, as the Odyssey is rather used to move from one location to the others. Mario maintains his moveset from previous 3D titles, including the Triple Jump, Long Jump, Side Somersault, Backwards Somersault, Roll, Ground Pound, Ground Pound Jump, Spin Jump, and returning Dive. In addition, a new character called Cappy allies with Mario and takes possession of his cap. Mario can throw Cappy as if he were a boomerang for a long-range attack. He can use Cappy as an extra platform to bypass obstacles, use Cappy in conjunction with his dive move to cross large distances, and also use Cappy to "capture" certain objects and enemies to take control of them, replacing the traditional power-up system seen in the previous Super Mario games since Super Mario Galaxy. There are 52 capturable targets in total.^[2]

The game also features a co-op mode. During this mode, the second player as Cappy automatically hovers over the first player's head until they press the Left button, where they gain independent movement, where they act as an animate Cap Throw. When the second player is hovering over the first player's head, they can move the stick on their Joy-Con to move Cappy 360 degrees. When the second player is hovering over the first player's head, the first player can still perform all actions with Cappy as in normal gameplay; however, they cannot perform these actions when the second player is not hovering above them. If the second player, while being independent of the first player, presses the Left button again, they will automatically travel back to the first player's head until they press the Left button again. The camera follows the first player in this mode, and due to this, the second player can fly only a certain distance away from the first player until they are stopped by an invisible wall. When the first player walks a certain distance away from the second player, the second player will be pushed towards the first player.

Mario's life meter also returns with three health, similar to in Super Mario Galaxy. Additionally, there are no lives (and, by extension, 1-Up Mushrooms and Game Overs) in the game, making this the only 3D Mario game not to feature them, as Mario instead loses ten coins upon dying. The coins that Mario collects serve as currency. There are two types of coins—global yellow coins, which can be found and used in any kingdom, and purple regional coins, which are different in every kingdom and can be used only in the kingdom they were found in. Mario can spend his coins at the Crazy Cap stores to buy items for the Odyssey and costumes. amiibo support includes Mario, Peach, Bowser, and a new character called Uncle amiibo, which unlocks more costumes, including ones based on Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and Diddy Kong;^[3] others reveal Power Moon locations on the map, though the latter four amiibo also do that before unlocking the costumes. This is also the case for the new "wedding" variants of the former three amiibo.

The game features a "Snapshot Mode," where players can suspend the game with down and take screenshots. Players are also able to alter the shot by zooming in and out, tilting the camera for a vertical shot, or applying one of several filters, such as blurring the surroundings, adding a sepia tone, changing the camera to a fisheye lens, or applying an NES-, Game Boy-, or SNES-styled color scheme.

Super Mario Odyssey is playable in 13 languages: English, European French, Canadian French, German, European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean.

Controls

Orientation
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Camera Control	rightstick to move, or to reset	jc-top + leftstick to move, jc-top to reset
First-Person Mode	Click rightstick; while in First-Person Mode, tilt rightstick or move Joy-Con (R) or Pro Controller to look around, and press or to reset	Cannot use First-Person Mode with horizontal Joy-Con.

Ground Movement
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Walk	Tilt leftstick slightly	Tilt slightly
Run	Tilt leftstick	Tilt
Crouch	Hold zl or zr	Hold sl or sr
Crouch walk	Hold zl or zr + leftstick	Hold sl or sr +
Roll	Hold zl or zr + tap or or flick controller	Hold sl or sr + tap jc-left or flick Joy-Con

Hops, skips, and jumps
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Jump	or	jc-bottom or jc-right
Double Jump	While landing from standard jump, press or	While landing from standard jump, press jc-bottom or jc-right
Triple Jump	While landing from double jump, hold leftstick and press or	While landing from double jump, hold and press jc-bottom or jc-right
Backward somersault	Hold zl or zr + press or	Hold sl or sr + press jc-bottom or jc-right
Side somersault	While running, move leftstick in opposite direction + or	While running, hold in opposite direction + jc-bottom or jc-right
Running long jump	While running, hold zl or zr + tap or	While running, hold sl or sr + tap jc-bottom or jc-right
Wall Slide	Jump against most vertical surfaces	Jump against most vertical surfaces
Wall jump	While Mario is sliding down a wall in midair with his hand planted, press or	While Mario is sliding down a wall in midair with his hand planted, press jc-bottom or jc-right
Ground Pound	In midair, tap zl or zr	In midair, tap sl or sr
Ground pound jump	During ground pound impact, press or	During ground pound impact, press jc-bottom or jc-right
Dive	After initiating ground pound but before impact, press or or flick controller	After initiating ground pound but before impact, press jc-left or flick Joy-Con

Cappy
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Cap Throw	or or flick controller	jc-left or flick Joy-Con
Spin Throw	Tilt both Joy-Con pads or the Pro Controller quickly to the side, or press or during spin	Tilt horizontal Joy-Con quickly to the side, or press jc-left during spin
Upward Throw	Flick both Joy-Con or the Pro Controller upward	Flick Joy-Con upward
Downward Throw	Flick both Joy-Con downward, or press or or flick controller during ground pound impact (Pro Controller)	Press jc-left or flick Joy-Con during ground pound impact
Homing Throw	Throw cap (any method), then flick controller in desired direction	Throw cap (any method), then flick controller in desired direction

Combos
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Cap Jump	Throw and hold Cappy, then run into him	Throw and hold Cappy, then run into him
Catch Jump	Any cap throw, then or just after catching Cappy	Any cap throw, then jc-bottom or jc-right just after catching Cappy
Dive Jump	In midair, throw cap, press zl or zr then hold or	In midair, throw cap, press sl or sr then hold jc-left

Miscellaneous
Action	Single Player Controls (dual Joy-Con or Pro Controller)	Two Player Controls (horizontal Joy-Con)
Spin	Rotate leftstick quickly in two circles	Rotate quickly in two circles
Spin jump	During spin, press or	During spin, press jc-bottom or jc-right
Quick descent	During spin jump, press zl or zr	During spin jump, press sl or sr
Spinning ground pound	During spin jump, hold zl or zr until impact	During spin jump, hold sl or sr until impact
Spinning ground pound jump	During spinning ground pound impact, press or	During spinning ground pound impact, press jc-bottom or jc-right
Hold Item	Press or near a grabbable object	Press jc-left near a grabbable object
Throw item	Press or for short throw, flick controller for long throw	Press jc-left for short throw, flick Joy-Con for long throw
Swim	leftstick
Descend	zl or zr	sl or sr
Ascend	or	jc-bottom or jc-right
Water Dash	zl or zr then or or flick controller	sl or sr then jc-left or flick Joy-Con
Ledge clinging	leftstick left or right to shimmy along handholds, up or or to climb up, down to let go and fall	left or right to shimmy along handholds, up or jc-bottom or jc-right to climb up, down to let go and fall
Pole climbing	leftstick up or down to ascend or descend, left or right to rotate around the pole	up or down to ascend or descend, left or right to rotate around the pole

Balloon World

Mario hiding a balloon in the Cascade Kingdom

Main article: Balloon World

Balloon World is a minigame similar to hide-and-seek that was added to Super Mario Odyssey in a free update released on February 21, 2018. In order to play, Mario must find Luigi in a kingdom and talk to him to begin. Mario is given a balloon that he can hide in spots around the kingdom for other players to find. Mario can also find balloons that other players around the world have already hidden. There is a time limit for placing and finding the balloons.

