Honestly, it is hard to believe we have been playing Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch for nearly a decade. When it dropped in 2017, the gaming world was in a weird spot. We had just come off the Wii U era, which—let’s be real—was a bit of a disaster for Nintendo. Then this little hybrid tablet shows up, and suddenly, we're throwing a sentient hat at a T-Rex.
It worked.
The game didn't just sell well; it redefined what a 3D platformer could be by looking backward and forward at the exact same time. If you look at the raw numbers, the Nintendo Switch has moved over 140 million units, and Super Mario Odyssey remains one of its absolute crown jewels with over 28 million copies sold. That isn’t just momentum. That’s quality.
The Cappy Mechanic and Why It Changed Everything
Most people think Mario is about jumping. It’s not. Well, okay, it is, but Super Mario Odyssey made it about possession. By introducing Cappy, Nintendo gave us a way to break the game’s own rules. You see a Goomba? You don’t just stomp it. You become it.
This "Capture" mechanic was a massive gamble. In game design, giving the player dozens of different control schemes—one for a frog, one for a tank, one for a literal piece of meat—is a nightmare to polish. Yet, Nintendo EPD pulled it off.
The controls are snappy. Every single creature you inhabit feels like it belongs in the world. When you’re a Cheep Cheep, the physics shift perfectly to underwater movement. When you’re a Pokio in the Bowser’s Kingdom, the rhythmic stabbing of your beak into the walls becomes second nature within seconds. It’s a masterclass in kinesthetics.
Breaking the Linear Mold
Before this, we had Super Mario 3D World. It was great, but it was linear. You went from point A to point B. Super Mario Odyssey threw that out the window. It went back to the "sandbox" roots of Super Mario 64 and Sunshine.
The kingdoms aren't just levels. They’re playgrounds. Take New Donk City in the Metro Kingdom. It’s weird, right? Mario, a cartoon plumber, running around next to realistic-looking humans in business suits. It shouldn’t work. It should feel like a fever dream. But because the movement is so fluid, you don't care about the art style clash. You’re too busy triple-jumping off a yellow taxi to reach a Power Moon hidden on a skyscraper.
The Power Moon Obsession
There are 880 unique Power Moons in the game. If you count the ones you can buy in the shop, the total goes up to 999. That is a lot of shiny cardboard.
Some critics argued early on that this "collectathon" style diluted the value of the moons. In Mario 64, getting a Star felt like a massive achievement. In Odyssey, you sometimes get a Moon just for sitting on a bench with a guy or ground-pounding a glowing spot in the dirt.
But here’s the thing: that’s the genius of the Nintendo Switch portability.
If you’re on a five-minute bus ride, you can find two moons. If you have a three-hour flight, you can tackle the Dark Side of the Moon. The game scales to your schedule. It respects your time by constantly feeding you little hits of dopamine. It’s basically the "TikTok-ification" of platforming, but done with actual craft and heart.
The Difficulty Curve is a Lie
Don’t let the bright colors fool you. This game is hard. Or rather, it can be.
The main story is a breeze. Most kids can get to the wedding at the end without much trouble. But the "post-game" content? That’s where the real Super Mario Odyssey lives. The "Long Climb" on the Darker Side of the Moon is a gauntlet that tests every single mechanic you've learned. No checkpoints. No safety net. Just you, your hat, and a very long walk.
Many veteran players, like the speedrunning community led by figures like CJya or SmallAnt, have shown just how deep these mechanics go. Frame-perfect wall jumps and "vectoring" (moving at specific angles to gain speed) allow players to skip massive chunks of the game. Nintendo knew this. They left those gaps there on purpose.
Why Odyssey Outshines Other Switch Titles
We have to talk about Bowser’s Fury. When that came out as part of the 3D World port, people thought it was the future of Mario. An open-world, seamless experience. And yeah, it was cool. But it lacked the variety of Odyssey.
