Super Mario Odyssey

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"Mario Odyssey" redirects here. For the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode, see 9001: A Mario Odyssey.

Template:Infobox Super Mario Odyssey is an upcoming platform game for the Nintendo Switch set to release on October 27, 2017. It is the sixteenth title in the Super Mario series, the seventh original 3D Mario title, the eighth 3D Mario title overall, and the sixth 3D Mario title on a home console after Super Mario 3D World. The game revolves around Mario exploring unknown open world-like settings, similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. These settings have been stated to bear resemblances to locations in the real world.

A Super Mario Odyssey themed Nintendo Switch bundle will also be available on launch day. The American and European versions will contain the console, red Joy-Con, and a download code for the game. The American version will also include an Odyssey-themed carrying case. The Oceanian version of the bundle will include the console, red Joy-Con, and a physical copy of the game.

Story

Beginning "in the skies above Peach's Castle", Mario and Bowser are seen fighting one another on Bowser's airship, with Princess Peach on board as well. Bowser ultimately defeats Mario when he uses his top hat to attack, sending Mario flying to parts unknown. Bowser then takes his airship towards the skies, as he prepares a forced marriage to Peach. He leaves Mario's hat (which had been knocked off of Mario's head during his final attack) to adrift into the ship's back propellers, shredding it in the process. A piece is obtained by a hat-shaped ghost, who eventually finds Mario in his homeland of Bonneton, located in the Cap Kingdom.

After Mario wakes up and catches up with the ghost, the ghost reveals himself as Cappy, and explains to Mario that Bowser had not only attacked the kingdom, destroying its airship armada, but had also kidnapped Tiara, Cappy's sister, using her as Peach's wedding headdress. Mario and Cappy team up to stop Bowser's plans and save both Peach and Tiara, and using the piece he collected, Cappy transforms into Mario's Cap, allowing Mario to use Cappy's abilities. Cappy also informs Mario that they may be able to find a usable airship in the next kingdom, accessible from the Top Hat Tower. However, upon reaching the top, Mario is encountered by the Broodals, who were hired by Bowser as his wedding planners. After defeating one of the Broodals, Topper, Mario and Cappy use a power line to travel towards the Cascade Kingdom, where they find the airship, named the Odyssey, which uses Power Moons as energy to travel. With the Odyssey ready for sail, Mario and Cappy use it to chase after Bowser and the Broodals.

Gameplay

Unlike recent 3D titles such as Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World, which were more focused on platforming, Super Mario Odyssey will return to the explorative open-world gameplay seen in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, where Mario will explore various areas in order to collect Power Moons. Mario will maintain his moveset from previous 3D titles, including the Long Jump, Roll, Ground Pound, Spin Jump, the Triple Jump and the Dive, the last of which hasn't appeared since Super Mario Sunshine. In addition, a new character called Cappy allies with Mario, and takes possession of his cap. Mario can throw Cappy as if he were a boomerang, and it can also "capture" certain objects and enemies to take control of them. There are 52 capturable targets in total.

Mario's life meter also returns with three health, similar to Super Mario Galaxy. Additionally, there does not appear to be any lives, as Mario will instead lose ten Coins upon dying. There will also be a new amiibo line based on Super Mario Odyssey, with a formal Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser, which will unlock more costumes. Other lines are also confirmed to be compatible, revealing a Power Moon location on the map. Some amiibo will also unlock costumes, including Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and Diddy Kong.

Unlike Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, the game will not have a central hub world. Mario will use the Odyssey airship to fly from kingdom to kingdom.

Co-op mode is also confirmed, with player one controlling Mario and player two controlling Cappy.

The coins that Mario collects serve as currency. There are 2 types of coins - global yellow coins, which can be found and used in any kingdom, and purple regional coins, which are different in every kingdom, and can only be used in the kingdom they were found in. Mario can spend his coins at the Crazy Cap stores.

The game features a "Snapshot Mode", where players can pause the game and take pictures using the Nintendo Switch's capture button. Players are also able to alter the shot by zooming in and out, tilting the camera for a vertical shot, or apply one of several filters, ranging from blurring the surroundings, adding a sepia tone, changing the camera to a fish-eye lens, or applying an NES-styled color scheme.

