It's been 31 years since Mario hopped onto arcade screens in Donkey Kong, and everyone's favourite portly plumber shows no signs of slowing down. His latest adventure, Super Mario Odyssey, brings him to the Nintendo Switch, where--once again--Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser, and little ol' Mario needs to save the day.
Unlike the last few Mario games, Odyssey fits into the same gameplay mould as Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. It presents large, open areas and lets players hop, skip, jump, and buttstomp their way around in search of collectibles.
The magic of these Mario games is in exploration and experimentation; using your athletic abilities to poke at nooks and crannies to find secrets, and Odyssey is a game that certainly rewards that curiosity.
Nintendo has put in subtle little gameplay mechanisms that can help you on your quest to get Power Moons--both obvious and hidden. Some of these systems are explained in-game, but may be easy to miss, while others are left a bit vague. We've put together a collection of tips that'll give you a little leg-up, and get you skipping on your way to rescuing Peach.
Check out our full review of Super Mario Odyssey, and for more about the game, check out our roundup article containing features, gameplay videos, and everything you need to know about Super Mario Odyssey. You can also check out our roundup containing tips, guides, and things we wish we knew.
Jump up! Jump up! And Get Down!
This is an incredibly obvious thing to point out, but given how important it can be to success in Odyssey, it's worth stating: when you first get the game, spend some time jumping around. Mario's basic jump is perfect for crossing small gaps and pouncing on enemies, but he has a wide range of tools that are absolutely essential for the game's trickier platforming moments. You'll need to have mastery of all of these abilities to find most of the hidden Moons.
Mario's jumps can be modified by jumping repeatedly using specific timing, butt-stomping before a jump, or leaping by crouching before a jump. These moves, and some of his others, are easy to pull off once you're comfortable, but you'll want to practice so executing them is second nature. It's best to do this in a safe space, instead of when you're caught between a Bullet Bill and a perilous fall.
Cappadonna
Cappy, the sentient cap accompanying Mario in Odyssey, is primarily used for taking control of enemies or objects, but can also be used to extend jumps. We suggest learning the hat-throw and leap combo, as it's undoubtedly one of the most useful moves in the game. Jump in the air and throw Cappy, then keep the button held down to have Cappy hover a moment. While the hat is spinning, hit crouch and jump and you'll leap forward and launch back into the air. This can be repeated a second time to gain even more ground.
Thankfully, Mario Odyssey features an Action Guide, where all of the advance moves are available for you to read about. On top of that, Cappy will remind you about things you can do when you're travelling between worlds. Practice makes perfect!
Coins Rule Everything Around Mario
Again, another obvious tip worth repeating: Pick up coins. It can be tempting to skip a few coins in the distance when you're running around, but coins have more value than ever before in Odyssey. Instead of using the traditional life system, where each death counts down to a Game Over screen, Odyssey nicks some coins from Marios deep pockets. There's no punishment for dying with zero coins, but it does mean that you'll have less to spend on other goodies.
Coins are also used to buy things from various shops scattered around Odyssey's worlds. Each shop usually has a top up of hearts on offer, as well as a Moon. Those looking to get every single Moon in the game will want to be especially diligent about grabbing coins, as more Moons become available to purchase from shops in the later game.
Fashion Killa
Of course, coins are also used to purchase new outfits for Mario, and you have to purchase the hat and jumpsuit portions separately. The price for a hat is usually 50 coins, but suits can range from 100 to 150, and--trust us--you'll want all of them. They don't change the way Mario plays by adding abilities, but it's pretty darn cool to see him dressed up as a cowboy or a race car driver.
We won't spoil them here, but there's also quite a few costumes that ignite a wave of nostalgia in longtime fans of Mario, so make sure your balance is high to avoid disappointment. Coins are also used for one other thing, which leads nicely into our next tip…
Man On The Moons
There are multiple ways to find Moons in Odyssey. To fly to new locations your ship needs a certain amount of Moons to power it, and the game denotes the recommended amount of Moons on screen. The simplest way to find these is to just play through each world and keep your eyes peeled for them, as many are visible along the main path. However, if you're going for the full Moon completion, you'll need to explore as they're hidden away behind mini-puzzles.
Thankfully, when you complete an area by beating its boss, Hint Toad will appear near the Odyssey. As the name implies, Hint Toad will mark the location of a Moon on your map for 50 coins, which is very useful. You might think this is a bit of a cheat, but it's still quite tricky to get these Moons as the indicators are just a vague hint at where it is, and doesn't pinpoint exactly where they are, or what you need to do to get them.