Odyssey gives you distinct cultures. The Luncheon Kingdom looks like a neon salad. The Seaside Kingdom feels like a Mediterranean vacation. The sheer volume of assets and unique animations in Super Mario Odyssey makes it feel like a high-budget production that even some "next-gen" PS5 or Xbox Series X games struggle to match in terms of sheer personality.
Also, the costumes.
They don’t do anything. Most of them are purely cosmetic. Yet, we all spent hours grinding for coins to buy the skeleton suit or the wedding dress. Why? Because the game is a celebration of Mario’s history. Every outfit is a nod to a weird commercial from the 90s or an obscure Game Boy title. It’s fan service done right.
Technical Wizardry on "Old" Hardware
The Nintendo Switch is, by 2026 standards, ancient technology. It uses a Tegra X1 chip that was old when the console launched. How does Odyssey look so good?
It uses a dynamic resolution scaler. In handheld mode, it’s usually around 720p, but it can dip. Docked, it aims for 900p. But the secret sauce is the 60 frames per second. Nintendo prioritized frame rate over resolution because, in a platformer, input lag is the enemy. By keeping the action smooth, the "lower" resolution becomes invisible. You’re moving too fast to notice a slightly jagged edge on a cactus in Tostarena.
Common Misconceptions About the Game
One thing people get wrong is the 2P mode. People say it's "bad" because the second player just controls the hat.
Actually, if you’re playing with a younger kid or someone who isn't a "gamer," it’s one of the best co-op experiences out there. The "hat player" is invincible. They can fly around and kill enemies while the "Mario player" focuses on the platforming. It’s an asymmetric design that bridges the skill gap perfectly.
Another myth is that you need motion controls.
You don't. While the game "strongly suggests" you shake the Joy-Cons to do a spin throw, you can perform almost every move with buttons. It’s slightly more clunky, sure, but for those of us playing on a Switch Lite or with a Pro Controller, it’s perfectly playable. Pro tip: you can spin the analog stick and then throw the hat to do a 360-degree attack without ever shaking your wrist.
The Cultural Impact and Legacy
Super Mario Odyssey did something rare. It made Mario "cool" again for a generation that was moving toward gritty shooters. It embraced the weirdness of the franchise. It gave us "Jump Up, Super Star!"—a literal jazz big-band song that became a legitimate hit.
The legacy of the game is seen in how Nintendo approaches their recent titles. You can see the DNA of Odyssey's experimentation in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That same "what happens if I do this?" philosophy.
Is a sequel coming? Rumors have been swirling for years. With the "Switch 2" or whatever the successor is called likely on the horizon, a direct follow-up seems inevitable. But until then, the original stands as a nearly perfect piece of software.
Actionable Tips for New and Returning Players
If you’re picking up the game today, don't rush.
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- Turn off the map: Seriously. Just wander. The kingdoms are designed to lead your eye to interesting things via landmarks.
- Talk to everyone: The NPCs in this game have genuinely funny dialogue that changes after you beat the main boss of the area.
- Master the "Cappy Jump": Throw hat -> Dive -> Bounce -> Throw hat -> Dive. This sequence allows you to cross massive gaps and is the key to finding the best secrets.
- Don't ignore the Snapshot Mode: The filters are actually decent, and it’s a great way to appreciate the texture work on Mario’s denim overalls—yes, you can actually see the fabric weave.
Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch isn't just a game you "beat." It's a game you inhabit. Whether you're hunting for that 880th moon or just running around as a tropical wiggler, the joy is in the movement itself. It reminds us that at its core, gaming should be about the simple, tactile pleasure of interaction. If you haven't touched it in a while, it's time to go back. New Donk City is waiting.
To get the most out of your current save file, go back to the Mushroom Kingdom and look for the "art" on the walls. These are "Hint Art" puzzles that require you to find locations in other kingdoms based on a single image. They provide some of the most satisfying "eureka" moments in the entire experience and are often overlooked by casual players. Once you've cleared those, head to the Odyssey and check your globe; if it's not gold yet, you still have work to do.