Characters

Playable

Mario
Cappy

Supporting cast

Non-playable characters

Wildlife

Birds

Top hat-wearing Little Birds (Cap Kingdom)
Red birds resembling scarlet macaws (Cascade Kingdom)
Green-and-yellow birds resembling budgerigars (Sand Kingdom)
Pink birds with scaled wings (Lake Kingdom)
Blue birds resembling blue jays (Wooded Kingdom)
White doves (Cloud Kingdom)
Pigeons (Metro Kingdom)
Seagulls (Seaside Kingdom)
Penguins (Snow Kingdom)
Birds resembling dollops of whipped cream (Luncheon Kingdom)
Brown birds resembling tree sparrows (Bowser's Kingdom)
Small UFO-like beings that resemble Torkdrift (Moon Kingdom)
Little Birds (Mushroom Kingdom)

Others

Insects
- Giant dragonflies (Cascade Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom)
- Butterflies that resemble large whites (Wooded Kingdom)
- Monotone butterflies that come in one of four different colors: blue, green, pink, or purple (Lost Kingdom)
- Giant multicolored butterflies (Lost Kingdom)
- Butterflies that resemble swallowtails (Mushroom Kingdom)
Lizards (Sand Kingdom)
Hawks (Sand Kingdom)
Chipmunks (Wooded Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom)
Pink crabs (Lake Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom)
Rats (Metro Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom)
Yellow crabs (Seaside Kingdom)
Bats (Ruined Kingdom)
Fish
- Salmon (Wooded Kingdom)
- Multicolored lake fishes (Lake Kingdom)
- Goldfish (Seaside Kingdom)
- Koi (Bowser's Kingdom)

Enemies

Certain enemies will wear different gear depending on the area they are found in. Enemies whose use is mandatory to advance, such as capturable enemies, respawn shortly after getting defeated or after being captured. De-capturing an enemy leaves it in a short dizzy state, which offers the player another chance to capture it before it disappears and respawns at the place it was first encountered.

New enemies

Enemy	Description	Found in	Capturable?
Astro-Lanceur	An airborne alien that circulates above the surface of the Moon. It attacks by shooting spiked seashell-like missiles at Mario, which will explode on contact with him or an object. Astro-Lanceurs can be knocked down with a Ground Pound.	Moon Kingdom	No
Big Poison Piranha Plant	A Poison Piranha Plant with increased proportions. It attacks by spitting large poison balls at Mario, which lead to the creation of broad poison puddles on the ground. Although harmful to step on, these puddles can be cleared away using Cappy. In order to defeat a Big Poison Piranha Plant, one has to hit it with Cappy to make the enemy unconscious, then jump-attack its lowered head.	Wooded Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Dark Side	No
Bitefrost	A big solid monster resembling an animate pillar. Hiding under the ground, it chases and eventually darts out at Mario in an attempt to attack him. Mario can be carried high above the ground as the Bitefrost is rising, but it will soon attempt to chomp Mario with its mandibles.	Snow Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom	No
Burrbo	A tiny creature covered in bristles. Burrbos naturally dwell under the ground, waiting for Mario's approach to attack him. They come in different colors but nevertheless attack the same by repeatedly lunging towards Mario. They can be simply defeated with a Cap Throw.	Cascade Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom, Dark Side, Darker Side	No
Chincho	An ancient, mummified Tostarenan that is often encountered in dark areas. Chinchos emerge from the ground in large numbers and begin pursuing Mario on sight. If not attacked for a while, Chinchos retreat under the earth. A Cap Throw merely stuns Chinchos for a brief moment, but stomping on them or tussling them with Jaxi can destroy them.	Sand Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Ruined Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom	No
Gushen	A floating octopus enemy that inhabits a water ball, which it uses as a resource for its surging attack. When captured, Gushens can be used to spray water streams horizontally or vertically, offering powerful boosts of speed. Gushens are also capable of sending multiple water bursts in all directions, damaging surrounding enemies. Their water balls will decrease as more water is used, but they can be recharged by coming into contact with a body of water.	Sand Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom	Yes
Komboo	A thin and lanky kelp-like enemy that spawns from the seabed. Komboos are usually highly cohesive and can attack Mario in large groups, though they can be simply destroyed using Cappy.	Lake Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom	No
Magmato	A tomato-looking enemy that attacks Mario by rolling towards him. If attacked, it will turn into a small puddle of steaming fluid, which has the properties of lava. As a Lava Bubble, Mario can plunge into such puddles, which is helpful for traversing large stretches of ground.	Luncheon Kingdom, Darker Side	No
Moonsnake	A form of life originating from the Moon, resembling a bar of spiked balls rotating around an axis. While in general fixed to one spot, some Moonsnakes can move on predetermined paths. They are indestructible.	Seaside Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Dark Side, Darker Side	No
Poison Piranha Plant	A Piranha Plant that is able to shoot poison balls, which leave small injurious puddles on the ground. These can be cleaned up with Cappy. Throwing Cappy at one Poison Piranha Plant stuffs the mouth of the enemy and blocks it from spitting poison balls for a short time, enabling Mario to simply kick it and destroy it. Chucking a rock at the Poison Piranha Plant has a similar effect, but it also enables Mario to capture the enemy. While captured, it can be used to spit bubbles of poison in any desired direction.	Wooded Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Dark Side	Yes
Pokio	A stubby enemy that pokes its sharp bill to attack Mario. While captured, Pokios can be used in the same fashion to attack enemies. They can also cling to certain walls with their bills and fling themselves in a direction, which is useful for escalating said walls.	Seaside Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom, Darker Side	Yes
Sherm	A robotic vehicle that attacks by shooting small projectiles out of its turret. Sherms can be captured and maneuvered to destroy masses of blocks and enemies. They can be defeated with a Ground Pound.	Wooded Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Dark Side	Yes
Snow Cheep Cheep	A resistant Cheep Cheep that swims in a circular motion around ? Blocks and Brick Blocks. Aside from being flexible swimmers, Snow Cheep Cheeps allow Mario to survive under the freezing waters of the Snow Kingdom when captured. They can be defeated with a Ground Pound.	Snow Kingdom	Yes
Stairface Ogre	A brutish, sturdy enemy carrying a mallet. Stairface Ogres' stiff movements allow them to only sidestep or walk in front of them. They try to catch and crush Mario with their mallets, which are shaped like staircases and can be climbed to reach their top sides. Here, they can receive a Ground Pound to fall asunder. Another way to defeat a Stairface Ogre is by sticking a Pokio's bill into the glowing hole on its forehead.	Metro Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom	No
File:T-Rex Icon SMO.png T-Rex	A prehistoric giant found in either very dark or sunny areas. Though a few exemplars are harmless as they are always sleeping (and can be captured immediately), others roam around a set path, chasing Mario down when they spot him. In order to stun a T-Rex, it has to be lured into a large wall or tree as it charges at Mario, leaving it dizzy and ready to capture. While captured, the T-Rex can be used to effortlessly rampage through fossil blocks and large numbers of enemies. The enemy can only be temporarily used, as Cappy claims it is too large to handle. The only way to defeat a T-Rex is by having it drop into an abyss.	Cascade Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Metro Kingdom	Yes
Trapeetle	A mechanical insect that spawns continuously from a spot in the ground. Trapeetles threatfully approach Mario, trying to grab Cappy, which they then use to charge into Mario. Trapeetles explode upon contact with something and can thus be used to bombard cracked rocks that conceal items or block away passages.	Lost Kingdom	No
Tropical Wiggler	A passive, although dangerous, enemy that moves by extending its body from one spot to another. The segments of its body are each topped by one spike, making the enemy impossible to jump on. Capturing a Tropical Wiggler will enable Mario to make use of its stretching abilities, helpful for crossing over to other platforms. Although invincible for the most part, Tropical Wigglers can be killed by having them fall into a pit of poison or by throwing a hammer at them as a Hammer Bro, as it can be seen in the Moon Kingdom.	Lost Kingdom, Moon Kingdom	Yes
Uproot	A malevolent plant with extendable feet. Uproots spawn from dirt manholes and roam around the surrounding area. When they spot Mario, they rush over to him and attack by springing themselves with their feet and assaulting him from above. When captured, Uproots can be used in a similar way to reach high areas and push up impeding platforms, as well as destroy rows of Brick Blocks.	Wooded Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Darker Side	Yes
Urban Stingby	A sinister insect enemy that spawns from a larva. Urban Stingbies slowly patrol around a spot, quickly noticing Mario if he is in proximity. When attacking, Urban Stingbies take enough momentum to head violently into Mario, but they explode as they crash into something. The attack can affect other enemies. Urban Stingbies can be defeated one time by any sign of attack, including a jump or a Cap Throw.	Metro Kingdom, Darker Side	No
Urban Stingby Larva	A younger Urban Stingby, which morphs into its mature variant shortly after appearing on-screen. Urban Stingby Larvae are completely inoffensive and can be defeated with a kick.	Metro Kingdom	No
Yoofoe	A large levitating robot that is equipped with a set of two or four spike bars, which it spins continuously around. The enemy drops an indefinite supply of Goombas and Spiked Balls. The Goombas can be captured and be formed into a tower, enabling Mario to reach the top of the Yoofoe and pound it to deal damage. Two hits are necessary to bring a Yoofoe down, giving out a valuable item, such as a Power Moon or Life-Up Heart.	Wooded Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom, Darker Side	No

