When you first land the Odyssey in the Bonneton kingdom, everything is monochrome. It’s foggy. It’s eerie. It’s definitely not what you expect from a Mario game. Then you hit the Fossil Falls in the Cascade Kingdom, and the saturation just explodes. That contrast isn’t an accident. The art of Super Mario Odyssey isn't just about high-resolution textures or fancy lighting; it’s a masterclass in cohesive chaos.
Most people think of Mario as "cartoony." But Odyssey does something weirdly brave. It sticks a stylized, squashed Italian plumber next to a realistic T-Rex and a 1940s-style human in a business suit. Honestly, on paper, that should look terrible. It should feel like a mod gone wrong. Instead, it works because of a very specific philosophy Nintendo calls "miniature world" design.
How the Art of Super Mario Odyssey Breaks Every Rule
Nintendo EPD didn’t just want to make a big world. They wanted to make worlds that felt like physical dioramas you could touch.
If you look closely at the sand in the Tostarena desert, it doesn't just look like a yellow floor. It has this shimmering, crystalline quality. The developers actually studied different types of sand and rock formations to ensure that while the characters were stylized, the materials felt grounded. This creates a tactile sensation. You’ve probably noticed how Mario’s clothes get wet or dusty. That’s a small detail, but in the broader context of the art of Super Mario Odyssey, it’s the bridge between the cartoon and the "real" world.
There’s this misconception that Nintendo is "behind" on tech because they don't do 4K ray-tracing. That’s a bit of a myth. What they do instead is focus on art direction that prioritizes readability. Every kingdom has a distinct silhouette and color palette. You can glance at a single screenshot of New Donk City and know exactly where you are, not because of a map, but because the art style tells you.
The New Donk City Risk
Let's talk about the Metro Kingdom. This was the biggest gamble. When the first trailer dropped, the internet went nuts seeing Mario jump on a realistic yellow taxi. People thought it was Sonic '06 all over again.
But the art team, led by Art Director Rikuto Yoshida, did something clever. They kept the humans—the "New Donkers"—stiff and muted. They wear gray and brown suits. They walk in straight lines. This makes Mario's vibrant red hat and squash-and-stretch animation pop even more. The art of Super Mario Odyssey uses the "uncanny" nature of the real world to highlight how magical Mario actually is. It’s a genius use of contrast.
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Capturing the Spirit of Travel
The game is essentially a digital scrapbook. Look at the stickers you buy for the ship. Look at the souvenirs. Each one is designed with a specific graphic design language that mimics real-world mid-century travel posters.
The UI design is a huge part of the art of Super Mario Odyssey that people often ignore. The menus are clean, utilizing a font called "Hey Gorgeous" that feels approachable but professional. It doesn’t feel like a video game menu; it feels like a travel brochure. This consistency is why the game feels so "premium" even when you're just looking at a pause screen.
Lighting as a Narrative Tool
Take a second to look at the Luncheon Kingdom. It’s basically a giant bowl of neon soup. The rocks are bright pink, the lava is turquoise, and the food looks like it’s made of plastic and gems.
Lighting here is handled differently than in the Ruined Kingdom. In the Ruined Kingdom, the light is desaturated and directional, highlighting the "Dark Souls" vibe of the Crumbleden boss fight. In Luncheon, the light is ambient and glowing. This isn't just "good graphics." It’s a deliberate choice to change the player's mood through color theory.
The Cappy Factor: Designing for Possession
Cappy changed everything for the character designers. Suddenly, they didn't just have to design a Goomba; they had to design a Goomba that looked "right" with a mustache and a hat.
This sounds simple, but it’s a rigging nightmare. Every enemy in the game had to be redesigned to accommodate Mario’s proportions and signature features. The "Art of Super Mario Odyssey" official art book shows dozens of sketches where they experimented with how the eyes would look when Mario takes over. They settled on a specific "spirit" eye shape that keeps the enemy recognizable but clearly shows the player is in control.
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It’s all about visual feedback. If you possess a Bullet Bill, his trajectory line is a bright, glowing red. It’s art functioning as a tutorial. You don't need a text box telling you where you're going because the art is doing the talking.
Technical Wizardry on "Weak" Hardware
Let's be real: the Nintendo Switch isn't a powerhouse. But Odyssey looks better than most PS4 games from the same era. Why?
Optimization through art.
They use a technique called "LOD" (Level of Detail) very aggressively, but they hide it with atmosphere. Distant buildings in New Donk City aren't just low-res boxes; they’re shrouded in a specific type of blue-tinted haze that mimics real-world atmospheric perspective.
- Materials: Leather, denim, and gold all have unique shaders that react to the sun.
- Animation: Mario has over 50 "idle" animations depending on the environment.
- Color Triads: Each kingdom uses a primary, secondary, and accent color to prevent visual clutter.
Think about the Steam Gardens in the Wooded Kingdom. It’s a mix of rusty red metal and deep green forest. Those are complementary colors on the color wheel. That’s why that level feels so "balanced" even though it’s incredibly busy with robots and giant trees.
Misconceptions About the Game's Style
Some critics at launch said the game lacked a "unified" art style. They claimed it was a hodgepodge of different ideas.
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Honestly, that’s missing the point. The "style" is the variety. It’s a celebration of the history of 3D rendering. You have the 8-bit sections where Mario enters a wall and becomes a 2D sprite. These aren't just flat images; the lighting from the 3D world actually reflects off the 2D surface. That’s a bridge between 1985 and 2017 (and beyond) that requires insane attention to detail.
The art of Super Mario Odyssey is a love letter to the idea that a game doesn't have to look like one thing. It can look like everything, as long as the character at the center of it remains iconic.
How to Apply These Design Lessons
If you’re a creator, an artist, or just a fan who wants to appreciate the game more, there are a few things you should do next time you boot it up.
First, use Snapshot Mode. It’s not just for pretty pictures. It allows you to freeze the frame and see the "hidden" art. Turn on the "Line Art" filter or the "Oil Painting" filter. You’ll see that the underlying geometry of the levels is surprisingly simple. The beauty comes from the textures and the way the light hits the surfaces.
Second, look at the costumes. Each costume, from the Mexican Poncho to the Samurai Armor, changes how Mario moves. The "weight" of the art affects the "weight" of the gameplay.
Actionable Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Analyze the "Rule of Three": Notice how most kingdoms use three primary colors. Try to identify them in the Seaside Kingdom (Blues, Whites, and the bright pink of the sparkling water).
- Study the 2D-to-3D Transitions: Find a 2D pipe section and rotate the camera. Notice how the "sprite" is actually a 3D plane that reacts to the world's lighting.
- Compare Kingdom Silhouettes: Look at the horizon in different worlds. Each one has a "landmark" (like the inverted pyramid) that is instantly recognizable from any distance. This is a classic concept art trick called "The Weenie," a term coined by Walt Disney.
- Check the Textures: Zoom in on Mario’s "Classic Suit." You can actually see the weave of the fabric. This was a massive jump from Super Mario 3D World.
The art of Super Mario Odyssey isn't just "pretty." It’s a highly engineered piece of visual communication that ensures you never get lost, never get bored, and always feel like you’re on a grand adventure. It’s a reminder that style will always beat "realistic" graphics in the long run. If you want to see where the future of Nintendo's art is going, just look at the way they blended the "real" and the "fantastic" here. It’s a blueprint they’re still using today.