You've finally beaten Bowser. You watched the credits roll, felt that surge of pride, and maybe even thought you were done with the game. Then you hit 250 Power Moons. Suddenly, the Odyssey starts humming with a weird, new energy. You toss Cappy at the globe, and instead of a colorful kingdom, you're whisked away to a desolate, gravity-defying rock in space. Welcome to the Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon. It’s not just a bonus level; it's basically a slap in the face for anyone who thought they were "good" at Mario.
The atmosphere hits you first. It’s quiet. There’s no whimsical music here—just a low, humming wind and the sound of Mario’s boots hitting cold lunar stone. It feels lonely. It feels like the game is telling you to turn back while you still can. Honestly, the first time I landed here, I spent five minutes just jumping around in the low gravity before I realized the absolute nightmare waiting for me in that giant stone carrot.
The Rabbit Hole of Pain: Rabbit Ridge
If you want to clear the Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon, you have to face the Broodals again. All of them. In a row. Without a break. It’s called Rabbit Ridge, and it’s the ultimate test of whether you actually learned the boss mechanics or if you just button-mashed your way through the main story.
Most people think, "Oh, I've beaten these guys before, no big deal." Wrong. The low gravity changes everything. Your jumps are floatier, your timing is off, and the Broodals are significantly more aggressive. You start with Topper, the green guy with the hats. He’s the easy part. But by the time you reach Harriet or Rango, the tension starts to mount because you know that if you die, you’re starting the whole gauntlet from the beginning. There are no checkpoints inside that tower. None.
One thing that genuinely catches people off guard is the lack of health. Unless you come prepared with a Life-Up Heart, you’re working with three measly segments of health for four boss fights. It’s brutal. It’s calculated. It’s exactly the kind of challenge that makes you want to throw your Switch across the room, yet you keep coming back because the movement in this game is just too damn satisfying to quit.
Why Rabbit Ridge is a Masterclass in Boss Design
Let's talk about the RoboBrood fight at the end. After you’ve slogged through the four individual Broodals, you have to take on their giant mech. In low gravity, dodging those spinning legs feels like a slow-motion nightmare. You have to capture a Pokio (the little bird-like creature) and flick yourself up the wooden legs to hit the pilots.
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It’s messy.
One wrong flick and you’re floating helplessly through the air while a giant metal foot prepares to crush you. But there’s a nuance here that casual players miss. The game is forcing you to master the "flick" mechanic of the Pokio capture in a high-stakes environment. It’s not just about winning; it’s about proving you have total mastery over the capture system.
Secrets Hidden in the Lunar Dust
Once you manage to beat the Broodals and get that Multi-Moon, you might think the Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon is finished. It’s not. Not even close. If you look around the base of the tower, you’ll find several "Sub-Areas" accessible through pipes or hats. These are some of the hardest platforming challenges in the entire game.
- The Vanishing Road: You have to run across disappearing platforms while being chased by a giant Banzai Bill. It requires frame-perfect movement.
- Breakdown Road: Remember those crumbling blocks? Now imagine them with Bullet Bills and zero margin for error.
- Invisible Road: You're navigating platforms you can only see by splashing poison or using a specialized capture. It’s nerve-wracking.
Most players stumble upon the "Hinged Platform" challenge and realize they’ve barely scratched the surface of Mario’s movement kit. You aren't just jumping; you’re triple-jumping, Cappy-diving, and wall-kicking in ways that feel more like Super Mario Bros. Deluxe speedruns than a casual weekend play session.
The "Hint Art" Obsession
The Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon is also the hub for a massive chunk of the game’s Hint Art. For the completionists out there, this is where the real work begins. You’ll see these grainy, Polaroid-style images plastered on the walls of the Moon. They point to locations in other kingdoms—the Sand Kingdom, the Wooded Kingdom, even the Metro Kingdom.
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You have to take a screenshot (or have a photographic memory), fly back to those kingdoms, and Ground Pound the exact spot indicated. It’s a scavenger hunt that spans the entire globe. It’s Nintendo’s way of making you revisit the beautiful worlds they built, looking at them through a different lens. You aren't looking for the big, shiny Moon anymore; you’re looking for a specific shadow behind a specific bush.
The True Purpose of the Dark Side
Why did Nintendo put this here? It’s not just for padding. The Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon serves as a bridge. It’s the "Hard Mode" transition between the main game and the legendary "Longer Journey" (The Darker Side).
If you can’t handle the Broodal gauntlet, you have zero chance of surviving the Darker Side, which is a marathon of every single mechanic in the game without a single checkpoint. The Dark Side is your training ground. It’s where you stop being a tourist in the Mushroom Kingdom and start being a pro.
There’s also the costume aspect. This is where you unlock some of the coolest gear in the game. Beating the Broodals gives you access to the Royal Outfit and the King's Crown. Is it worth the gray hairs? Absolutely. Walking into New Donk City dressed like literal royalty because you survived the lunar gauntlet is a flex that never gets old.
How to Actually Survive (The Pro Strategy)
If you're struggling, stop throwing yourself at the tower repeatedly with three hearts. It's masochism. Instead, do what the pros do:
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- Buy a Life-Up Heart: Go to any Crazy Cap shop in any other kingdom and buy the heart that gives you six health segments. It carries over to the Dark Side.
- Use an Amiibo: If you’re really stuck, scanning the Peach Amiibo gives you a Life-Up Heart instantly. It feels like cheating, but hey, the Broodals aren't playing fair either.
- Master the Dive-Jump: If you aren't using the $Y+ZL$ (Cappy Throw into Dive) combo, you won't survive the sub-areas. You need that extra distance.
- The Yoshi Secret: On the back side of the tower, there’s a hidden area where you can capture Yoshi. Using Yoshi to navigate some of the exterior lunar terrain makes life much easier.
Honestly, the Mario Odyssey Dark Side of the Moon is a love letter to the fans who have been playing since the 64 era. It’s tough, it’s a bit unfair, and the gravity is annoying as hell. But when you finally stand on top of that carrot-shaped tower and look out at the Earth (or the Mushroom Kingdom version of it) hanging in the sky, it feels like a genuine achievement.
Moving Beyond the Dark Side
Once you’ve collected enough Moons here—you’ll need 500 in total—the Odyssey will finally have enough power to reach the "Darker Side." That is the final, ultimate challenge. But don't rush it. Spend time on the Dark Side. Find every hidden Moon in the sub-areas. Master the gravity.
The most important thing to do next is to check the Hint Art on the walls near the Odyssey. Take a screenshot of the one featuring the Poochy-like dog or the one showing the coordinates in the Sand Kingdom. These are your tickets to those final, elusive Power Moons that stand between you and a 100% save file. Go back to the earlier kingdoms with your new skills and see how much faster you move now. You'll realize the Dark Side didn't just give you Moons; it made you a better player.
Head to the Sand Kingdom first—it’s usually the easiest Hint Art to solve and provides a nice ego boost after the Broodals kick your teeth in.