You know that feeling when you’re just one Power Moon away from 100% completion in Super Mario Odyssey and then you see it? The jump rope. It sits there in New Donk City’s park, mocking you. Metro Kingdom Moon 53 is arguably one of the most polarizing challenges in the entire game. Some people get it in five minutes. Others spend three hours questioning their life choices while a literal dog watches them fail.
It’s hard.
The requirement is simple on paper: jump 100 times without hitting the rope. But the physics of New Donk City aren't always your friend. This isn't just about timing; it’s about rhythm, camera angles, and knowing when the game is trying to bait you into an early jump.
Why Metro Kingdom Moon 53 Breaks Most Players
Most people struggle with Metro Kingdom Moon 53 because they treat it like a platforming challenge. It’s not. It’s a rhythm game disguised as a platformer. Around the 50-jump mark, the speed maxes out. The rope turns into a blur. If you're looking at Mario’s feet, you’ve already lost. Your brain can’t process the visual data fast enough to react. You have to anticipate.
There’s a specific "click" that happens in your head when you realize the timing is exactly the same from 50 to 100. It doesn't get faster. It stays at a frantic, steady pace. Most players panic and start double-jumping or fluttering with Cappy, which is the fastest way to hit the rope and start back at zero.
Honestly, the camera is your biggest enemy here. If you leave it at the default angle, the perspective makes it look like the rope is hitting Mario when it isn't, or vice versa. Pro tip? Zoom in. Or zoom out. Just find a way to see the gap between the rope and the floor clearly.
The Talkatoo and the "Glitch" Method
Let's address the elephant in the room: the Talkatoo glitch. For a long time, players used a specific exploit involving the Talkatoo bird near the park to freeze the camera and basically "cheat" the moon. You’d talk to the bird, walk into the rope area, and the game would get confused, letting Mario stand still while the counter ticked up.
Nintendo patched some variations of this, but the community always finds ways around it. But why do it? There is a legitimate sense of pride in hitting 100 jumps the real way. If you’re struggling, don't immediately jump to glitches. Try changing your costume. It sounds stupid, but sometimes wearing a bulkier outfit makes it harder to judge the hitboxes. Go with the classic suit or something slim.
📖 Related: The Problem With Roblox Bypassed Audios 2025: Why They Still Won't Go Away
Mastering the 50 to 100 Sprint
Once you hit 50, the "Jump-Rope Hero" challenge becomes a test of endurance. You'll notice the two NPCs swinging the rope start shouting faster. Their audio cues are actually more reliable than the visual ones.
- The "Hey!" Cue: Listen for the sharp "Hey!" every time the rope hits the ground.
- Minimalist Jumps: Barely tap the B button. The higher you jump, the longer you're in the air, and the more likely you are to land right on the rope during its next rotation.
- The Scooter Trick: Some people swear by using the scooter parked nearby. If you drive it into the jump rope circle, you can jump with the scooter. The timing is slightly different, but for some players, the mechanical "thump" of the scooter makes the rhythm easier to track.
Most experts suggest using the "Cappy Throw" to hover for a split second if you get off-sync. It’s a risky move. If you throw Cappy, you change your vertical momentum. It can save a run, but more often than not, it just delays the inevitable. Stick to short, sharp hops.
Dealing with the "New Donk City" Lag
In handheld mode, some players report slight input latency. If you're playing on an older Switch model, this can be the difference between jump 99 and jump 100. If you can, dock the console and use a Pro Controller. The wired connection (or just the more responsive buttons) makes a world of difference.
The environment doesn't help. You have NPCs walking around, the bright lights of the city, and that catchy background music. It’s a lot of sensory input. Some of the best speedrunners actually mute the game or put on a metronome at a specific BPM to stay in the zone.
The Mental Game of Jump-Rope Hero
You will fail. A lot. You’ll hit 97 and then clip the rope. It’s infuriating. But Metro Kingdom Moon 53 is a milestone for a reason. It’s one of the few moons in Super Mario Odyssey that requires genuine mechanical discipline rather than just exploration or puzzle-solving.
Take breaks. If you spend twenty minutes jumping and failing, your thumb starts to develop "phantom" timing. You start jumping before the rope even moves. Walk away, go collect some coins in the Luncheon Kingdom, and come back. Your muscle memory needs a reset.
There’s also the leaderboard factor. Once you get the moon, you can keep going. People have hit thousands of jumps. Don't worry about them. You just need 100. That’s it. One hundred tiny, stressful hops.
