A relentless shower of fresh ideas. Possessing enemies with Cappy reinvents every kingdom, and the sheer density of Moons keeps you poking at corners. Mario has never controlled with this much expressive, joyful freedom.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer2 players7+
Co-op
Description
Mario travels across varied kingdoms with Cappy, a living hat that lets him capture enemies and objects, to save Peach from Bowser. Published by Nintendo, released worldwide in 2017. Open kingdoms, hundreds of Moons to collect, costumes and two-player play.
Super Mario Odyssey review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
From a blocky kingdom to the skyscrapers of New Donk City, every world enforces its own visual language, even letting Mario share the screen with realistic humans. This unashamed festival of styles, colourful and bursting with ideas, turns simple traversal into constant wonder.
From the brassy big band of New Donk City to the jazzy themes that skip between kingdoms, the writing led by Naoto Kubo overflows with horns and swing. Then there's "Jump Up, Super Star!", a sung chorus that turns the festival into a full musical number. That rhythmic exuberance fits the game's capering joy perfectly, and stays irresistible years later.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Leap, possess a foe with Cappy, turn it into a tool you never saw coming: invention pours out of every kingdom without ever flagging. The controls, exemplary in their precision, rank among the finest in 3D platforming. A few Moons are too easy to grab, but the sheer joy of movement stays radiant and hasn't aged a day.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Jump, run, fling Cappy to possess a Goomba or a T-Rex: every move becomes a fresh idea. The kingdoms brim with secrets and moons to uncover, so you keep wandering off course. The buttery movement feels exhilarating, and the sheer freedom makes every replay as joyful as the first.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Each kingdom fits in your palm like a box of tricks: Capture opens dozens of bodies with surprising movesets, and every nook hides a Moon. Rewards land fast, often every minute, making it nearly impossible to stop. You leave a level '90% done,' then return later with new abilities to finish it. The generosity of the level design stays fresh; over time, the steady rain of Moons can dull the sense of rarity.
Each kingdom caps its run with a fight that bends hat-capture into a weapon: possessing a projectile, a limb, or the enemy itself reinvents the duel every time. Rango flees, the Ruined Dragon demands timing, and the finale stacks transformation upon transformation. Invention, not raw power, drives every showdown.
Better with friends
A lovely way to bring a hesitant partner or a young child along: one player steers Mario while the other tosses Cappy to grab coins and bop enemies. The teamwork is asymmetric and gentle, with no scorekeeping or rivalry. The assist role stays light yet genuinely helpful, making the whole journey easy to share and full of small, delighted discoveries.
A cult cover
Cap flung mid-leap, Mario springs forward in a burst of color where skyscrapers and far-off lands collide. The joyful energy and visual abundance promise a journey across dazzling kingdoms. Brimming with movement and cheer, the artwork keeps every bit of its sparkling freshness today.
Is Super Mario Odyssey still worth playing in 2026?
Super Mario Odyssey has lost none of its inventiveness. Each kingdom bursts with ideas that run out just before they tire you, and Cappy's capture mechanic turns any enemy into a toy. The sheer generosity of its hundreds of Moons is both its charm and its weakness, since some are a touch too easy to grab. The controls stay exemplary in their precision, among the finest in 3D platforming. Visually, the variety of its worlds more than offsets the console's modest resolution. For a genre fan or a newcomer, it remains a joyful celebration that still delights today without reservation.