Confirmed features

Characters

Playable

• Mario
• Cappy

Supporting cast

• Princess Peach
• Tiara, Cappy's sister
• The Toad Brigade
  • Captain Toad
  • Hint Toad
  • Banktoad
• Toadette
• Pauline, serving as the mayor of New Donk City
• Jaxi, a jaguar-like statue found in the Sand Kingdom that comes to life when ridden
• Sphinxes, omniscient statues that block certain pathways until a riddle is answered
• Purple and yellow Dorries serving as Crazy Cap shops in the Seaside Kingdom
• Glydon, a recurring flying lizard creature that allows Mario to glide (found in the Sand Kingdom, Seaside Kingdom and the tropical-jungle kingdom)
• Talkatoo, a hint-dispensing parrot
• Uncle amiibo, a device used for connecting amiibo

Villains

• Bowser
• The Broodals, a group of rabbit wedding planners that were hired to plan Bowser's wedding
  • Topper, a short egg-shaped Broodal in a green suit
  • Harriet, a female Broodal who wears a purple dress
  • Madame Brood and Chain Chompikins, duo of Broodals who are an obese female rabbit in a red dress and her golden Chain Chomp pet, respectively
  • Spewart, a stocky Broodal in a blue suit physically similar to Morton
  • Rango, a tall lanky Broodal in orange trousers and slate suspenders

Non-playable characters

• Local residents
  • New Donkers (found in New Donk City; one can be seen in Tostarena)
  • Tostarenans, skeletal townsfolk overwhelmed by ice in their region (found in Tostarena; one can be seen in New Donk City)
  • Steam Gardeners, robotic teapots that water the flowers in their region (found in Steam Gardens)
  • Volbonans, fork-like beings in chef attire (found in Mount Volbono)
  • Shiverians, round, bouncy seal pup-like creatures wearing winter attire (found in Shiveria)
  • Hat-wearing ghost creatures that are similar to Cappy and Tiara (found in Bonneton and Fossil Falls)
  • Snail creatures (found in Bubblaine)
  • Mermaid-like creatures (found in Lake Lamode)
• Koopa Troopas
  • A quartet of Koopas wearing caps that race Mario (found in the tropical kingdom)
• Rabbits
• Dorrie
• Poochy
• Birds exclusive to each region
  • Pigeons (found in the Metro Kingdom)
  • Green birds with yellow underbellies resembing vireos (found in the Sand Kingdom)
  • Little Birds (found in the Wooded Kingdom)
  • Blue birds resembling blue jays (found in the Wooded Kingdom)
  • Red birds resembling scarlet macaws (found in the Cascade Kingdom)
  • White birds wearing top hats (found in the Cap Kingdom)
• Sheep wearing sombreros (found in the Sand Kingdom)
• Dog (found in the Seaside Kingdom)
• A pink female Goomba wearing a red hat similar to Pauline's, who can only be interacted with while capturing a Goomba. If she sees Mario himself, she disappears in fear.

Enemies

Goombas (found in the Metro, Sand, Wooded, Luncheon, Seaside and Snow Kingdoms) Paragoombas (found in the Cap Kingdom) Micro Goombas (found in the Cap, Sand and Seaside Kingdoms) Goomba Towers (found in the Metro, Wooded and Luncheon Kingdoms) Sherms, small top hat-wearing tanks that spit bullets (found in the Metro Kingdom) Chargin' Chucks (found in the Metro Kingdom) Urban Stingbies, mosquito-like variants of Stingbies (found in the Metro Kingdom) Bullet Bills (found in the Metro and Sand Kingdoms) Bill Blasters (found in the Metro and Sand Kingdoms) Banzai Bills (found in an unnamed lava kingdom and a sky area) Cheep Cheeps (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Lakitus (found in the Sand Kingdom) Fishin' Lakitus (found in the Sand Kingdom) Spinies (found in the Luncheon Kingdom) Moe-Eyes, living moai statue heads with feet and sunglasses (found in the Sand Kingdom) Chinchos, small purple creatures with star eyes (found in the Sand Kingdom) Fire Piranha Plants (found in the Metro Kingdom) Poison Piranha Plants (found in the Wooded Kingdom) Big Poison Piranha Plant (found in the Wooded Kingdom) Soirée Bouquet

Uproots, flower pots with extendable leglike brambles (found in the Wooded and Seaside Kingdoms) Fuzzies (found in the Metro and Wooded Kingdoms, and the tropical-themed kingdom) Hammer Bros that wear chef hats and throw frying pans (found in the Luncheon Kingdom) Fire Bros (found in the Luncheon and Wooded Kingdoms) Lava Bubbles (found in the Luncheon Kingdom) Magmatos, steaming tomato enemies (found in the Luncheon Kingdom) Sentry Beam- or Ring Burner-like robots T-Rexes (found in the Cascade, Wooded, and Metro Kingdoms) Chain Chomps (found in the Cascade Kingdom) Big Chain Chomps (found in the Cascade Kingdom) Burrbos (found in the Cascade Kingdom) Small, colorful hedgehog-like creatures with Cappy-like eyes (found in the Metro and Cascade Kingdoms) Frogs (found in the Cap Kingdom) Gushens (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Inchworm-like creatures (found in the Lost kingdom) Barrels (found in their original arcade appearance in a 2D segment)