Returning enemies

Enemy	Description	Found in	Capturable?
Banzai Bill	A large bullet enemy shot out of a Banzai Bill Blaster. It slowly swerves from its flight path, trying to home in on Mario. It explodes upon contact with any object, and Mario receives damage if hit by a Banzai Bill. However, the enemy can be defeated with a single stomp attack. Capturing a Banzai Bill allows Mario to cross wide pits or stretches of lava and dart effortlessly through series of enemies and breakable objects. However, after a while, the Banzai Bill starts to flash red and eventually self-destructs, dropping Mario off.	Wooded Kingdom, Snow Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Dark Side	Yes
Bullet Bill	An enemy launched by a Bill Blaster. A Bullet Bill always attempts to chase Mario. Should the Bullet Bill explode on him, Mario will be damaged. Bullet Bills can be lured to destroy cracked blocks that may contain items, such as coins or Power Moons. When captured, the Bullet Bill can be temporarily driven over to platforms located far.	Sand Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Cloud Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom, Dark Side	Yes
Chain Chomp	A chain-linked enemy that tries to aggress Mario by lunging towards him. While dangerous to stay close to a Chain Chomp, Mario can jump on it safely, though without inflicting any damage. To defeat Chain Chomps, Mario should capture a T-Rex and stomp through them. When Mario captures a Chain Chomp, he can extend the chain, then let go of the enemy to launch it in the opposing direction. This is useful for destroying breakable blocks.	Cascade Kingdom	Yes
Big Chain Chomp	A bigger variation of a Chain Chomp, which behaves and can be used in the same manner.	Cascade Kingdom, Moon Kingdom	Yes
Chargin' Chuck	An enemy wearing football gear. Chargin' Chucks are normally stationary, but upon spotting Mario, they charge into him, trying to damage him. Mario can likewise attack a Chargin' Chuck to remove its helmet, then defeat it with a jump attack or capture it. Capturing a Chargin' Chuck gives Mario the ability to rush into series of obstacles.	Ruined Kingdom, Moon Kingdom	Yes
Cheep Cheep	An underwater enemy that swims on set paths. It can harm Mario upon contact; conversely, it can be defeated with a Ground Pound. When Mario captures a Cheep Cheep, he gains more swimming flexibility and also the ability to attack other enemies with a spin.	Sand Kingdom, Lake Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom	Yes
Coin Coffer	A harmless and bashful enemy that carries many coins. Mario can obtain these coins by capturing the Coin Coffer, automatically yielding them. While captured, Coin Coffers have the ability to attack other enemies by spitting coins from the player's own stash.	Sand Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom	Yes
Donkey Kong	The main antagonist of the Donkey Kong arcade game, the ape appears in his original 8-bit form in the New Donk City Festival, where he throws an endless supply of barrels during the final stretch, and is defeated by hitting all five of the ? Blocks under him.	Metro Kingdom, Darker Side	No
Fire Bro	A Koopa that attacks Mario by tossing fireballs. Fire Bros can be defeated with a stomp, or captured to offer the ability to shoot fireballs also. While in a Fire Bro's form, Mario can also jump higher than usual.	Wooded Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom	Yes
Fire Piranha Plant	A fire-spitting plant that always shoots in the direction of Mario. It can be defeated with a stomp, or by stuffing its mouth with Cappy and then kicking it. Throwing a stone at a Fire Piranha Plant stuffs its mouth similarly but allows Mario to capture the enemy, gaining the ability to spit fireballs in any direction from a fixed position.	Lost Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom	Yes
Fuzzy	A thorny black creature that lives in a group. Fuzzies move simultaneously along dotted lines and cannot be defeated in any way.	Wooded Kingdom, Cloud Kingdom, Lost Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom, Darker Side	No
Goomba	A short enemy that tries to follow and ram into Mario after it notices him. The player can defeat Goombas by squashing them with a jump. They can be captured and then stacked on top of other Goombas in a tower formation. This usually helps Mario reach risen platforms.	Cascade Kingdom, Sand Kingdom, Lake Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Cloud Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Snow Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom, Darker Side	Yes
Hammer Bro	A Koopa that attacks by throwing hard objects, such as hammers and frying pans, at Mario. He gains the ability to throw these too after he captures one of these enemies. Capturing Hammer Bros is important for breaking hard rock that might conceal valuable items.	Cloud Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Dark Side	Yes
Klepto	A bird that enjoys stealing Cappy from Mario's head and bringing him to a faraway place. Mario cannot continue the journey without Cappy, and so he would have to rescue him from the bird. Klepto always flies away when Mario runs into it, but it positions itself on structures that can be pushed upward with a Ground Pound. This catches the enemy off guard and defeats it, freeing Cappy.	Lost Kingdom	No
Koopa Troopa	While generally a peaceful species, Koopa Troopas found in 8-bit murals are hostile. They walk from side to side and can damage Mario upon contact. Mario can jump on an 8-bit Koopa Troopa to make it retreat inside its shell, then kick it to defeat enemies that stand in its way as it slides.	Cascade Kingdom, Cloud Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Ruined Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom	No
Lava Bubble	An incandescent enemy living in the lava. Its behavior manifests by leaping out of the lava at regular intervals. Mario can capture it to gain the ability to swim through lava or other fluids with identical properties. As a Lava Bubble, he can also jump inside cannons, which spray him on long distances to other locations.	Cloud Kingdom, Lost Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom, Darker Side	Yes
Maw-Ray	An ominous enemy that dashes out of its hideout to snatch Mario whenever it spots him. Maw-Rays are indestructible.	Seaside Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom	No
Mini Goomba	A smaller Goomba found among other members of the same species. Although harmful, it can be defeated with any kind of attack, including a Cap Throw. Mini Goombas are the first enemies encountered in the game.	Cap Kingdom, Cascade Kingdom, Sand Kingdom, Lake Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Lost Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom, Mushroom Kingdom	No
Parabones	An undead Koopa Troopa with wings and the ability to fly. It is initially found patrolling a spot peacefully, but once it finds Mario in its proximity, it starts chasing him to attack. Parabones will collapse on the ground if stomped, but they revive shortly after—the only way to permanently kill a Parabones is to collapse it above lava or above an abyss. Parabones can be used to fly Mario over pits of lava that are otherwise difficult to pass.	Bowser's Kingdom, Moon Kingdom	Yes
Paragoomba	A winged Goomba that, similarly to a Parabones, allows Mario to travel above abysses and other such impediments if captured. It can be defeated with a stomp attack.	Cap Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom	Yes
Spiny	A hard-shelled Koopa that follows Mario when he is close, trying to ram its spikes onto him. This enemy cannot be defeated with common attack methods, including a Cap Throw, which merely pushes the enemy backward. However, this way, the Spiny can be brought to a ledge and fall into an abyss or poison. Another way to defeat a Spiny is to poke it as a Pokio or to chuck an object, such as a seed, at it. Spinies behave very similarly to a Bully in this game.	Cap Kingdom, Cloud Kingdom, Snow Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom, Bowser's Kingdom	No
Ty-foo	A levitating cloud giant that blows strong gusts of wind at regular intervals. This may push enemies or other objects out of the way. Capturing a Ty-foo results in Mario adopting this ability and also the ability to move freely above wide chasms. Ty-foos cannot be defeated.	Cascade Kingdom, Snow Kingdom	Yes

