Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game created and released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is part of the Super Mario series and follows Mario and his new helper, Cappy, a hat that can think and act. Together, they travel through different kingdoms to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, who plans to force her into marriage. Unlike earlier games that had a set path, this game uses an open-ended, 3D platform style similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
In the game, Mario explores kingdoms to find Power Moons, which are used as fuel for an airship called the Odyssey to travel to new areas. Cappy’s main ability is to capture enemies and objects, helping Mario solve puzzles and move forward. The game includes a multiplayer mode and supports virtual reality through a Nintendo Labo kit added in an update.
Developed by Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning & Development team, the game started in 2013, shortly after Super Mario 3D World was released. To include many ideas, the team chose a sandbox-style gameplay, allowing more freedom than earlier games like Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario Run, which targeted a more casual audience.
Super Mario Odyssey was released on October 27, 2017, and received praise for its creativity and improvements on earlier Mario games. It has been ranked among the greatest video games ever made. The game won many awards and sold over 30 million copies by December 31, 2025, becoming one of the best-selling Switch games.
Gameplay
Super Mario Odyssey is a video game where players control Mario as he travels through 14 different areas called "kingdoms" on a hat-shaped ship named Odyssey. His goal is to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, who wants to marry her against her will. The game’s kingdoms are designed similarly to Super Mario 64, focusing on exploration. In each kingdom, Mario must complete tasks to collect Power Moons, which are needed to power the Odyssey and unlock new kingdoms. Checkpoint flags are placed throughout the kingdoms, allowing Mario to instantly return to them once activated. Some levels include "flat" zones, which are 2D side-scrolling sections like those in the original Super Mario Bros.
Mario can use moves like triple-jumping and wall-jumping, as well as throw his hat, Cappy, to attack enemies or use as a temporary platform. When thrown at specific objects or characters, Mario can take control of them, called "capturing." For example, he can ride a Bullet Bill to cross gaps, use a Tyrannosaurus to push objects, climb electric wires with a Spark Pylon, or fire a tank named Sherm. Motion controls on Joy-Con controllers can speed up some actions, but the game can also be played with Joy-Con attached to the console. Coins, including regular gold coins and kingdom-specific purple coins, can be collected to buy items like new hats and outfits. Some outfits are needed to complete objectives. The game uses a health system similar to Super Mario Galaxy: Mario has unlimited lives, but dying costs up to ten coins. Players can also collect "Life-Up Hearts" to gain extra hit points. A cooperative mode allows a second player to control Cappy independently.
To progress, players must collect a minimum number of Power Moons from each kingdom, though these can come from any source, making major goals optional. After defeating Bowser, each kingdom gains more Power Moons. Collecting enough Power Moons unlocks new outfits and two bonus levels: "Dark Side," a boss rush requiring 250 Power Moons, and "Darker Side," a challenging platforming level requiring 500 Power Moons. Completing the game also unlocks a level based on Peach’s Castle from Super Mario 64, where players face tougher versions of previous bosses and earn more Power Moons by completing achievements.
The game includes a photo mode for taking screenshots with customizable filters and stickers. Using Odyssey-themed Amiibo figurines of Mario, Peach, and Bowser grants special abilities and costumes otherwise unavailable until after completing the game and collecting enough Power Moons. Other Amiibo can provide hints for finding Power Moons.
A hide-and-seek minigame called "Luigi’s Balloon World" was added in 2018. Players have 30 seconds to hide a balloon in a kingdom, and others try to find it. A leaderboard tracks players who find the most balloons.
In 2019, the game was updated to work with the Nintendo Labo VR kit. In this mode, Mario completes challenges in kingdoms to recruit musicians and give them instruments by solving musical note-related tasks.
