How Hard is it to Beat Mario Odyssey?
Mario Odyssey, the critically acclaimed action-adventure game developed by Nintendo, is a culmination of the 3D Mario series, offering players a unique experience with over 999 collectibles called Power Moons. Players must navigate the vast galaxies, collecting moons to upgrade Mario’s vehicle, Cappy, to unlock the secrets of each world and ultimately defeat Bowser, the main antagonist. However, the journey to fully beat Mario Odyssey is not easy, and there are varying levels of challenge depending on the player’s skillset and experience with the franchise.
Length of Time to Beat
According to various sources, including Speedrunners, the median completion time to beat the main story in Mario Odyssey is around 12.5 hours, while full completion, which includes obtaining all Power Moons and collecting every Kingdom’s secrets, can take up to 62 hours. Players who are interested in perfecting their Power Moon count and exploring all the galaxies will need a significant investment of time. However, for those simply looking for a fun platforming experience, the game can be completed in much less time.
Key Challenges to Overcome
To help players overcome these challenges and fully beat the game, here are a few notable obstacles to conquer:
| Challenge | Description | Skill Level | Hints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigating the Kingdoms | Master the art of parkour to traverse the large, sometimes treacherous, kingdom maps. | Medium – High | Try to locate the hidden zones and ramps to reach secret areas, and use your wits to avoid enemy attacks and obstacles. |
| Overcoming Boss Fights | Defeat challenging bosses and mini-bosses while using Cappy’s ability to possess enemy characters for assistance. | High – Expert | Familiarize yourself with boss patterns, use the environment to your advantage, and exploit your enemies’ strengths and weaknesses. |
| Collecting Power Moons | Collect over 999 Power Moons scattered across the worlds, often in hard-to-reach places. | Medium – High | Check the map and hint stones for clues about moon locations, and look for collectible items hidden in tiny crevices or well-concealed areas. |
Which Mario Are You? A Comparison
For those with experience with other Mario titles, we can compare how Mario Odyssey stacks up. Here, we’ll summarize the overall difficulty and collecting requirements compared to other mainline 3D Mario games.
| Mario Game | Level of Challenge | Collectibility |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy | Expert | 120+ Stars |
| Super Mario Sunshine | Medium-High | 136 Shine Sprites |
| Super Mario Odyssey | High-Med | 999 Power Moons |
Additional Tips
To help those who find the game a bit tough, here are some essential tips to stay on top of the adventure:
- Master movement: Invest time in practice to quickly navigate the controls and maintain momentum.
- Leverage the environment: Use the worlds’ flora and fauna to your advantage, such as using flowers to glide to hard-to-reach platforms.
- Keep trying: Trial and error may be crucial in overcoming puzzles and fighting bosses.
- Look for hidden moons: There are many additional moons left to discover through exploration of the kingdoms’ hidden regions.
Expert Insights – A Comparison
For advanced players, or those new to the 3D Mario series, here’s what experts have said about beating Mario Odyssey.
- Mario Odyssey is arguably the easiest 3D Mario title, with simple platforming and a large focus on exploration.
- The gameplay is more lenient with regards to execution, whereas other Mario titles require pixel-perfect accuracy.
- The game lacks the complexity found in other Super Mario 3D platformers.
- The Cappy, Mario’s signature ability in Odyssey, significantly eases the difficulty through its capabilities.
What’s New in Mario Odyssey? A Fresh Perspective
Mario Odyssey offers a completely new style of gameplay mechanics, like the Cappy, possessing enemies, and using possession to solve problems. Although the game seems to have evolved from its predecessor, it introduces new challenges by making the kingdoms more vast, with over 99 worlds and 999 power moons, and a narrative that dives deeper into Bowser’s motivations, making the quest to power up Mario with Cappy more engaging.