It’s been years since Mario first tossed Cappy onto the head of a T-Rex, and honestly, the gaming world still hasn't quite moved on. When the IGN Super Mario Odyssey review first dropped, it wasn't just another score in a database. It was a 10/10 masterpiece—a "Masterpiece" label that IGN doesn't just hand out because a plumber has a nice mustache.
Mario games have a weird way of making grown adults feel like they’re eight years old again. You know that feeling. The one where you're holding a controller and everything just clicks. Odyssey did that. It did it better than almost any 3D platformer in history. But was the hype justified? Looking back from 2026, the answer is a resounding "mostly."
The game was a massive pivot. After years of the "3D Land" and "3D World" style—which were great but felt a bit like they were on rails—Odyssey brought back the sandbox. It was the spiritual successor to Super Mario 64 and Sunshine that we’d been begging for since the early 2000s. And man, did Nintendo deliver.
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The 10/10 Legacy: What the IGN Super Mario Odyssey Review Got Right
When Ryan McCaffrey wrote the review for IGN, he highlighted the "pure joy" of the movement. He wasn't lying. Mario doesn't just walk; he flows. The addition of Cappy changed the fundamental DNA of how you navigate a 3D space. Suddenly, a triple jump wasn't the peak of your verticality. You could jump, dive, throw Cappy, bounce off him, and dive again. It turned every level into a playground of "I wonder if I can get up there."
Usually, you can.
The capture mechanic was the real genius. Instead of just getting a fire flower or a tanooki suit, you became the enemies. You were a Goomba. You were a Bullet Bill. You were a literal electrical current zipping through wires. This kept the gameplay loop from ever getting stale. Just when you thought you’d seen everything the Metro Kingdom had to offer, you were suddenly controlling a RC car or jumping into a 2D mural that played like the original NES game.
It Wasn't Just About the Moons
A lot of people complain about the "Moon bloat." Yeah, there are 880 unique Power Moons in the game (and you can buy even more to max out the counter at 999). Some of them are, frankly, a bit lazy. You ground pound a glowing spot on the floor, and boom—Power Moon.
But that misses the point.
The moons aren't just collectibles; they are breadcrumbs. They exist to reward curiosity. If you see a weird corner of the map and think, "Hey, I bet there's something back there," Nintendo wanted to make sure you weren't disappointed. This design philosophy is why the IGN Super Mario Odyssey score stayed so high in the public consciousness. It respected the player's time by constantly providing small hits of dopamine. It’s a masterclass in "just five more minutes" syndrome.
The Kingdoms: A Mixed Bag of Brilliance
Not every Kingdom was created equal. Let's be real. The Sand Kingdom and the Metro Kingdom (New Donk City) are legendary. New Donk City, in particular, felt like a fever dream. Seeing a realistically proportioned human being standing next to a squat, cartoonish Mario was jarring at first. Then you realize it’s a love letter to Donkey Kong and the series’ roots. The festival sequence is arguably the best three minutes of any Nintendo game ever made.
On the flip side, some areas felt a bit thin. The Cloud Kingdom and the Ruined Kingdom were basically just boss arenas. Beautiful? Absolutely. But they left us wanting more. The Ruined Kingdom featured a realistic dragon that looked like it walked straight out of Dark Souls. It was a weird, bold choice that showed Nintendo was willing to get weird with the art style.
Why the Tech Still Holds Up
Even years later, the game looks incredible on the Switch. It runs at a nearly locked 60 frames per second. That’s crucial for a platformer. If the frame rate dips, the platforming feels mushy. Nintendo used some clever tricks, like lowering the animation frame rate of distant enemies, to keep the core experience buttery smooth.
The HD Rumble was also a standout feature. It was one of the few games that actually used the Joy-Con's haptic feedback for gameplay, like feeling the vibration of a hidden Moon under your feet. It's the kind of polish that separates a "good" game from a "10/10 IGN" game.
Addressing the Critics: Is It Too Easy?
If you just play through the story, Odyssey is a breeze. You can beat Bowser and see the credits in about 8 to 10 hours. Because of this, some "hardcore" gamers felt it lacked the bite of something like Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
But that's a surface-level take.
The real game starts after the credits. The Dark Side and Darker Side of the Moon are brutal. They require a mastery of the movement mechanics that the main story never asks of you. To get every Moon, you have to master the hat-jump-dive-bounce-dive combo. You have to learn how to control a bird poking its beak into a moving wall while avoiding lava. It gets tough.
The Impact on the Genre
Since the IGN Super Mario Odyssey review, we’ve seen a shift in how developers approach open-world platforming. You can see its fingerprints on games like A Hat in Time or even how Bowser’s Fury handled its seamless world. It proved that you don't need a map filled with icons if the world itself is interesting enough to explore.
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It also cemented Mario as a multi-generational icon. The game is packed with references to the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, making it a nostalgia trip for parents, while the bright colors and intuitive controls make it the perfect entry point for kids. It’s universal.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re diving back in or picking it up for the first time, don't rush. The game is best enjoyed when you're not looking at a guide.
- Turn off the map. Just wander. The level design is intuitive enough that you’ll naturally find your way to the interesting bits.
- Talk to the NPCs. The dialogue is surprisingly funny and often gives you cryptic hints that are more rewarding than just following a waypoint.
- Master the "Cappy Jump." Practice the move where you throw Cappy, hold the button to keep him in place, and dive into him. It opens up 40% more of the game world.
- Check the art. The "Hint Art" scattered around the kingdoms is a fun, non-spoilery way to find some of the most well-hidden moons.
- Play with the camera. The Photo Mode was ahead of its time. The filters and angles you can get are genuinely artistic.
Odyssey remains a high-water mark for the industry. It’s a game that reminds us why we play video games in the first place: to have fun, to be surprised, and to see if we can jump on top of that building just because it's there.
Whether you're revisiting the IGN Super Mario Odyssey review to see if the praise was hyperbole or looking to buy it for the first time, the verdict remains the same. It's a essential piece of gaming history. Go play it. Toss the hat. See what happens.