Oil Drums (found in their original arcade appearance in a 2D segment) Unagis (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Spike Bars (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Boulder-like low-poly bell peppers (found in the Luncheon Kingdom) Purple octopus creatures encased in water (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Mobile giant kelp with eyes (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Spiked Ball-like shells (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Floating Mine-like shells (found in the Seaside Kingdom) Ty-Foos (found in the Snow Kingdom) Komboo (found in the Lake Kingdom) Hummingbird-like enemies (found in the Bowser Kingdom) Coin Coffer (found in the Wooded Kingdom)

Certain enemies will wear different gear depending on the area they are found in.

Bosses

• The Broodals
  • Harriet (found in the Sand Kingdom)
  • Topper (found in the Cap Kingdom)
  • Madame Brood and Chain Chompikins (found in the Cascade Kingdom)
  • Spewart (found in the Wooded Kingdom and Luncheon Kingdom)
  • Rango (found in the Lake Kingdom)
• Mechawiggler (found in the Metro Kingdom)
• Knucklotec (found in the Sand Kingdom)
• A well-dressed, giant, purple octopus (found in the Seaside Kingdom)
• Cookatiel, a pink Wingo-like bird in chef attire (found in the Luncheon Kingdom)
• Lord of Lightning, a giant dragon found in the Ruined Kingdom. It brings down the Odyssey before Mario gets there.
• Bowser (fought in both the Cloud Kingdom and the Moon Kingdom)

Items and objects

Regional Coins Top hats (Cap Kingdom) Wheels (Cascade Kingdom) Pyramid Coins (Sand Kingdom) Bolt nuts (Wooded Kingdom) Fish scales (Lake Kingdom) Leaves (Lost kingdom) City Coins (Metro Kingdom) Snowflakes (Snow Kingdom) Shells (Seaside Kingdom) Polygonal tomatoes (Luncheon Kingdom) Purple Coins (Mushroom Kingdom) Star Bits (Moon Kingdom) ? Blocks Beanstalks Boom boxes Bouncy flowers that make Mario Spin Jump Brick Blocks Binoculars Bubbles

Checkpoint Flags Coins Coin Blocks Coin Rings Coin Stacks Crates Doors Empty Blocks Flowers that function similar to Dash Peppers Ground-Pound Switches Hearts Hidden Blocks Letters that form Mario's name Lever Switches Life-Up Hearts Lifts Moon Shards / Moon fragments (similar to Silver Stars) Multi Moons Paintings Power Moons P Switches

Rainbow Notes Safety Bars Rockets Sand Geysers Seeds Turnips Treasure chests Warp Pipes White top hats with ? marks that turn into cloud platforms when Cappy is thrown at them The Odyssey, Mario's ship Moon Rocks that add more Power Moons to kingdoms when Cappy is thrown at them