Bosses

Broodals


Topper Cap Kingdom Bowser's Kingdom Dark Side	Hariet Sand Kingdom Bowser's Kingdom Dark Side	Spewart Wooded Kingdom Luncheon Kingdom Dark Side	Rango Lake Kingdom Snow Kingdom Dark Side

Kingdom Bosses


Madame Broode Cascade Kingdom Moon Kingdom	Knucklotec File:Knucklotec Artwork SMO.jpg Sand Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom	Torkdrift Wooded Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom
Bowser Cloud Kingdom Moon Kingdom	Mechawiggler Metro Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom	Mollusque-Lanceur Seaside Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom
Cookatiel Luncheon Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom	Ruined Dragon Ruined Kingdom Mushroom Kingdom	RoboBrood Bowser's Kingdom Dark Side

Items and objects

Collectibles

Collectible	Description
Berry	An object that Yoshi can eat that increases a meter that, when filled, gives the player a Power Moon.
Coin, Coin Ring, and Coin Stack	Gives the player a varying number of coins when touched or passed through.
File:SMO Heart.png Heart	Restores a wedge of health when collected. If the player is at full HP, they will receive five coins.
Golden Turnip	Three Turnips that, when thrown into a pot in Peronza Plaza, turn into Power Moons.
Life-Up Heart	Increases the player's health to six (nine in Assist Mode) until their health lowers back to three (six in Assist Mode). If the player is at full HP, they will receive ten coins.
Moon Shard	A piece of a Power Moon. When five Moon Shards are collected, they turn into a regular Power Moon.
Multi Moon	Three Power Moons collected at once, earned from completing certain story objectives.
Note	A rainbow-colored eighth note. These notes appear when the player touches a rainbow-colored treble clef and disappear after a certain amount of time, and when all of them in a set are collected in that amount of time, they reveal a Power Moon.
Power Moon	The game's main collectible that powers the Odyssey.
Regional coin	A coin that appears in most kingdoms with either 100 or 50 unique coins appearing in each, which can be used to purchase kingdom-exclusive goods at that kingdom's Crazy Cap.
Rocket Flower	A flower that allows Mario to temporarily pick up speed and run on walls when collected.
Seed	Depending on their size, seeds can be thrown into a small pot, which will grow into a golden bulb that, when hit, reveals a Power Moon, or they can be thrown into an enclosed patch of dirt, growing them into a Beanstalk.
Turnip	An object that can be plucked from the ground and used as a projectile to throw at enemies.

Capturable objects

Object	Description
Binoculars	An object that, when captured, launches upward, allowing the player to zoom in with the camera. Zooming in on certain objects while capturing a pair of binoculars will make a Power Moon appear.
Boulder	A rock that rolls and damages the player if they touch it that appears as an obstacle in the Moon Kingdom and the Darker Side of the Moon. A large stationary boulder that appears in the Wooded Kingdom can be captured, allowing the player to move it around, allowing access to a hidden area.
Bowser Statue	A statue that appears in the Moon Kingdom as a decoration. One can be captured, allowing the player to move it, revealing a hole underneath it containing a Power Moon.
Cactus	A plant that damages the player if they touch it. A certain cactus can be captured, allowing the player to move it, revealing a spot that, when ground-pounded, releases a Power Moon.
Jizo	A statue that can be captured, allowing the player to move it around. Jizos can break cracked blocks and can weigh down P Switches.
Letter	Letters appear in the Metro Kingdom post-game and can be captured, allowing the player to move them, and if the player moves them into slots to correctly spell out "Mario," a Power Moon will appear.
Manhole	An object that is located in the Metro Kingdom's streets. A small one and a large one can be captured, allowing the player to move them, allowing access to areas underneath them.
Meat	A slab of meat that can be captured, allowing the player to shake off salt covering it, making Cookatiel pick it up with its talons.
Mini Rocket	A rocket that can be captured, allowing the player to reach hidden areas when used.
Picture Match Part	A two-dimensional part of either a Goomba or Mario that can be captured in the Picture Match minigame, where the player must rotate and align the part to align with the corresponding picture.
Pole	A pole that can be captured, allowing the player to pull it backward, sending the player in the opposite direction that the Pole was pulled.
Puzzle Part (Lake Kingdom)	A stone block that can be captured, allowing the player to move it around a grid-like area, and if it is correctly moved into a triangular rock, a Lochlady will give the player a Power Moon.
Puzzle Part (Metro Kingdom)	A green block that can be captured, allowing the player to move it in a small grid-like area, and if it is correctly moved into a plug, a Power Moon will appear.
RC Car	A New Donker can be captured, allowing the player to move his RC Car into a Power Moon in order to collect it. Another New Donker also appears in the RC Car Challenge, where the player must use his RC Car when he is captured to complete three laps in a small track within 35 seconds in order to receive a Power Moon, and later in the post-game, the player must do this again while completing the track within 26 seconds in order to receive another Power Moon.
Spark pylon	A pylon that can be captured, allowing the player to travel across a power line when used.
Taxi	A vehicle that drives around the Metro Kingdom and can be bounced on as a platform. Certain taxis appear flying in the sky in several kingdoms in the post-game, and zooming in on them with binoculars will make a Power Moon appear. Certain taxis can be captured, allowing the player to drive them automatically, bringing them to a sub-level.
Tree	A fir tree that appears in the Deep Woods in the Wooded Kingdom can be captured, allowing the player to move it, revealing a spot that can be ground-pounded, revealing a Power Moon.
Zipper	Zippers can be captured, allowing the player to reveal hidden areas when used.