Snitch
For those that need a little extra guidance, there's Talkatoo, a loose-lipped, wide-jawed parrot that hangs around in the main hub of each area. Chat to Talkatoo and it will tell you the name of the Moon, which usually provides some further insight into where they are or what you need to do to grab them. Bear in mind, there's a limit to how many times you can use Hint Toad and Talkatoo. When you beat the game, you can buy unlimited Moons from the shop, but if you want to do it the natural way, there's a few more subtle ways to find Moons...
Good Vibrations
Moons, and other hidden treats, usually have some other kind of way of making their presence known to you, all you have to do is listen for them and feel them out--literally. Moons make a little twinkling sound when you're close by. On your travels around the world, make sure to keep your ears open as well as your eyes peeled. It can be easy to set your sight on a Moon on the main path and focus on it, but often you'll find that there are extra ones tucked away behind secret walls or placed just out of view.
Another way to find hidden Moons or coins is through controller vibrations. This one is much trickier as running around usually makes the controller vibrate just a bit, however, the feedback should be stronger when you're near a secret item. A lot of goodies hidden underground usually have a shaft of colorful light to draw your attention to them, but this isn't always the case.
Snoop, Doggy
A more delightful way of finding hidden items is to let the adorable little Nintendog sniff out treats. You'll find him very early in the game chilling out in a shop in the desert world, but after you complete it he'll venture out. When you see him, he'll excitedly bark at you and run off into the distance, give chase and he'll lead you to something good. The lizards in this area also worth following, as they've got the hookup on coins.
Nintendog will appear in other locations during your journey too, so keep an eye out for him. And once he's found something for you, why not show your appreciation and play frisbee with him? Chuck Cappy at the puppy from a distance and he'll grab it in his mouth. It's wonderful.
Mo' Moons, Mo' Problems!
Scattered around each of Odyssey's worlds a little puzzle rooms. These are accessed by finding doors with little hats on them, or by jumping into the iconic green pipes. Each of these rooms will test your mastery of platforming, or ask you to possess an enemy using Cappy, and then use their unique abilities to solve a puzzle or reach areas inaccessible to Mario in his tiny human form.
The extra secret with these rooms is they usually have more than one Moon hiding within them. This isn't the case 100 percent of the time, but it pays to go into each one with the mindset that there's more than meets the eye in there. Be extra vigilant when running through them, and take the time to stop frequently and spin the camera around a bit, often you'll find a Moon is only visible if you're looking at it from a specific angle.
As previously mentioned, a good way to figure out if a room has more than one Moon hidden in it is to buy a marker off Hint Toad and chat to Talkatoo for an extra clue. Between them, they'll be able to point you in the right direction.
If that wasn't enough, keep your eyes out for little rockets. By getting over to these and then throwing Cappy on them, you can blast off into the clouds and into more secret areas where, naturally, even more Moons await.
No one would fault you for feeling a little overwhelmed by all these Moons, clues, and hints, but Mario Odyssey's overworld--or overspace--map is a very handy way of keeping track of everything. When you're floating over the planet in Odyssey, you can hit the Y button to bring up stats on each world. This menu has essential information on all the Moons available in each location, making it easy to see what you have and what remains. It's a simple touch that makes getting 100% completion just a bit more manageable.
It's Amii-bo!
Another character that's very useful is Uncle Amiibo, the little roomba-like device hovering around near the Odyssey. If you're a collector of Nintendo's Amiibo figures, they'll come in very useful in Mario Odyssey as they can be used to locate stray Moons. Tap your Amiibo on the NFC reader and Uncle Amiibo will send it out on the hunt, it takes five minutes, but once that time is up he'll let you know where you can find a new Moon. There's a limit on how many times you can use Uncle Amiibo to find Moons, so it's better to use him when you're really struggling.
Amiibo are also useful for a little coin injection, if you touch a figure while just out in the world, you could get some coins to add to your purse. This is useful when you're a little short on funds and want to purchase an item from the shop. For maximum efficiency, get Uncle Amiibo to send out three Amiibo to hunt for Moons, then go out and try and get some yourself. When you get back, there will be a few more for you to go and grab. This assumes you have three Amiibo, of course. If you don't, you can just use the same Amiibo over and over.
There you have it, all the tips you would-be plumbers need before embarking on an Odyssey. Super Mario Odyssey is a big game and we'll be digging into deeper over the coming days. In the meantime, you can check out our video review, or read our full written Super Mario Odyssey review.
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