Clothing

Hats

Name	Official Description	Notes
Mario Cap	A red hat that has seen its fair share of adventures.	The player begins the game with this hat equipped.
Dr. Mario's head mirror	?	Can be acquired using the Dr. Mario amiibo.
Caveman Headwear	Primitive plumbers fashioned these from the skulls of Parabones.	This hat is available in Fossil Falls at the Crazy Cap Shop.
Black Fedora	Perfect for business, business-casual, casual, or casual business!	This hat is available in New Donk City at the Crazy Cap Shop.
Sombrero	Traditional Tostarenan hat. Keeps the sun out of your eyes and just plain fun to wear.	This hat is available in Tostarena at the Crazy Cap Shop. It is a homage to Qix.
Explorer Hat	Just because the territory is uncharted doesn’t mean your head should be uncovered.	This hat is available in Fossil Falls and Steam Gardens at the Crazy Cap Shop. It is a homage to Mario's Picross.
Wedding Hat	?	A white marital top hat with Mario's insignia.
Magician's Hat	?	This hat is a homage to Super Mario All-Stars.
Chef's Hat	Anyone wearing one of these makes many friends on Mount Volbono.	Available in Mount Volbono. This hat is a homage to Yoshi's Cookie.
Painter's Cap	Is it even really painting if you're not wearing one of these?	Available in Mount Volbono. This cap is a homage to the Mario Artist series.
Captain's Hat	Hat for the captain of the Odyssey, brimming with authority.
A golfer's cap	?	The cap is white with red stripes and a red rim. It is a homage to Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course and NES Open Tournament Golf.
A snorkel with a pair of goggles	?	The goggles' lenses are Cappy's eyes.
Football Helmet	A colorful helmet to help keep one's head safe from the sporting life.	The helmet is similar to the headgear worn by Chargin' Chucks.
Builder Helmet	Whether you're building or inspecting, you gotta keep your head safe.	This hat is a homage to Super Mario Maker.
Cowboy Hat	A classic hat, perfectly suited for wearing as you ride into sunsets.
Clown Hat	The perfect hat for pratfalls, teeny cars, and wasting good pie.
Employee Cap	A Crazy Cap original!	A Crazy Cap-themed hat.
Pirate Hat	YARRRR!
Mechanic Cap	A good hat to wear when it's time to get down to work.	It is a homage to Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally.
Pilot Goggles	?
Snow Hood	?
Bridal Crown	?	This hat is unlockable via the Peach (Wedding) amiibo.
Luigi Cap	The standard cap in vivid green. The "L" stands for "winner".	This hat is unlockable via the Luigi amiibo, or by completing the game with a certain number of moons.
Mario 64 Cap	A charmingly blocky version of a classic.	This outfit is unlockable in the Mushroom Kingdom. It is based on Mario's Cap as it appears in Super Mario 64.
Samurai Helmet	The helmets wore helmets that were functional	The Samurai Mario shirt that Miyamoto was wearing on Jimmy Fallon's Switch Debut.
Happi Headband	This coiled headband is perfect when you want to cover just a BIT of your head

Outfits

Name	Official Description	Notes
Mario Suit	This tried-and-true outfit has weathered many adventures.	Mario begins the game with this outfit equipped.
"Classic" Mario suit	This outfit is still loved by longtime fans. DK has never been a fan though.	Mario's original outfit from Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., and the DIC cartoons, with red overalls and a blue undershirt.
Dr. Mario's scrubs	?	Can be acquired using the Dr. Mario amiibo.
Caveman Outfit	Early adventurers wore these outfits for maximum freedom of movement, if not maximum warmth.	An outfit resembling a typical depiction of a caveman. This outfit is available in Fossil Falls at the Crazy Cap Shop.
Black Suit	You can wear this outfit just about anywhere – it always looks good.	This outfit is available in New Donk City at the Crazy Cap Shop.
Poncho	Traditional folk dress of the Tostarena region. Keeps the sun off and the breezes on.	This outfit is available in Tostarena at the Crazy Cap Shop. It is a homage to Qix.
Explorer Outfit	Clothes that keep you comfortable even in the deepest heart of the wilderness.	This outfit is available in Fossil Falls and Steam Gardens at the Crazy Cap Shop. It is a homage to Mario's Picross.
Wedding Outfit	?	A white marital suit.
Magician Outfit	?	This suit is a homage to Super Mario All-Stars.
Chef's Suit	Red scarves are a staple of fashion on Mount Volbono.	Available in Mount Volbono. The outfit is a homage to Yoshi's Cookie.
A golfer's uniform	?	The uniform consists of white overalls with red stripes and a blue shirt with white stars. The outfit is a homage to Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course and NES Open Tournament Golf.
A wetsuit	?	Available in Bubblaine. The wetsuit is white with blue, horizontal stripes. An orange tube surrounds Mario's waist, and orange flippers replace his boots. The outfit appeared in a 2016 Club Nintendo calendar.
Football Uniform	Bright colors and big shoulder pads never go out of fashion.	This outfit is similar to the uniform worn by Chargin' Chucks. The jersey's number is "64".
Builder Outfit	The perfect outfit whether you're constructing or inspecting the construction work of others.	Available in New Donk City. It is a homage to Builder Mario from Super Mario Maker.
Cowboy Outfit	Old-fashioned duds with a frontier feel. Gunslinging and cow-punching optional.	Available in Tostarena Town. The yellow neckerchief is an homage to Mario's Western Land outfit from Mario Party 2.
Painter Outfit	Just the outfit you'd expect to see on a painter. Prestained for your convenience.	The suit is a homage to Mario Paint.
Fashionable Suit	I'm not clashing. YOU'RE clashing!	This outfit consists of a striped red and white jacket, a plaid yellow and blue shirt, shorts and red and white shoes. It is a homage to a Japanese commercial for the New Nintendo 3DS.
Pirate Outfit	Whether plundering cargo or burying treasure, you're gonna need an extremely fancy coat.	Available in Mount Volbono, a pirate jacket with an eyepatch.
Employee Uniform	Show your Crazy Cap brand loyalty with this striking outfit!
Mechanic Outfit	An outfit seemingly doomed to get stained in motor oil.	It is a homage to Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally.
Clown Suit	Roomy enough for all your tumbling needs, colorful enough to be seen from space.
Boxer Shorts	Comfortable, breezy boxers in a vibrant mushroom-like pattern.	This outfit appeared in the Summer 2016 wallpaper from Nintendo of Japan and in Play Nintendo.
Pilot Garb	?
Snow Coat	?
Skeleton Suit	This skeleton costume uses cutting-edge, er, something to, um... Look we're not sure how this works. But it's cool, right?	This is the most expensive suit in the game, costing 9999 global yellow coins to unlock.
Bridal Dress	?	This outfit is unlockable via the Peach (Wedding) amiibo.
Luigi Suit	A bright, green version of an established classic. Green means "lets-a-go!"	This outfit is unlockable via the Luigi amiibo, or by completing the game with a certain amount of moons.
Mario 64 Suit	When you just want to wrap yourself in nostalgia.	This outfit is unlockable in the Mushroom Kingdom. It is based on the appearance of Mario's outfit in Super Mario 64.
Samurai Armor	The samurai basically walked around wearing works of art	The Samurai Mario shirt that Miyamoto was wearing on Jimmy Fallon's Switch Debut.
Happi Outfit	Traditional clothing designed to be easy to move around in at a festival