Plot
Bowser takes Princess Peach from the Mushroom Kingdom and brings her to his airship, where he tries to make her marry him. Mario, who is also on the ship, tries to save her but is pushed off by Bowser’s hat during a short fight. Mario falls into the nearby Cap Kingdom. Without Mario, Bowser steps on Mario’s cap and lets it float into the ship’s propellers, where it is destroyed. A piece of the cap is picked up by Cappy, a creature from the Cap Kingdom called a Bonneter. Cappy meets Mario and tells him that Bowser also kidnapped Cappy’s sister, Tiara, to use as Peach’s wedding tiara. Cappy joins Mario and becomes Mario’s cap, giving him the ability to throw his cap to control or capture other creatures and objects. Together, they travel to the Cascade Kingdom, find a ship called the Odyssey, and begin searching for Bowser.
Mario and Cappy visit different kingdoms to collect Power Moons, which power the Odyssey. They fight the Broodals, a group of rabbit-like creatures hired by Bowser to steal items like a dress, cake, and bouquet from kingdoms to prepare for Bowser’s wedding. Eventually, they reach Bowser’s kingdom, but Bowser leaves to go to his wedding on the Moon, leaving Mario and Cappy to fight the Broodals in a robot called Mecha-Broodal. They defeat the robot and follow Bowser to the Moon.
Mario and Cappy fly the Odyssey to the Moon and enter a cathedral where Bowser is waiting. Mario falls into a trap set by Bowser, and the two fight inside the Moon’s interior. Bowser is defeated, and Mario rescues Peach and Tiara. However, the cave begins to collapse. Mario uses Cappy to take control of an unconscious Bowser and escapes with Peach and Tiara to the Moon’s surface. On the surface, Mario plans to propose to Peach, but Bowser wakes up and also proposes. The two fight for Peach’s hand in marriage until Peach tells them to stop. She then boards the Odyssey with Cappy and Tiara. Both Mario and Bowser are sad, but Peach invites Mario to return with her. Mario joins her just in time, leaving Bowser alone on the Moon.
After the main story, Mario and Cappy collect more Power Moons from Moon rocks to explore other areas of the Moon, called “Dark Side” and “Darker Side,” to complete challenges. Meanwhile, Peach and Tiara travel around the world on their own. They meet Mario along the way, and each time they meet, they give him Power Moons.
Development
Super Mario Odyssey was created by Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development division, with help from 1-Up Studio. The game was produced by Yoshiaki Koizumi and Koichi Hayashida, the same producers who worked on Super Mario 3D World. Kenta Motokura directed the game. Shigeru Miyamoto returned to his role as "Creative Fellow," providing ideas and feedback to the developers. Koizumi said Miyamoto often let the team work independently.
Odyssey was designed to attract Mario's core fans more than recent games that focused on casual players. It emphasizes open-world exploration, similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, instead of the linear gameplay found in other Mario games. Miyamoto said the game aimed to return to the style of Super Mario Sunshine after previous games focused more on linear play. The game intended to improve camera controls compared to Sunshine. Early ideas for Odyssey included motion controls, with Koizumi imagining actions like throwing an object. Mario's hat was chosen as the object to throw, creating a connection to this feature.
Koizumi said key gameplay ideas, such as traveling between kingdoms, collecting Power Moons, and exploring new settings, were decided early in development. Cappy was introduced in the first prototype, and motion controls were built around this idea. The team aimed to keep the game running smoothly at 60 frames per second. Locations like New Donk City included realistic designs and human characters to highlight new, unexpected environments.
The game's design considered the Nintendo Switch's portability and TV docking, which influenced how players could interact with it. Motion controls were usable with Joy-Con controllers or the Pro Controller. The developers ensured the game was fun whether played in short bursts or long sessions. Kenta Motokura said players could follow a set storyline or explore freely to collect Power Moons. Each platforming stage had multiple ways to complete it.
The developers considered elements from Minecraft during gameplay design. They initially thought Minecraft-style camera movement might be too difficult for children but later believed it was acceptable due to Minecraft's popularity among kids.
"Mario has always worn a hat, but because of the new action involving the hat, we decided to make it a character," said the developers. "Part of it was we wanted someone for Mario to travel with on this adventure."