Blocks and platforms

Block or platform	Description
File:Question Block SMO.jpg ? Block	A block that releases Hearts, coins, or Life-Up Hearts when ground-pounded, hit with Cappy, or hit by jumping under it. When hit, it turns into a Steel Block.
Beanstalk	A plant that grows when a large seed is thrown into an enclosed patch of dirt. The plant can be climbed to get out of the Deep Woods and to reach out-of-reach and hidden areas.
Brick Block	A block that, when activated in the same way that a ? Block is activated, releases a coin, Heart, or Life-Up Heart while turning into a Steel Block.
Cap Cloud	A floating cloud resembling a top hat with a question mark on it that temporarily turns into a square cloud platform when hit by Cappy before turning back into a hat.
Coin Block	A ? Block that contains multiple coins that must be hit multiple times in order to receive all of the coins.
Crate	A box that can be broken via a Ground Pound or by throwing Cappy at it, sometimes containing a Power Moon, coins, or Mini Goombas.
Girder	A platform that is sometimes semi-solid, some of which contain coins or Power Moons.
Hat Trampoline	A red flower that, when hit with Cappy or rolled into, opens up, allowing the player to step on it, launching them upwards. Certain Hat Trampolines are already opened without interference.
Hat trampoline (Cascade Kingdom)	A trampoline that makes the player as Mario bounce lightly when walked on, and launches the player upwards when walked on while capturing a T-Rex.
Hidden Block	An invisible block that can be seen either when the player puts on a Moe-Eye's sunglasses or when the player ground-pounds close to one. Hidden Blocks are activated the same way as normal ? Blocks and give similar rewards that said blocks give.
Lift	A platform that moves, occasionally on set tracks.
Push-Block	A block that pushes in and out of platforms.
Steel Block	A ? Block, Brick Block, or Invisible Block after it is activated. Steel Blocks do not contain any items.

Transport

Mean of transportation	Description
8-Bit Pipe	A Warp Pipe that transports the player between 3D and 2D sections and transports the player to other sections of a level in 2D sections.
Lava cannon	A cannon that transports Mario long distances as a captured Lava Bubble.
Moon Pipe	A Warp Pipe that appears in a kingdom after its Moon Rock is activated. Moon Pipes transport the player to sub-levels.
Motor Scooter	A motorcycle that can be driven, allowing the player to accelerate and dismount the vehicle. The player can jump while driving a Motor Scooter, and if the player correctly parks a Motor Scooter into certain locations in the Metro Kingdom, they will be given a Power Moon.
Odyssey	The game's main form of transportation that transports the player to the different kingdoms. During the game, a certain number of Power Moons is required to power up the Odyssey, unlocking the next kingdom with the exception of the Cap Kingdom, the Cascade Kingdom, and the Mushroom Kingdom. The Odyssey can be entered by entering a door, by entering an exhaust pipe like a Warp Pipe on the back of the Odyssey, and by ground-pounding a panel on the top of the Odyssey. Inside the Odyssey is a closet where the player can change their clothes, a chair that the player can sit on, and a bed that the player can nap on. The Odyssey can also be decorated on the inside and outside with decorations and souvenirs that can be bought at Crazy Cap locations. The Odyssey also contains a Checkpoint Flag.
Painting	A painting that transports the player to a secret area in the kingdom that is displayed on the painting.
Slingshot	A slingshot that, when the player throws Cappy at it, flings them to an adjacent area.
Warp Pipe	A pipe that transports the player to another area.

Switches

Switch	Description
Goomba button	A button that, when stepped on while capturing a Goomba Stack consisting of the number of Goombas indicated by the number printed on it or more, activates an event, revealing a Power Moon.
Ground-Pound Switch	A switch that, when ground-pounded, activates an event that varies by switch.
Lever Switch	A switch that, when hit with Cappy, activates an event.
P Switch	A switch that activates an event when stepped on.
File:Scarecrow SMO.jpg Scarecrow	The player can throw Cappy on a Scarecrow to activate an event such as opening a door or activating a Timer Challenge when Cappy is on the Scarecrow. If the player walks away from the Scarecrow or jumps on it, Cappy will fly back to the player, which will deactivate the event activated by the Scarecrow.

Obstacles

Obstacle	Description
Barrel	An obstacle in the 8-bit sections that continually rolls along solid ground, dealing one hit point of damage if touched.
Bomb	An obstacle fired out of turrets that rolls along the ground and explodes after a while. Mario can poke bombs while capturing a Pokio to make it move faster in the direction it was poked, causing it to explode once it hits a solid object on the side.
Boulder	An obstacle fired out of holes that rolls along the ground and collapses once it hits a wall. Swiping at it while capturing Bowser can also destroy it.
Bowser Statue	A golden Bowser head that shoots hazardous flames.
Lava	A hazard that, when touched, causes Mario to lose one hit point and jump up in pain. It can be safely traveled by capturing a Lava Bubble.
Lava Geyser	A hazard that damages Mario in the same way as lava. It can be safely jumped on by capturing a Lava Bubble.
Oil Drum	A stationary hazard in 8-bit sections that damages Mario if touched.
Pepper	An obstacle fired out of holes that bounces along the ground and collapses once it hits a wall.
Poison	A hazard that, when touched, instantly defeats Mario.
Pulse Beam	An object that fires a ring-shaped laser beam when hit with a Cap Throw or a beam from another Pulse Beam.
Spike Trap	An obstacle that, when touched, causes Mario to lose one hit point.
Spiked Shell	An obstacle that continually rolls along solid ground, dealing one hit point of damage if touched.
Wind	An obstacle that pushes Mario in the direction it blows.

Other objects

Boombox
Bubble
Checkpoint Flag SMO.jpg

Checkpoint Flag
Gravity field
Hat Launcher SMO.jpg

Hat Launcher
Moon Rock
Treasure chest
Yoshi Egg

Clothing

Main article: Crazy Cap

Image	Name	Description	Price	Availability
	Mario Cap	A red hat that has seen its fair share of adventures.	—	Starting hat
	Mario Suit	This tried-and-true outfit has weathered many adventures.	—	Starting suit

Kingdoms

There are seventeen named locations that Mario can explore, most of which are in what the game calls "kingdoms." Each location has a specific theme, some being similar to themes seen in previous Super Mario titles, others being original themes. Some locations are based on a real world location (e.g., Metro Kingdom's main area, New Donk City, is based on New York City). Bowser is after various items in some of these locations, which all tie to his preparations for his wedding.