👉 See also: All Might Crystals Echoes of Wisdom: Why This Quest Item Is Driving Zelda Fans Wild
Why This Moon Matters for Completionists
You can't get the "Master Cup" or the final rewards without this. It’s a gatekeeper. New Donk City is designed to be a celebration of Mario’s history, and the jump rope is a callback to simpler, arcade-style challenges. It feels out of place in a modern 3D world, which is exactly why it’s so memorable.
I’ve seen people use the "Two Player" trick too. One person controls Mario, the other controls the camera. It rarely works because you lose that brain-hand connection, but it’s a fun way to share the frustration with a friend.
Technical Breakdown of the Speed
At jump 1, the rope is slow.
At jump 10, it picks up.
By jump 40, it's getting serious.
At jump 50, it hits maximum velocity.
The secret? The speed is $V_{max}$ from jump 50 onwards. If you can do jump 51, you can do jump 100. It’s all the same from there. The difficulty is entirely in your head and in the fatigue of your thumb.
Step-by-Step Recovery if You Trip
If you hit the rope at 80, don't just mash the button to start again. Walk out of the circle. Let the NPCs reset their animation. If you start too fast, you might be out of sync with the "Hey!" shouts.
- Stand exactly in the center.
- Adjust the camera to a side-on view (profile).
- Do three test jumps to feel the input lag of your controller.
- Wait for the rope to be at its highest point before your first jump.
- Focus on the audio, not the rope.
The sound of the rope hitting the pavement is a "thwack." You want to be ascending just before that "thwack" happens. It’s a very tight window, but once you find it, it feels like a heartbeat.
Honestly, the hardest part is the first 30 jumps because the speed keeps changing. Once it stabilizes at 50, you just have to turn your brain off and let the rhythm take over. Don't look at the counter. The moment you look at the counter and see "95," your heart rate will spike, you’ll stiffen up, and you’ll hit the rope. Keep your eyes on Mario’s hat.
✨ Don't miss: The Combat Hatchet Helldivers 2 Dilemma: Is It Actually Better Than the G-50?
Common Misconceptions
People think you need the Scooter. You don't.
People think the Bird glitch is the only way. It's not.
People think it’s RNG (random). It’s 100% consistent.
The "Jump-Rope Hero" moon isn't about luck. It’s about the fact that Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece of control, and this moon tests if you actually know how to use those controls under pressure. It’s a rite of passage.
Once you hear that specific chime and the Power Moon appears, the relief is better than beating Bowser. It’s a tiny golden trophy for your patience. And the best part? You never have to do it again. Unless you’re a masochist and want to climb the global leaderboards, in which case, Godspeed.
Actionable Steps to Get Moon 53
- Switch to a Pro Controller: If you're playing in handheld, the Joy-Con buttons can be too "mushy" for the frame-perfect timing needed after 50 jumps.
- Use Audio Cues: Close your eyes or look away from the counter. Listen for the "Hey!" or the "Thwack" of the rope and jump the millisecond you hear it.
- The Short Jump Technique: Lightly tap the jump button. Do not hold it. You want the lowest possible jump height to minimize time in the air.
- Positioning: Stand slightly toward the front of the rope's arc. Sometimes being right in the center feels more crowded by the NPCs.
- Camera Lock: Use the R-stick to lock the camera into a fixed side view so you don't have to worry about the perspective shifting mid-run.
Getting the Metro Kingdom Moon 53 is about persistence. If you're hitting 60 or 70 consistently, you already have the skill. You just need the focus to double that time. Grab your controller, put on some headphones to block out distractions, and find that rhythm. You've got this.
By the time you hit jump 100, the "Jump-Rope Hero" title will finally be yours, and you can get back to the much more relaxing task of finding hidden blocks in the sky.
Next Steps for Completionists
After mastering the jump rope, your next hurdle in New Donk City is usually the Volleyball challenge in the Seaside Kingdom or the Darker Side of the Moon. Both require the same level of rhythmic precision. For the volleyball moon, try using the "Two Player" mode where you control Cappy instead of Mario; Cappy has no momentum and can move instantly to the ball, making the 100-hit requirement significantly easier than doing it with Mario's run speed. Consistent practice on these "mini-game" moons is what separates a casual player from a 100% completionist.
Once you have Moon 53, make sure to check the nearby buildings for the "Powering Up the Station" questline if you haven't finished it yet, as it opens up more of the city's verticality and leads to several more hidden moons that are much less stressful than the rope.