The team first created prototypes of gameplay features or platforming stages. Then, they decided which settings or themes would best fit these prototypes. Locations were built around themes of journey and surprise, according to Kenta Motokura. Each kingdom had purchasable souvenirs to make them more relatable. The developers filled open-world areas with diverse details to help players feel connected. Kingdoms were inspired by the designers' personal experiences, and they experimented with how Mario could interact with them. The ability to take in-game screenshots was also included.
Cappy became a character later, after the hat-throwing feature was added, because the team wanted Mario to have a companion. The developers prioritized city environments when choosing settings for Odyssey. They selected Pauline, a character who first appeared with Mario in Donkey Kong, to be the mayor of New Donk City, providing a familiar element to anchor players in the new setting.
When designing Pauline's character, the developers gave her an interest in jazz music. This led to her becoming a singer, with the song "Jump Up Super Star!" included in the game. The song was composed by Naoto Kubo and performed by Kate Higgins. Its chorus was simple to make it easy to remember. Lyrics were written in Japanese by Nobuyoshi Suzuki and translated to English by Rob Heiret. Another theme song, "Break Free (Lead the Way)," followed a similar process.
A sampler album with 12 tracks from the game was released on iTunes in December 2017. A four-disc soundtrack containing 136 tracks was released in Japan in 2018 by Being Inc. The soundtracks included English, Japanese, and instrumental versions of "Jump Up Super Star!" and "Break Free (Lead the Way)." The discs also featured commentary from some of the development team.
Release
The game was first mentioned in a Nintendo Switch console announcement trailer in 2016. In January 2017, during a Nintendo presentation, Odyssey was officially announced as being in development, followed by gameplay footage. At E3 2017, a section of the event was themed around New Donk City and included kiosks where people could try a demo of the game. The announcement at E3 2017 was the most talked about part of the presentation on social media and was praised by other developers as the best part of the event. Critics also noted that the game has many hidden items and features an open-world format for exploration.
In the weeks before the game’s release, Nintendo of America organized a cross-country promotional tour. Important locations included Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, and New York. At each stop, players could try a demo of the game.
Two weeks before the game’s release, Nintendo released a music video inspired by Broadway shows called "Jump Up Super Star!" The video included real-life dancers and a CGI animated character of Mario. The song was later released on iTunes and became one of the top 40 best-selling songs in the United States.
The game officially released on October 27, 2017, along with Amiibo figures of Mario, Peach, and Bowser wearing wedding clothes. A limited-edition Nintendo Switch themed around Odyssey was also released. It included the console, Joy-Con controllers similar to the color of the character Cappy, a carrying case for the console, and a digital download code for the game. In December 2017, Nintendo partnered with Kellogg’s to release a limited-edition breakfast cereal called "Super Mario Cereal" in the United States. The back of the cereal box included an NFC tag that could be scanned like an Amiibo toy, giving players exclusive in-game items.
Reception
Super Mario Odyssey received "universal acclaim" from Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. As of 2025, Metacritic lists Odyssey as the third-highest-rated game of all time. OpenCritic reported that 98% of critics recommended the game. As of 2025, OpenCritic ranks Odyssey as the highest-rated game of all time.
Andrew Webster of The Verge wrote that the game’s design worked well with the Nintendo Switch’s portable features. Players could play for long sessions to complete missions or take short breaks to collect "Power Moons," which he compared to "shrines" in Breath of the Wild. However, Webster noted that motion controls were sometimes hard to use and preferred standard controls. The ability for Mario to transform into his 2D form was compared to puzzles in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. VentureBeat also mentioned similarities between Odyssey and the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Edge magazine praised the game’s creative ideas and how Nintendo changed the Mario formula, which they said worked well. They compared Odyssey to Super Mario 64 and called it a spiritual successor. The magazine also praised the introduction of Cappy, a new character that allows Mario to capture objects, calling it the most versatile ability in the Mario series. Famitsu gave the game a score of 39/40, the same as Super Mario 64, and the highest score for a 3D Mario game since then. IGN and GameSpot both gave the game a perfect 10/10 score, praising its originality.