Image	Kingdom and location	Summary	Story missions
Image	Kingdom and location	Summary	Story missions	Wedding item	Power Moon color	Total number of Power Moons	Necessary number of Power Moons to power up the Odyssey
	Cap Kingdom Bonneton	A misty town where many Bonneter home-ships reside. Paragoombas, Mini Goombas, and frogs can be found in the place, and its boss is Topper.	1. Cappy of the Cap Kingdom	Tiara		31	None
	Cascade Kingdom Fossil Falls	A prehistoric tropical mountainous area where Chain Chomps and Burrbos can be found. Madame Broode is fought here.	1. Our First Power Moon 2. Multi Moon Atop the Falls	None		40	5
	Sand Kingdom Tostarena	A desert turned cold where Bullet Bills and Goombas are common. Mario can move around more quickly by riding Jaxi. The bosses fought here are Hariet and Knucklotec.	1. Atop the Highest Tower 2. Moon Shards in the Sand 3. Showdown on the Inverted Pyramid 4. The Hole in the Desert	Binding Band		89	16
	Lake Kingdom Lake Lamode	A large lake area with an underwater plaza. Rango is fought in this kingdom.	1. Broodals Over the Lake	Lochlady Dress		42	8
	Wooded Kingdom Steam Gardens	A forest neighboring an iron building in a zone surrounded by mountains and a Geodesic Dome. Many Uproots and Sherms can be found here, and its bosses are Spewart and Torkdrift.	1. Road to Sky Garden 2. Flower Thieves of Sky Garden 3. Path to the Secret Flower Field 4. Defend the Secret Flower Field!	Soirée Bouquet		76	16
	Cloud Kingdom Nimbus Arena	A small arena on the clouds. Bowser is fought here for the first time.	1. Hat-to-Hat Combat	None		9	None
	Lost Kingdom Forgotten Isle	A tropical jungle-like island. Poisonous areas with Fuzzies and Tropical Wigglers appear.	None	None		35	10
	Metro Kingdom New Donk City	A large city area with several skyscrapers. Mechawiggler is fought here.	1. The Scourge on the Skyscraper 2. A Fresh Start for the City 3. A Traditional Festival!	None		81	20
	Snow Kingdom Shiveria	A snow realm with an underground village and a racetrack. This area has many Ty-foos and Spinies, and Rango is its boss.	1. The Cake Thief's Parting Gift 2. The Bound Bowl Grand Prix	Frost-Frosted Cake		55	10
	Seaside Kingdom Bubblaine	A coastal area with several giant gold and glass chalices as the main landmarks. Its boss is Mollusque-Lanceur.	1. The Glass Is Half Empty!	Sparkle Water		71	10
	Luncheon Kingdom Mount Volbono	A colorful volcanic area made out of food around a pink lava sea with Lava Bubbles. The bosses fought here are Spewart and Cookatiel.	1. The Broodals Are After Some Cookin' 2. Under the Cheese Rocks 3. Big Pot on the Volcano: Dive In! 4. Climb Up the Cascading Magma 5. Cookatiel Showdown!	Stupendous Stew		68	18
	Ruined Kingdom Crumbleden	A place with tall buildings reduced to ruins. The boss fought here is the Ruined Dragon.	1. Battle with the Lord of Lightning!	None		10	3
	Bowser's Kingdom Bowser's Castle	An area with large Japanese-style temples and structures surrounded by colorful clouds. The main enemies found here are Pokios and Stairface Ogres. Hariet and Topper are fought firstly, and RoboBrood shows up as the kingdom boss.	1. Infiltrate Bowser's Castle! 2. Smart Bombing 3. Big Broodal Battle 4. Showdown at Bowser's Castle	None		62	8
	Moon Kingdom Honeylune Ridge	An area on the Moon with low-gravity sections on the surface and lava-themed sections below the ground. Bowser is fought here.	1. Bowser's Moon Wedding	None		38	None
	Mushroom Kingdom Peach's Castle	Peach's Castle. Many elements in this kingdom reference Super Mario 64, including the regular Power Moons, which are shaped like Power Stars.	None	None		104	None
File:SMO Shot - Dark Side.jpg	Dark Side Rabbit Ridge	A location on the dark side of the Moon, populated by top hat-wearing rabbit-like creatures and the Broodals.	1. Arrival at Rabbit Ridge!	None		24	None
	Darker Side Culmina Crater	A location on the even darker side of the Moon, acting as a final challenge for Mario and Cappy, having to traverse a harsh lava level. Acts similarly to Champion's Road or the Grandmaster Galaxy from previous games.	1. Long Journey's End	None		1	None

Development

Official infographic showing the recognized difference between the progression-oriented and the more sandbox-exploration style of the 3D Super Mario series. Or, as put by Miyamoto, "casual" and "core" games. Super Mario Odyssey is considered to be the latter.

Background

When asked about "coming home" to the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine style of gameplay, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that when he was developing Super Mario 64 with Yoshiaki Koizumi, they realized that the title would be more directed towards the "core gamer," rather than the casual, pick-up-and-go gamer.^[4] After Super Mario Sunshine, their focus reshifted to more accessible, casual gamers, hence encouraging them to make Super Mario Galaxy with more progression-oriented gameplay corridors.

Then in recent years, we made Super Mario 3D World and even though that's a 3D game, it's a little more accessible to everybody. [...] So when we thought about making a Mario for Switch, we wanted to make it [...] something a little bit more on the core side, that people who like action games can really get into.

As Super Mario Odyssey was developed alongside the Switch hardware, Yoshiaki Koizumi encouraged the game's developers to share their requirements and suggestions with the hardware development team.^[5] This directly led to the inclusion of the two motion-sensitive controllers and the HD rumble feature on the Nintendo Switch hardware, which became a prominent part of Super Mario Odyssey gameplay.

Early ideas and prototypes

Development for Super Mario Odyssey began right after Super Mario 3D World was released in late 2013.^[6] Miyamoto sought more senior developers and staff teams who had been involved in past 3D Mario titles, in order to really "go back to the roots" of Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64.^[4] As a result, Yoshiaki Koizumi was made the game's producer, and Super Mario 3D World director Kenta Motokura again took on the role of director. Miyamoto remained with a consultative role throughout development, and although he contributed a lot of feedback, he was also very accepting of the development team's ideas.^[7] Motokura revealed that early stages of development involved creating a "huge" number of gameplay prototypes with numerous ideas, and the capture ability was one of them.^[8]

[The capture ability] was just one of the ideas that came up, but we worked on it for two or three days, and it just instantly turned into something that was really fun, and we decided [that it should be] the center of this game.

Many of the other different prototype ideas were still included, providing for the diversity in-game mechanics throughout the game's stages, known as "kingdoms." These "fully realized worlds" were said to have been inspired by the Japanese hakoniwa box gardens, that bring rich landscapes to life in a miniaturized form.^[9] The sizes of these worlds were often adjusted to ensure that the player can regularly discover an engaging action to perform.^[5] This was also intended to allow handheld players to still accomplish a Power Moon mission, even if they have only a few minutes to play.^[10]

Design decisions

Super Mario Odyssey's theme is highly focused on "surprises" and "travel," and the developers incorporated many of their travel experiences around the world.^[8] For instance, elements of the Sand Kingdom were derived from Kenta Motokura's experiences during a trip to Mexico, and the Luncheon Kingdom's food aesthetics was inspired by Italy and other European countries.^[11]

Kenta Motokura (left) and Yoshiaki Koizumi (right) being interviewed as part of a Nintendo Treehouse segment for E3 2017

The developers recognized that when people travel to foreign countries, something that really has an impact is the different currencies. Therefore, they wanted to have Mario collect and use different regional coins in each kingdom. Since the player travels outside the Mushroom Kingdom, the diverse art style among all the different kingdoms aimed to recreate the feelings of surprise and discovery when visiting foreign lands. It was also noted that a lot of time was spent in getting the right balance between familiar Mario concepts and completely new ones.^[8]

An example was the realistic T-Rex that is able to be captured by Mario. The developers looked back for inspiration from familiar Super Mario World elements in Dinosaur Land, although they wanted to use a design that was "unseen" in a Mario game.^[8] Familiar gameplay elements include the "8-bit" side-scrolling areas of the kingdoms, reminiscent to Super Mario Bros. in which progress is more "confined" and "precise." This was intended to be an engaging contrast to the 3D sandbox environments.

The developers knew that they wanted to have a city environment in the game that would resonate with players. As Donkey Kong-inspired elements in the city came about, Pauline's presence in the series inspired the team to have her be the mayor of New Donk City. Some character development for Pauline was required in her transition from a damsel in distress to a major character, and it was decided that she would have an interest in jazz.^[12] This led to the composition of the game's theme song shown in the E3 2017 trailer, titled "Jump Up, Super Star!" which was made to give the game energy and help get the audience excited.^[8]

To develop the game's camera system, the team looked at previous 3D Mario games. Miyamoto discussed how the 3D camera in Super Mario 64 worked very well, as it had the joystick as well as the C buttons to adjust the automatic camera. Super Mario Sunshine had the C stick in order to control the camera freely, although they received feedback that the camera control was "a little bit difficult." With later 3D titles such as Super Mario Galaxy, the minimal control of the camera also attracted some negative feedback. Miyamoto added that it is "very difficult to find the right balance."^[4]

With Super Mario Odyssey, we made sure that the camera controls are really really smooth and easy to use, and the Switch controllers can really serve to that. [We] really made a sandbox-style game that's really easy and feels good to control.

Music

Main article: List of Super Mario Odyssey media

The official cover of the single "Jump Up, Super Star!"