Kingdoms

Currently, there are fifteen known named location that Mario can explore, situated in what are known as "kingdoms". Each kingdom has a specific theme, some similar to previous Super Mario titles, others being original themes for said titles. Each location will be based on a real-world location (e.g. Metro Kingdom's main area, New Donk City, is based on "New York City"). Bowser will be after various items in each of the kingdoms, which all tie to his preparations for his wedding.

Image	Kingdom and location names	Areas visited within the location	Wedding item	Power Moon color
	Mushroom Kingdom Peach's Castle		None	Power Stars
	Cap Kingdom Bonneton	A misty town whose black, white and gold color scheme and hat theme match the interior of the Odyssey.	Tiara, Cappy's sister	-
	Cascade Kingdom Fossil Falls	A prehistoric mountainous area with dinosaurs.	None	Yellow
	Sand Kingdom Tostarena	A cold desert with several glaciers and some "bus stops" where Jaxi sits Tostarena Town, a colorful town inhabited by the skull characters Tostarena Ruins, a ruins area with midair platforms Moe-Eye Habitat, an area inhabited by Moe-Eyes The Inverted Pyramid, an upside-down pyramid Desert Oasis, a frozen oasis Ice Cave, an underground area with ice platforms and crushing pillars A vast bottomless pit under the ground with Poisoned Water pathways, which can be accessed and traversed by Jaxi	Binding Band	Green
	Lake Kingdom Lake Lamode		Lochlady Dress	Pink
	Wooded Kingdom Steam Gardens	An area with a forest surrounded by mountains and a Geodesic Dome Iron Road, a set of red iron buildings Deep Woods, a spooky-looking dark forest where a T-Rex resides Sky Garden	Soiree Bouquet	Blue
	Cloud Kingdom Nimbus Arena		None	Yellow
	Lost Kingdom Forgotten Isle	A tropical jungle-like kingdom. Poisonous areas with Fuzzies and centipede-like creatures appear.	None	Yellow
	Metro Kingdom New Donk City	Main Street, a big street in the middle of the city New Donk City Hall Plaza, the area just near the city hall New Donk City Hall Auditorium, a room in the big building where Pauline's band gathers Outdoor Café, a place on the left of the city Helipad, an area next to the big building Mayor Pauline Commemorative Park, a park situated on a platform next to the city Construction Site, an area with various girders. Rooftop Garden	None	Brown
	Snow Kingdom Shiveria	A snow realm that holds a race track	Frost-Frosted Cake	Orange
	Seaside Kingdom Bubblaine	A coastal area with several giant gold and glass chalices as the main landmarks.	Sparkle Water	Purple
	Luncheon Kingdom Mount Volbono	A colorful area filled with giant crystal-like food around a pink lava sea. Peronza Plaza, a town with temple-like structures.	Stupendous Stew	Cyan
	Ruined Kingdom Crumbleden		None	Yellow
	Bowser's Kingdom Bowser's Castle	An area with large Japanese-style temples and structures surrounded by colorful clouds.	None	Red
	Moon Kingdom Honeylune Ridge	An area with low-gravity sections on the surface and lava themed sections below the ground.	None	Light Yellow

Development

Official infograph showing the recognized difference between the progression-oriented, and the more sandbox-exploration style of the 3D Super Mario series. Or as put by Miyamoto, "casual" and "core" games.