Ian Dallas, creator of What Remains of Edith Finch, gave the game a lukewarm review. He said, "My problem with Super Mario Odyssey is that it’s not actually satisfying to finish. This is not to say it isn’t worth playing; it absolutely is. I just don’t think it’s worth finishing." Phil Hornshaw of Digital Trends gave the game 4/5 stars, saying it was fun but lacked the innovation of Nintendo’s best games. He also noted that controls and camera angles could be imprecise and frustrating.
The song "Jump Up, Super Star!" debuted at number 33 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the week of November 11, 2017. In Japan, the song reached No. 1 on the iTunes Store. In the US, it debuted at No. 25 in the "All Genres" category. Kate Higgins performed the song live at The Game Awards 2017.
Three days after its release, more than two million copies of the game were sold worldwide, with 500,000 sold in Japan. During its launch week, it sold slightly fewer copies than Assassin’s Creed Origins in the UK. In the US and Europe, it became Nintendo’s fastest-selling Super Mario game ever, with 1.1 million copies sold in the US within five days. The NPD Group reported that Odyssey was the best-selling video game of October 2017 and listed as Amazon’s highest-selling game of the year. By December 2017, it had sold 9.07 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Switch game at that time. As of December 2025, it had sold 30.27 million copies.
Entertainment Weekly and Giant Bomb ranked the game second on their "Best Games of 2017" lists. GamesRadar+ ranked it fourth on their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017, while Eurogamer and Polygon ranked it third on their "Top 50 Games of 2017" lists. Ars Technica named it their Game of the Year, and The Verge included it in their 15 Best Games of 2017. Game Informer readers and staff voted it the best platforming game of the year and Game of the Year. Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it fourth on their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017.
The game won "Best Switch Game" at Destructoid’s Game of the Year Awards 2017. It also won "Best Platformer" and "Best Original Music" at IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards. It was nominated for "Game of the Year" and "Best Switch Game" and received votes for "Switch Retail Game of the Year" and "Overall Game of the Year" at Nintendo Life’s Game of the Year Awards. Odyssey won the Game of the Year award at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers event, winning all but one category it was nominated for. It also won awards at IGN’s Best of E3 and Destructoid’s Best of E3 for categories like "Best Platformer" and "Best of Show."
A study in Germany found that playing Super Mario Odyssey reduced depression symptoms more than a cognitive training program or standard treatments. The study involved 46 people with depression and compared the effects of the game, the training program, and standard treatments over six weeks. Players of the game reported higher motivation and showed greater improvements in depression symptoms. The study also found improvements in memory related to visual and spatial tasks in both the game and training groups, but the game group showed more selective improvements. However, the study had limitations, such as small sample size and participants knowing their group assignments, which might affect how widely the results apply.
Legacy
Since the release of Super Mario Odyssey, other Nintendo games, such as Mario Golf: Super Rush and the Nintendo Switch and 3DS versions of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, have included levels inspired by the kingdoms from Super Mario Odyssey.
Super Mario Odyssey was planned to receive a free game update to "improve playability on the Nintendo Switch 2 system." The update was released on June 3, 2025, and added support for 4K resolution, HDR, and GameShare. The update was created by Panic Button.
Several places and characters from the game appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026). In the movie's beginning, Mario and Luigi find and meet Yoshi in the Sand Kingdom. Fossil Falls is shown as a separate planet where Yoshi, Toad, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi avoid a T-Rex. One of the game's bosses, the Ruined Dragon, appears briefly during the final battle, created from Bowser Jr.'s paintbrush.
Many user-made changes have been added to Super Mario Odyssey, including new features like costumes, enemies, or full kingdoms. In 2022, Super Mario Odyssey: Online was released, a mod that adds online multiplayer to the game. The mod allows up to ten players to play the hide-and-seek mode and the main game together, with progress saved for all players. The mod is widely used by streamers. Another upcoming mod, Super Mario Odyssey – A Galaxy Story, plans to include enemies, game rules, and all 42 galaxies from Super Mario Galaxy. It is expected to be released in 2025.