A unique aspect of this title is a vocal main theme, "Jump Up, Super Star!" sung by Pauline^[13]^[14] (interpreted by Kate Higgins, credited as Kate Davis).^[15] The song is big-band jazz style and details an adventure across the worlds from this game, with Pauline referring to herself as Mario's "1-Up Girl." It was released worldwide on October 20, 2017, on the iTunes Store, while the short version was downloadable for free until January 2018.^[16] The song's lyrics are also printed inside both the Western and Japanese packaging on the paper part of the cover.

Super Mario Odyssey's ending also features another song with lyrics, called "Break Free (Lead the Way),"^[17] and has a version with Japanese lyrics as well.^[18]

On December 21, 2017, Nintendo announced an original soundtrack album for the game, which was released in Japan on February 28, 2018.^[19] The album contains four discs with 136 tracks in total, as well as two stickers and a booklet containing concept art of Pauline and comments from the staff. Additionally, the Super Mario Odyssey Sound Selection containing 12 tracks was released worldwide on the iTunes Store on December 22, 2017.

On the weekend of September 15–16, 2018, the Super Mario Orchestra Concert took place, where music from Super Mario Odyssey was played as well as tracks from other games such as Yoshi's Story and Super Mario 64.

Release

Nintendo Switch bundle

A Super Mario Odyssey-themed Nintendo Switch bundle was available on launch day^[20] (with the exception of South Korea, which was released on April 26, 2018).^[21]

Region	Red Joy-Con	Odyssey-themed carrying case	Super Mario Odyssey game included	Odyssey-themed stickers
Japan	Yes	Yes	Physical copy	Yes
Americas	Yes	Yes	Digital download code	No
Europe and South Africa	Yes	No	Digital download code	No
Oceania	Yes	No	Physical copy	No
Hong Kong and Taiwan^[22]	Yes	Yes	Physical copy	Yes
Southeast Asia and Middle East^[23]	Yes	No	Physical copy	No
South Korea^[24]	Yes	Yes	Physical copy	No

The packaging for the American bundle

Starter pack

North American starter pack

A starter pack for Super Mario Odyssey with a strategy guide was released on September 28, 2018, in North America.^[25]

Nintendo Labo VR

Through the version 1.3.0 update that was released on April 25, 2019, Super Mario Odyssey features compatibility with the Nintendo Labo's Toy-Con VR Goggles in the mode "Playing in VR," which allows players to experience a small variation of the game in virtual reality. The experience includes three mini-missions set in the Cap Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom, and Luncheon Kingdom; another New Donk City Festival performance; and two cutscenes. The player can choose not to use the Toy-Con VR Goggles and instead play the mode with the normal view.

In each mission, Mario must find all three musical instruments and deliver them to the correct musicians in the area. Each instrument is revealed after finding a treble clef and collecting all of its notes. The objective is marked complete if all three musicians have been recruited and Mario has collected at least 100 coins. Like in Assist Mode, Mario cannot be defeated, and if he falls into a hazard or goes out of bounds, he is encased in a bubble and brought back to stable ground.

Find Band Members in the Cap Kingdom!: This objective is set in the Central Plaza. It is unlocked after clearing the Cap Kingdom in the main game.
Find Band Members in the Seaside Kingdom!: This objective is set on the kingdom's beach in the daytime. It is unlocked after clearing the Seaside Kingdom in the main game.
Find Band Members in the Luncheon Kingdom!: This objective is set in Peronza Plaza. It is unlocked after clearing the Luncheon Kingdom in the main game.
Concert Hall: Pauline and the Super Mario Players, as well as the musicians recruited in the previous objectives, perform "Jump Up, Super Star!" at the New Donk City Hall Auditorium. This option is unlocked after clearing all three missions.
Theater: Opening: The game's opening cutscene but without the "In the skies above Peach's castle..." text.
Theater: Ending: The game's ending cutscene. It is unlocked after beating the main game.

Updates

In order to play online, players must have downloaded the most recent software update.

Ver. 1.0.1

An update was released on October 27, 2017. The following changes were made:

Several fixes have been made to enhance the user’s experience.

Ver. 1.1.0

An update was released on November 30, 2017. The following change was made:

Added Korean-language support.

Ver. 1.2.0

An update was released on February 21, 2018. The following changes were made:

After completing the game, a new mini-game Balloon World will now be playable.
Please note that on March 05, 2018, server side adjustments were made to the balloons displayed in the Find It list.

Talk to Luigi in any of the kingdoms to start playing.

After completing the game, a number of special outfits will be added to the shop.

A number of new filters have been added to Snapshot Mode.

Jump-Rope Challenge has been adjusted so that there will be a speed change after reaching 110 jumps.

World Rankings and Friend Rankings have been reset for Jump-Rope Challenge.

Best records will not be reset.

Fixed a number of issues to improve the gameplay experience.

Ver. 1.3.0

An update was released on April 25, 2019. The following changes were made:

Now supporting Toy-Con VR Goggles from the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit.
Go to Playing in VR from menu to start the game.

Several issues have been fixed to improve gameplay experience.

Glitches

Main article: List of Super Mario Odyssey glitches

Camera

Talkatoo Camera Lock

If the player performs a Cap Throw at Talkatoo and talks to him at the same time, the camera will lock into place.^[26] Additionally, if the player performs a somersault and quickly turns the camera to face Talkatoo, he will be standing in midair. This glitch can be used to cheat the Jump-Rope Challenge in the Metro Kingdom and get a maximum score of 99,999 jumps. The player can return to regular ground by shaking their controller or pressing Y and can end the glitch completely by entering another area such as the Crazy Cap shop or by speaking to someone else. If the player performs this glitch and performs a Cap Throw at a Scarecrow, the screen will move the position as it normally would and freeze there instead. If the player performs this glitch and captures a pair of binoculars or a spark pylon, the screen will not move, and inside the binoculars, the vision is that of what is usually inside a pair of binoculars.^[27]

As of the February 21, 2018, update, this glitch has been patched, with the worldwide and friends rankings for the Jump-Rope Challenge having been reset.

Physics

Dog Jumping in Air

If the player bounces off the Nintendog when it is in midair, the Nintendog will remain in midair for a while before jumping again. Consecutively repeating this glitch allows the player to gain immense jump height as long as they keep performing Cap Throws in between to maintain their height. This glitch can be performed in any kingdom where the Nintendog appears.^[26]

Take Letters Anywhere

In New Donk City's park, if the player captures the letters in the Metro Kingdom and lines them up so at least one is on the boundary of the park and the "M" is facing towards the Odyssey, they can use a Motor Scooter to push said "M" into the other letter. By doing this, they will be able to capture the letter and take it out of bounds, letting them bring it anywhere they want in the city. This then has various effects throughout the level.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Super Mario Odyssey pre-release and unused content

The pre-release box art (left) and the final box art (right) of Super Mario Odyssey

The pre-release version of the Multi Moon collection screen

The pre-release box art of the game featured Mario wearing a sombrero and poncho in the Sand Kingdom. The final box art was changed to him being in the Lake Kingdom due to supposed criticisms about the appearance of a "Mexican Mario" on the box art and being described as a negative stereotype of the Mexican people.

During the E3 playthrough of this game, certain items had different names. Multi Moons were originally called "Grand Moons," and the Binding Band was simply referred to as the "Wedding Ring," which were literally transliterated and translated, respectively, from the Japanese original. The regional coins of the Sand Kingdom and Metro Kingdom were called "Pyramid Coins" and "City Coins," respectively, but they are not used in the final game. Additionally, the mission Showdown on the Inverted Pyramid was named "Inverted Pyramid Showdown."

