Lake Lamode is weird. It’s quiet. Unlike the chaotic bustle of Tostarena or the vertical insanity of New Donk City, the Lake Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey feels like a localized fever dream of zippers and water physics. Most people breeze through here, grab the Grand Moon from Rango, and peace out. They’re missing the point. If you’re hunting moons in Lake Kingdom, you’re essentially playing a game of underwater hide-and-seek where the walls are literally made of fabric.
It’s small. One of the smallest kingdoms in the game, actually. But that’s a trap. The density of Power Moons here—42 in the main game, plus another chunk after you crack the Moon Pipe—means you’re constantly tripping over secrets. You have to think about zippers. You have to think about Cheep Cheeps. Honestly, if you aren't capturing a fish every five minutes, you’re doing it wrong.
The Strategy of the Surface and the Deep
Don't just dive. That’s the first mistake. People assume because it’s called "Lake Kingdom" that everything is at the bottom of the pool. Wrong. The terrace levels hold some of the most annoying moons to find because they require precise platforming or a weirdly specific use of Cappy.
Take the "Dorrie-Back Rider" moon. It’s sitting right there. You see it. You want it. But if you don't time your jump off the purple plesiosaur’s back, you’re just swimming in circles. It’s simple, yet I’ve seen seasoned players miss the arc three times in a row because they’re overthinking the physics. The Lake Kingdom demands a certain kind of chill.
The Zipper Mechanic is Everything
Zippers are the MVP here. You capture them, you pull, and the world opens up. It’s satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe until you do it. Moon #5, "What’s in the Box?", is a classic example. You’re on a ledge, you see a crate, and you think, "I'll just ground pound that." But the path to actually getting there involves unzipping a portion of the wall to reveal a hidden alcove.
Then there’s the "Lake Kingdom Timer Challenge 1." It’s located near the Underwater Entrance. You hit the nut, the platforms appear, and you have to move. Fast. Most players fail this because they try to swim it. Pro tip: Don't. Use the zippers to create shortcuts or platforms that shouldn't exist. The game rewards you for breaking the intended flow of the geometry.
Where Most Players Get Stuck
Let’s talk about the "Taking Notes" moons. These are the bane of my existence. You touch the treble clef, a trail of notes appears, and you have a handful of seconds to grab them all. In the Lake Kingdom, these are often underwater. Swimming in Odyssey is good, but it’s not "frame-perfect precision" good.
To nail these, you have to capture a Cheep Cheep. Do not attempt them as Mario. You’ll drown, or worse, you’ll be too slow and have to listen to that failure chime again. Cheep Cheeps don't have an oxygen meter. They also have a dash move that is essential for the circular note patterns found near the bottom of the lake.
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The Hidden Room in the Courtyard
There’s a moon called "End of the Hidden Passage." To find it, you have to look for a giant zipper on a wall that looks totally decorative. It isn't. Pulling it back reveals a 2D 8-bit section. Nintendo loves these, and so do I. But this one has a twist. You can actually exit the 2D plane halfway through if you know where the invisible blocks are.
Most people just finish the 8-bit stage and take the "main" moon at the end. They miss the secondary moon tucked behind a fake wall. This is a recurring theme with moons in Lake Kingdom. There is almost always a second moon hiding in the shadows of the first one. It’s a nesting doll of collectibles.
The Post-Game Moon Rock Expansion
Once you finish the main story and come back to smash the Moon Rock, the kingdom changes. Well, it doesn't change visually, but the map gets peppered with high-difficulty moons. We’re talking about "Lake Kingdom Regular Cup" and the subsequent "Master Cup."
The Koopa Trace is brutal here because of the water resistance. You aren't just running; you're fighting the medium. To win, you have to master the "roll-jump" on the surface and the "long-jump" across the stone pillars. If you touch the water for more than a second, the Roving Racers will smoke you. It’s about staying dry in a water kingdom. Irony at its finest.
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Secret Paths and Hint Arts
The Hint Art in Lake Kingdom is actually one of the more helpful ones. It points you toward the Wooded Kingdom. If you haven't been keeping a log of these, you’re missing out on the "found money" of the game. You look at the picture, you find the spot in the other kingdom, you ground pound. Boom. Power Moon.
But back to the lake itself. Have you found the "Lake Gardening" moons? You have to plant a seed in a pot and then... wait. It’s agonizing. You go off, collect five other moons, and come back to find a golden sprout. It feels like real-time chores, but the payoff is necessary for that 100% completion mark.
Breaking Down the "Impossible" Moons
There are a few moons that people swear are glitched. They aren't. They’re just clever.
- Moon #25: Jump-Pass Through the Poison. This is in a secret sub-area. You need to use Cappy to flip platforms while avoiding purple goop. The trick is rhythm. If you hesitate, you’re dead.
- Moon #21: Peach in the Lake Kingdom. You won't find her until you’ve beaten Bowser at the Wedding Hall. She’s standing on the terrace, enjoying the view. It’s an easy moon, but only if you know to come back.
- The Flower Road. This sub-area is a nightmare of disappearing paths. The key is to keep Cappy spinning. If Cappy is out hitting a flower, the road stays open. If you're too slow to recall him and throw again, you’re falling into the abyss.
Honestly, the Lake Kingdom is a masterclass in compact design. It doesn't need the sprawl of the Sand Kingdom. It just needs a few well-placed zippers and a very deep pool.
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Practical Steps for Completionists
If you’re sitting at 30 moons and can’t find the rest, stop wandering aimlessly. The game has systems to help you, and using them isn't cheating—it's how it was designed to be played.
- Talk to Talkatoo. The bird isn't just flavor text. He gives you the names of three moons at a time. Often, the name itself is the biggest clue. "Behind the Pillars" tells you exactly where to look.
- Find Uncle Seeker. He’s the blue Toad. He’ll mark moon locations on your map for a small fee of coins. Since coins are infinite, this is a no-brainer.
- Check the Amiibo Hut. If you have a Bowser or Peach Amiibo, scan them. They’ll highlight "Life-Up Hearts" or moon locations. It’s a shortcut, sure, but some of those hidden "shining spots" in the ground are nearly impossible to find by accident.
- Master the Cappy Vault. Many moons in the Lake Kingdom are just out of reach of a standard jump. You need to learn the sequence: Jump, Throw Cappy, Dive, Hold Y to bounce off Cappy, Dive again. This move is the difference between a frustrated player and a pro.
The Lake Kingdom might feel like a pit stop on the way to the Metro Kingdom, but it’s a dense, vertical puzzle box. Take your time. Capture every fish. Unzip every wall. The moons are there, waiting in the silence of the water. Just don't forget to breathe.