Super Mario Odyssey review: The hat has some extremely ambitious ideas

The big picture

Super Mario Odyssey encourages you to see a promising corner and immediately abandon whatever you were supposed to be doing. Its sandbox-style kingdoms hold Power Moons that fuel the Odyssey airship, giving curiosity a practical reward. Mario has a destination, but he also has a hat that can radically change his relationship with the local wildlife. A heroic journey with constant distractions sounds about right for a man whose most reliable response to the world has always been to jump on something. Nintendo overview

Developed and published by Nintendo, Odyssey originally released October 27, 2017, for Switch. Its attraction is exploratory platforming: noticing a possibility, testing an ability and seeing what happens. It is well suited to players who enjoy a game giving them reasons to wander. Anyone seeking an uninterrupted series of obstacle courses should recognize that sightseeing is part of the proposal, not a delay before the proper game starts.

Your surroundings are potential abilities

Capture makes an encounter something to experiment with rather than simply avoid or defeat. A new form can change which areas are reachable and what a nearby obstacle means. Cappy can also act as a temporary platform, adding another possibility to Mario's movement. The environment becomes a supply of small rules to investigate, which is a useful reason to pay attention beyond checking where the next collectible is hiding.

That variety is strongest for players who enjoy figuring out toys. You don't always need a harder jump; sometimes you need to understand what the current ability permits. Someone attached to one unchanging movement system might be less enthusiastic about frequent shifts. Odyssey offers a common Mario-and-Cappy foundation with playful variations, rather than insisting every problem be solved through the same precise exercise forever.

There is also a difference between collecting because a discovery looks appealing and collecting because an incomplete total has personally offended you. The Power Moons give exploration purpose, but you can let curiosity lead without turning every kingdom into a list of unfinished duties. A cheerful place does not become more cheerful simply because you've decided you're forbidden to leave until every number is perfect.

Two players, one main adventure

Assist Mode offers extra protection and guidance. Co-op instead gives one player Mario and the other Cappy, allowing a second person to support the journey directly. These solve different problems: one changes the help surrounding the player, while the other brings another human into the process. Neither guarantees that every optional objective will become effortless. Bright colors are not a formal exemption from demanding challenges. Official overview trailer

The Cappy role is deliberately supporting. It can suit a confident player helping somebody newer, or two people happy to cooperate on one adventure. It is less appropriate for a pair expecting equal, independent platforming responsibilities. Discuss that before starting. “We're both playing” is true, but it leaves out the fairly important detail that one of you has become headwear.

A familiar kingdom can still hold a missing balloon

The free Balloon World update opens after the main story and adds timed hiding and searching. Players place balloons for others to find, turning knowledge of the kingdoms into something to use under pressure. A previously familiar route can become interesting because you need to reach a clever spot efficiently. It is a neat reason to return for people who like learning the spaces rather than merely passing through them. Balloon World announcement

The timer and rankings change the mood. Leisurely exploration becomes something to optimize, which may suit a different evening from casually poking around. Added outfits and Snapshot Mode filters serve a gentler appetite for presentation. Treat these as optional outlets. You can enjoy Mario's adventure without accepting a permanent second occupation as the world's most determined balloon detective.

Switch 2 improves the existing purchase

On Switch 2, Odyssey remains the compatible Switch game with a free enhancement, not a separately sold Switch 2 Edition. Nintendo documents improved image quality, HDR and GameShare, with a subsequent June 2025 update addressing Switch 2 issues. Update before judging the existing game on newer hardware. Those changes do not add a new campaign. Update history

A Switch 2 initiates GameShare, letting another system join the Mario-and-Cappy arrangement locally or online through GameChat. Online use has account, internet and membership requirements. Sharing doesn't turn the supporting role into a second independent hero, and the checked Nintendo sources establish no official PC, Xbox or PlayStation release. The strongest reason to choose Odyssey remains the same: you like investigating a place and finding something fun to do with it. Sometimes that fun has little feet. Sometimes it has enormous teeth. Either way, the hat appears to have thought this through.