Background

When asked about "coming home" to the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine style of gameplay, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that when he was developing Super Mario 64 with Yoshiaki Koizumi, they realized that the title would be more directed towards the "core gamer", rather than the casual, pick-up-and-go gamer. After Super Mario Sunshine, their focus re-shifted to more accessible, casual gamers, hence encouraging them to make Super Mario Galaxy with more progression-oriented gameplay corridors.

Then in recent years, we made Super Mario 3D World and even though that's a 3D game, it's a little more accessible to everybody. [...] So when we thought about making a Mario for Switch, we wanted to make it [...] something a little bit more on the core side, that people who like action games can really get into.

As Super Mario Odyssey was developed alongside the Switch hardware, Yoshiaki Koizumi encouraged the game's developers to share their requirements and suggestions with the hardware development team. This directly led to the inclusion of the two motion-sensitive controllers and the HD rumble feature on the Nintendo Switch hardware, which became a prominent part of Super Mario Odyssey gameplay.

Early ideas and prototypes

Development for Super Mario Odyssey began right after Super Mario 3D World was released in late 2013. Miyamoto sought more senior developers and staff teams who had been involved in past 3D Mario titles, in order to really "go back to the roots" of Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64. As a result, Yoshiaki Koizumi was made the game's producer, and Super Mario 3D World director Kenta Motokura again took on the role of director. Miyamoto remained with a consultative role throughout development, and although he contributed a lot of feedback, he was also very accepting of the development team's ideas. Motokura revealed that early stages of development involved creating a "huge" amount of gameplay prototypes with numerous ideas, and the capture ability was one of them.

[The capture ability] was just one of the ideas that came up, but we worked on it for two or three days, and it just instantly turned into something that was really fun, and we decided [that it should be] the center of this game.

Many of the other different prototype ideas were still included, providing for the diversity in game mechanics throughout the game's stages, known as "kingdoms". These "fully realized worlds" were said to have been inspired by the Japanese hakoniwa box gardens, that bring rich landscapes to life in a miniaturized form. The size of these worlds were often adjusted to ensure that the player can regularly discover an engaging action to perform. This was also intended to allow handheld players to still accomplish a Power Moon mission, even if they have only a few minutes to play.

Design decisions

Super Mario Odyssey's theme is highly focused on "surprises" and "travel", and the developers incorporated many of their travel experiences around the world. For instance, elements of the Sand Kingdom was derived from Kenta Motokura's experiences during a trip to Mexico, and the Luncheon Kingdom's food aesthetics was inspired by Italy and other European countries.

Kenta Motokura (left) and Yoshiaki Koizumi (right) being interviewed as part of a Nintendo Treehouse segment for E3 2017.

The developers recognized that when traveling to foreign countries, something that really has an impact is the different currencies. Therefore, they wanted to have Mario collect and use different Regional Coins in each kingdom. Since the player travels outside of the Mushroom Kingdom, the diverse art-style between all the different kingdoms aimed to recreate the feelings of surprise and discovery when visiting foreign lands. It was also noted that a lot of time was spent in getting the right balance between familiar Mario concepts, and completely new ones.

An example was the realistic T-Rex that is able to be captured by Mario. The developers looked back for inspiration from familiar Super Mario World elements in Dinosaur Land, although they wanted to use a design that was "unseen" in a Mario game. Familiar gameplay elements include the "8-bit" side-scrolling areas of the kingdoms, reminiscent to Super Mario Bros. in which progress is more "confined" and "precise". This was intended to be an engaging contrast to the 3D sandbox environments.

The developers knew that they wanted to have a city environment in the game that would resonate with players. As Donkey Kong-inspired elements in the city came about, Pauline's presence in the series inspired the team to have her be the mayor of New Donk City. Some character development for Pauline was required in her transition from a damsel in distress to a major character, and it was decided that she would have an interest in jazz. This led to the composition of the game's theme song shown in the E3 2017 trailer, titled "Jump Up, Super Star!", which was made to give the game energy and help get the audience excited.

