Honestly, it’s hard to believe it has been years since we first saw Mario possess a literal T-Rex. When Super Mario Odyssey on Switch first landed, the hype was deafening. Most games that launch with a new console—remember, this arrived only months after the Switch itself—tend to age like milk. They look jagged, their mechanics feel like "proof of concept" experiments, and they eventually get buried by sequels. But Odyssey didn't follow that script.
It's weird.
Even now, picking up the Joy-Cons to run through New Donk City feels snappier than almost any platformer released in 2024 or 2025. There is a specific kind of magic in how Nintendo EPD handled the physics here. Mario isn't just a character you move; he's a momentum-based tool. If you've ever spent twenty minutes trying to nail a triple-jump-wall-kick-cap-throw combo just to reach a ledge that you probably weren't supposed to reach yet, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The Cappy Mechanic and Why It Changed Everything
The core of the game is Cappy. It’s a simple idea on paper. You throw your hat, you hit an enemy, you become that enemy. But the execution is what makes the game.
Think about the Goomba. In every other Mario game, a Goomba is a speed bump. You jump on it, it dies, you move on. In Odyssey, the Goomba is a utility. You capture one, then you find a stack of them, and suddenly you’re a tower of brown mushrooms trying to woo a lady Goomba on a high platform. It’s absurd. It’s silly. It’s brilliant game design because it forces you to look at the environment not as a series of obstacles, but as a chest of tools.
Most people don't realize how much work went into the "capture" transitions. The game doesn't just swap models. It adjusts the entire physics engine on the fly. When you're a Bullet Bill, you feel the weight and the ticking clock of the explosion. When you’re a Cheep Cheep, the water physics change entirely. It’s seamless.
The Open World That Isn't Actually Open
We need to talk about the "Open World" label people love to slap on this game. Super Mario Odyssey on Switch isn't an open-world game in the way Tears of the Kingdom is. It’s a collection of dense, highly curated sandboxes. This is a crucial distinction.
Nintendo didn't give us a massive, empty field. They gave us the Sand Kingdom. It’s a desert, sure, but it’s packed. You can’t walk ten feet without tripping over a Power Moon or a hidden sub-area.
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The density is the point.
The Problem with 880 Moons
Okay, let’s be real for a second. There are too many moons.
There, I said it.
While the game technically has 880 unique moon "objectives" (and you can buy even more to reach a 999 counter), not all of them are created equal. Some moons are rewards for incredible feats of platforming. Others? You literally just ground-pound a glowing spot on the floor. It feels a bit like busywork sometimes.
However, this design choice serves a purpose. It makes the game accessible to a five-year-old who just wants to find something shiny, while still hiding the "Darker Side of the Moon" challenges for the veterans who have been playing since the NES days. It’s a wide net. It’s inclusive without being patronizing.
Breaking the Sequence
One of the most impressive things about the level design is how much Nintendo allows you to "cheat." If you are good enough with Cappy, you can bypass huge sections of the intended path. You see a platform way off in the distance? Most games would have an invisible wall or a "kill zone" there. In Odyssey, if you can figure out the dive-reset-cap-bounce maneuver, the game usually rewards you for it. Often, there’s even a little pile of coins waiting there, as if the developers are saying, "Yeah, we knew you'd try that."
Exploring the Kingdoms: More Than Just Scenery
Each kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey on Switch acts as its own genre.
- The Wooded Kingdom: It’s a weird mix of nature and industrial decay. The music—that surf-rock-inspired bassline—is arguably the best track in the game.
- The Seaside Kingdom: It’s basically a vacation. But then you realize you can capture a Gushen and use water jets to fly. Suddenly it's a flight simulator.
- The Luncheon Kingdom: This one is polarizing. The neon-pink lava and the food-based geometry look like a fever dream. It’s bold. It’s ugly-beautiful.
The variety keeps the "just one more moon" loop alive. You never stay in one aesthetic long enough to get bored. Just as you're tired of sand, you're in a frozen tundra. Just as you're tired of the cold, you're in a prehistoric jungle.
The New Donk City Paradox
The Metro Kingdom is the heart of the game’s identity crisis, and I mean that in the best way possible. Seeing a cartoonish, squat Mario running around next to "realistically" proportioned humans in suits is jarring. It shouldn’t work. It looks like a fan-made mod from 2012.
But then you play the festival sequence.
When "Jump Up, Super Star!" starts playing and the game shifts into a 2D 8-bit segment wrapped around the 3D buildings, it all clicks. It’s a celebration of Mario’s entire history. It’s the moment the game moves from being "a good sequel" to "a masterpiece." It reminds us that Mario isn't just a character; he's a legacy. Pauline’s presence here—returning from the original Donkey Kong—is a deep cut that actually carries emotional weight for long-time fans.
Technical Performance: How Does it Hold Up?
Let’s get technical.
The Switch isn't a powerhouse. We know this. But Odyssey runs at a near-constant 60 frames per second. That is non-negotiable for a platformer. To achieve this, Nintendo used some clever tricks. If you look closely at NPCs in the distance, they animate at a lower frame rate. Some shadows are simplified.
Does it matter? Not really. When you’re mid-air, calculating the trajectory of a Cappy throw, you don’t notice the resolution of a distant taxi. You notice the responsiveness. The input lag is virtually non-existent. This is why the game feels "tighter" than almost any other 3D platformer on the market.
Misconceptions About the Post-Game
A lot of people think that once you beat Bowser and the credits roll, you’re done.
Big mistake.
The "ending" is basically the halfway point. The Mushroom Kingdom opens up after the story, and it’s a nostalgic goldmine. The fact that you can change Mario’s outfit to look like his 64-bit self—and the entire world changes to match—is the kind of detail only Nintendo bothers with.
Then there’s the difficulty spike. The main story is easy. It’s designed so anyone can finish it. The post-game content, specifically the later boss rematches and the final gauntlet, is genuinely hard. It demands mastery of every mechanic you've learned.
Why Odyssey Matters in 2026
We've seen a lot of platformers since 2017. We’ve had A Hat in Time, Psychonauts 2, and even Astro Bot. They are all fantastic. But Super Mario Odyssey on Switch remains the benchmark.
It’s because of the freedom.
Most games tell you what to do. Odyssey gives you a set of physics and asks, "What can you do?" It trusts the player. There are no map markers telling you where every moon is. You have to use your eyes. You have to explore. You have to wonder, "What happens if I capture that specific bird?"
Actionable Tips for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re picking this up again, or for the first time, don't play it like a checklist.
- Turn off the map. Seriously. Just wander. The world is designed with visual landmarks that lead you to secrets naturally.
- Learn the "Cappy Jump." Throw Cappy, hold the button, dive into him, and bounce. It changes how you see the levels. You can reach almost anything.
- Talk to the NPCs. The dialogue is surprisingly funny and often hints at some of the most obscure moons in the game.
- Use the Snapshot Mode. It sounds like a gimmick, but the filters and camera controls are top-tier. It’s a great way to appreciate the art direction that you usually blur past at 60fps.
- Don't grind for moons. If a specific challenge is frustrating you, just leave. Go to a different kingdom. There are hundreds of other moons to find. The game is meant to be a joy, not a chore.
Super Mario Odyssey on Switch isn't just a game about saving a princess. It’s a game about curiosity. It’s a reminder that play, for the sake of play, is enough. Whether you're 5 or 95, there is something inherently satisfying about the way Mario moves through this world. It’s a high-water mark for the genre that likely won’t be topped until Nintendo decides to release whatever comes next for our favorite plumber.
Go find a moon. You probably missed a few in the Cap Kingdom anyway.