During the Nintendo Switch Presentation trailer, Cappy was not shown with eyes. Similarly, during the Switch Presentation and E3 trailers, Peach's tiara is shown as a regular tiara rather than Tiara herself. Both were most likely done to avoid revealing the characters too soon. Also during the Switch Presentation trailer, the electronic billboard for Steam Gardens found in New Donk City showed that the location was originally named "Kogwald."

There were also minor details that were changed, such as the hat on the door of the Odyssey being much smaller, and the Metro Kingdom's Power Moons being more bronze than brown. Several of the quotes uttered by NPCs are different than in the final game, such as the RC Car driver in New Donk City originally saying, "Is there a better way to spend free time? Nope," before it was changed to "How are my kids so good at this?" The HUD during the E3 demo did not feature the instructions to press minus to view the map and plus for the menu, or the compass underneath the Health Meter. When there is only one hit point left, the Health Meter flashes differently than in the final game. When the player acquired a Life-Up Heart, the extra health meter was colored green alongside the first one instead of light blue.

In New Donk City, there are signs present in certain areas that are not in the final game, and the Mayor Pauline Commemorative Park has a rocket ship taking the player to a bonus area. In the final game, the player must first find a hidden room inside a building and reach the pipe at the end, and they will be taken to a hidden area with said rocket. The rooftop pool beside the top of city hall was significantly deeper in the E3 demo, with the water level being just over Mario's head; in the final game, the water level approximately reaches Mario's neck.^[28] It is likely that this change was due to the original water level leaving Mario susceptible to drowning, as demonstrated in a YouTube video uploaded by gaming news site Polygon during E3.^[29] Additionally, an unused sprite of an 8-bit Metro Kingdom regional coin exists in the game's files, but it was left unused in the final game due to the minimal presence of 8-bit sections in that kingdom.

Reception

Critical reception

Super Mario Odyssey has received widespread critical acclaim. Prior to its release, EDGE Magazine gave Super Mario Odyssey a perfect score of 10, praising the game for "taking big risks with an established formula and having them all pay off handsomely."^[30] Ryan McCaffery of IGN had a similar view, also giving the game a perfect score of 10. Despite criticizing the camera controls, McCaffery was ultimately very impressed with the game, saying that it "is a brilliant adventure and love letter to the series that made Nintendo a household name."^[31] Phillip Kollar and Allegra Frank of Polygon also praised the game, scoring it 9.5 out of 10. While Allegra somewhat criticized the boss battles, the two reviewers ended with "Super Mario Odyssey is almost certain to be counted among the best games in Nintendo's star series."^[32] Andrew Webster of The Verge called the game "A weird, wild world bursting with ideas," praising how the game was always surprising, saying, "Because each world is so different from the last, I found myself constantly discovering things I didn’t expect or hadn’t seen before."^[33] Peter Brown of GameSpot praised the game for its variety of platforming challenges and puzzles and how "The opportunities introduced by possessing others isn't just an easy source of laughs, but also works hand in hand with Odyssey's ever-present challenges," while criticizing how some of Cappy's actions require motion controls. He gave the game a 10/10.^[34] Dave Thier of Forbes praised how unique the game was, saying, "Super Mario Odyssey is a wide-open challenge that never stops changing, even dozens of hours in," while heavily criticizing the game's motion controls. He gave the game a 9.5/10.^[35] The game currently averages 97% on review aggregate site Metacritic (based on 67 reviews)^[36] and 97.42% on GameRankings (based on 58 reviews), making it the third-highest-rated game on the latter website.^[37]

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Nintendo Switch	Ryan McCaffery, IGN	10/10	Mario’s games have been around for almost as long as game consoles have been a thing, but thankfully, he’s always evolving. We rarely get the same Mario twice. Super Mario Odyssey delivers on that ongoing promise of originality and innovation: It distills the venerable series’ joyful, irreverent world and characters and best-in-class platforming action, and introduces a steady stream of new and unexpected mechanics. It’s all spun together into a generational masterpiece.
Nintendo Switch	Phillip Kollar and Allegra Frank, Polygon	9.5/10	For a character nearing 40 years old, it’s amazing that Mario has remained not only a beloved character but one whose games are generally expected to be great. From that perspective, it’s no surprise that Super Mario Odyssey is, yes, a great game. But more than that, it’s a fantastic, even fundamental addition to Mario’s legacy. From a plumber to a doctor to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this will not be the last Mario game, but it is almost certain to be lauded as one of his best.
Nintendo Switch	Andrew Webster, The Verge	N/A	It’s a testament to the sheer creativity underlying Odyssey that, even after watching the credits roll and playing for more than 24 hours, I still regularly come across things I haven’t seen before. (The game opens up significantly after you complete the story.) There are coins and moons to collect and tucked-away nooks to discover. There are many moments in Odyssey where it doesn’t necessarily look like a Mario game, but more like the squat plumber has been transported into some other virtual realm. But it always feels like Mario — because it never stops surprising you.
Nintendo Switch	Peter Brown, GameSpot	10/10	Odyssey is sustained beyond its major milestones not only through colorful worlds and hidden challenges, but through the sheer joy of controlling Mario, who's never felt more responsive or dynamic in action. Even with everything new that's been introduced, Nintendo's forward-thinking platformer retains the series' classic handcrafted appeal, which is even more impressive when you realize how densely packed each kingdom is. Mario's latest outing is big, bold, and bursting with new ideas, and like Breath of the Wild, is another instance of Nintendo going above and beyond to redefine our expectations. It's a shining example of refined creativity, and another crown jewel for Switch that is without equal.
Nintendo Switch	Dave Thier, Forbes	9.5/10	Super Mario Odyssey is a wide-open challenge that never stops changing, even dozens of hours in. It's of a kind with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which offered a similar sense of scope to Nintendo's other headlining single-player franchise. It's a world that feels huge at first, then small as you get to know it, and then huge again as you realize how fantastically dense it is with secrets and challenges. It gives you a simple set of tools and then asks you to do something different with them every ten minutes. Super Mario Odyssey is a fun game, an unoriginal observation that feels nonetheless vital in the modern gaming landscape. It is a game that tasks you with finding joy, and then lets you point yourself in the right direction. It is a game you should play.
Aggregators
Compiler		Template:Nowrap
Metacritic		97
GameRankings		97.42%

Awards and acknowledgements

Super Mario Odyssey was nominated for six awards at The Game Awards 2017, winning one, in the following categories:

"Game of the Year" (Nominated). Lost to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.^[38]
"Best Game Direction" (Nominated). Lost to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.^[38]
"Best Score/Music" (Nominated). Lost to NieR: Automata.^[38]
"Best Audio Design" (Nominated). Lost to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.^[38]
"Best Action/Adventure Game" (Nominated). Lost to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.^[38]
"Best Family Game" (Won). Other nominees were Splatoon 2, Sonic Mania, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.^[38]

Sales

By December 31, 2017, Super Mario Odyssey had sold 9.07 million copies worldwide. By March 31, 2018, it reached 10.41 million copies, making it the best-selling game for the Nintendo Switch.^[39] As of January 31, 2019, it reached 13.76 million copies, although Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 15.02 million copies worldwide, lowering Super Mario Odyssey to the second-best-selling first-party game for the Nintendo Switch.^[40]

Artbook

A book full of concept artwork and insight into the development of the characters and locales of the game, titled The Art of Super Mario Odyssey, was published by Dark Horse Comics and released in Japan on 28 September, 2018, and in English-speaking countries on October 22, 2019.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Odyssey.

Mario, Cappy, and enemies they can capture
Bowser and Peach
Mario, Cappy, and Pauline
Topper
Postcards of various kingdoms

Media