To develop the game's camera system, the team looked at previous 3D Mario games. Miyamoto discussed how the 3D camera in Super Mario 64 worked very well, as it had the joystick as well as the C buttons to adjust the automatic camera. Super Mario Sunshine had the C stick in order to control the camera freely, although they received feedback that the camera control was "a little bit difficult". With later 3D titles such as Super Mario Galaxy, the minimal control of the camera also attracted some negative feedback. Miyamoto added that it's "very difficult to find the right balance".

With Super Mario Odyssey, we made sure that the camera controls are really really smooth and easy to use, and the Switch controllers can really serve to that. [We] really made a sandbox-style game that's really easy and feels good to control.

Vocal Theme: Jump Up, Super Star!

The official cover of the single "Jump Up, Super Star!"

Main article: Jump Up, Super Star!

A unique aspect of this title is a vocal main theme, sung by Pauline (interpreted by Kate Higgins, credited as Kate Davis). The song is big-band jazz style, and details an adventure across the worlds from this game, with Pauline referring to herself as Mario's "1-Up Girl". It was released worldwide on October 20, 2017 on the iTunes Store, while the short version is downloadable for free until January 2018.

Critical reception

Prior to its release, EDGE Magazine gave Super Mario Odyssey a perfect score of 10, praising the game for "taking big risks with an established formula and having them all pay off handsomely".

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Odyssey.

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  International logo

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  Artwork of Mario, Cappy and enemies they can capture.

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  Bowser and Peach

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  Mario running through Tostarena Town.

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  Mario and a Steam Gardener dancing to music from a boombox.

Media

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

References to other games

• Game & Watch series: The silhouette of a hat-wearing Mr. Game & Watch appears on minigame icons.
• Donkey Kong: The location New Donk City looks to be a throwback to Mario's early origins as Jumpman. There are steel girders that resemble the ones seen in this game, and the taxi cabs have license plates reading "1981-ND", referencing the year Mario and Donkey Kong made their debut. The name New Donk City is also a reference to Donkey Kong himself. Pauline can also be found here, who originated from this game. The melody from the 25m theme can be heard halfway through the vocal theme song. The bassist can also be heard playing the 25m theme when Mario first finds him. Also, the sound effect played when Mario jumps over a barrel in the game can be heard at the end of the aforementioned riff. In an 8-bit segment using sprites from this game in New Donk City, Mario must dodge barrels while climbing girders. Oil Drums also appear, along with Coins spelling out "DK". Pauline's original design (then known as Lady), as well as Donkey Kong's original design, also makes a brief cameo as a graffiti art on a building. Pauline's purple sunhat in her standard attire may be a reference to the Pauline's lost items from the game.
• Super Mario Bros.: Several parts of the game allow Mario to walk within walls from a 2D perspective, uses sprites and sound effects from that game, as well as altering the stage music to an 8-bit variation.
• Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course: One of Mario's outfits originates from this game.
• Super Mario Bros. 3: The music that plays in the slots minigame room is an arrangement of the minigame music from this game. The sound effect that plays when using a rocket flower is the sound effect that plays when the P Meter is full in this game.
• Qix: The Sombrero and Poncho originates from the Game Boy version of this game.
• Super Mario Land: Mario traverses through several kingdoms, similarly to how he explored the four kingdoms of Sarasaland. Several enemies of the Sand Kingdom resemble enemies from this game. One notable enemy is the Moe-Eye, with glasses similar to the Moai statues found in the Easton Kingdom.
• Dr. Mario: One of Mario' outfits originates from this game.
• Super Mario World: A piano remix of this game's overworld and underwater themes can be heard on radios in New Donk City. When controlled by Mario, Moe-Eye sometimes hums the game's ending theme while walking around with its sunglasses on. Sprites of Fuzzies from this game are used when Fuzzies appear in 8-bit segments.
• Mario Paint: One of Mario's outfits is an artist outfit that was used in this game's artwork.
• NES Open Tournament Golf: One of Mario's outfits was iconically used in this game.
• Yoshi's Cookie: One of Mario's outfits originated from the NES version of this game.
• Donkey Kong Country series: In addition to New Donk City being named after Donkey Kong, characters' names from this series appear as street signs such as Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, Rambi the Rhino, Expresso the Ostrich, Squawks the Parrot, Dixie Kong, Tiny Kong, and King K. Rool.
• Mario's Picross: The Explorer Hat and Explorer Outfit originates from this game.
• Super Mario 64: Super Mario Odyssey is considered a spiritual successor to both this game and Super Mario Sunshine. The structure of the kingdoms carry over what was established in this game, such as the lack of a time limit and having areas change each time the player visits them, based on what the player previously completed. Mario also relies on a Health Meter rather than Mushrooms. This game also first introduced utilizing variations of Mario's Cap as power-ups. The number on Mario's football jersey is "64". There is a minigame involving foot racing Koopa Troopas, much like with Koopa the Quick. Mario can jump into some paintings in specific kingdoms to get to other kingdoms. Mario's idle animation is similar to this game, in which he falls asleep and begins to mutter about various pastas. The jingle that plays when collecting a non-plot-specific Power Moon is a remix of the "Course Clear" jingle from this game, though the original jingle plays when collecting a Power Star in the Mushroom Kingdom. There is an outfit and cap, aptly named "Mario 64 Suit" and "Mario 64 Cap" respectively, that when both are equipped, will change Mario's clothes and face to the polygon-like texture used in this game.
• Mario Party 2: The cowboy outfit closely resembles the one Mario uses in the Mario Party 2 board, Western Land.
• Super Mario Sunshine: Super Mario Odyssey is the first 3D main series game since Super Mario Sunshine to feature open sandbox-style levels, as well as Mario's Dive move. Additionally, Mario can once again sidle while grabbing on a ledge. Mario retains his Spin Jump move as well. Some areas feature platforming challenges without the aid of Cappy, similarly to some of the secret courses in this game required completion without the aid of F.L.U.D.D. Isle Delfino, the main setting of this game, is visually referenced on the world atlas present on an Japanese billboard advertisement for Super Mario Odyssey.
• Super Mario Galaxy: The animation of Mario and Cappy getting a Multi Moon is similar to Mario getting a Grand Star in this game. The low health buzzer sound also plays when Mario is low on health. The Ground-Pound Switches and Rainbow Notes that first appeared in this game also reappear. Captain Toad, together with the Toad Brigade theme, appears in the game. The Life-Up Heart functions exactly like the Life Mushroom from this game. Mario's idle animation of falling asleep is similar to this game. The regional coins for the Mushroom Kingdom are Purple Coins. The sound clip of Mario when he touches lava is reused from this game.
• Super Mario 3D Land: The Little Birds return in the Wooded Kingdom. Goomba Towers also return and Mario can create his own when Capturing a Goomba.
• Super Mario 3D World: Some of the elements and sound effects are reused in this game. Cat Mario's Costume Mario sprite from Super Mario Maker can be seen on the side of one of the skyscrapers in New Donk City, a building in Tostarena, and a pillar in the Mt. Volbono region; and Cat Peach's sprite can be seen behind the right black-colored wall in the New Donk City Auditorium and on the base of the lighthouse in the Seaside Kingdom. Captain Toad's design in Super Mario Odyssey was first introduced in this game.
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: The Jaxi maze in Tostarena uses the same arrangement of the Super Mario Bros. underground theme from this game.
• Super Mario Maker: The Builder Helmet and Builder Outfit originate from this game. A sprite of Costume Mario's Cat Mario costume can be seen on the side of one of the skyscrapers in New Donk City and a building in Tostarena, and a sprite of the Cat Peach costume can be seen behind the right black-colored wall in the New Donk City Hall Auditorium and on the base of the lighthouse in the Seaside Kingdom. Koopa Shells retain their spinning animation from this game's Super Mario Bros. style. A remix of the Super Mario Bros. Airship theme plays from this game in the intro cutscene.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	スーパーマリオ オデッセイ[?] Sūpā Mario Odessei	Super Mario Odyssey
Chinese	超級瑪利歐 奧德賽 (Traditional) 超级马力欧 奥德赛 (Simplified)[?] Chāojí Mǎlìōu Àodésài	Super Mario Odyssey
Korean	슈퍼 마리오 오디세이[?] Syupeo Malio Odisei	Super Mario Odyssey

Trivia

• Super Mario Odyssey is the first ever Mario series title to receive a B rating by the CERO in Japan. All other titles released prior have been rated at A. Similarly, Super Mario Odyssey is the first Super Mario series title to receive "Everyone 10+" by ESRB in North America. All other titles released prior have been rated E.

External links

Websites

• Japanese website
• American website
• American website (game details)
• European website
• Oceanian website
• Chinese (Hong Kong) website
• Chinese (Taiwan) website

Twitter Pages

• Japanese Twitter page
• European Twitter page
• British Twitter page