SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY: A HAT WITH A SOUL
9.5 of 10 bananas. A joyful, endlessly inventive 3D Mario where capturing a T-Rex with your hat is just a Tuesday.
By the Alpha. Switch game listing. Updated Oct 18 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: The Amazon button is the US Nintendo Switch game card, US Version (Nintendo, released October 27 2017). It also plays on Nintendo Switch 2. At my Oct 18 check Amazon.com was not the seller: the offer came from a third-party seller, shipped by Amazon, in the low fifties, so check the seller and price before you pay. A digital code listing also exists. No PC, PlayStation, or Xbox version.
Get Super Mario Odyssey for Switch on AmazonSit with me a moment. Some games teach you to play. Odyssey teaches you to grin. I remember the first time I threw Cappy at a frog and became the frog, and I laughed out loud alone in the canopy.
What It Wants To Be
Odyssey is a sandbox 3D Mario. Bowser kidnaps Peach for a wedding, and Mario chases him across kingdoms in a hat-shaped airship. His new friend Cappy is a living hat. Throw it to hit enemies, bounce on it mid-air, or capture creatures and objects to use their powers. Each kingdom is packed with Power Moons to find.
What Works
Capture is a genius idea, and the game never stops finding new uses for it. Kingdoms like New Donk City and the Cascade Kingdom are dense, playful, and full of secrets. Movement is fluid and expressive, so skilled players can chain cap jumps and dives in ways the designers clearly loved. It sits around the high nineties on aggregate, among the best reviewed games ever made, and it has aged beautifully.
What Breaks
Listen well. It is easy. Moons are plentiful, so the challenge stays low until the post-game. Some moons are filler, like simple ground pounds or tiny errands. A few moves feel best with motion controls, which some players dislike. And the physical game is now mostly sold by third parties, so the price floats.
Who Should Play
Play it if you own any Switch and have never played it, or if you want a game the whole family can enjoy. Wait for a fair price if the seller listing is high that day.
STRENGTHS
- Capture is endlessly inventive
- Gorgeous, dense kingdoms
- Fluid, expressive movement
- Two-player Cappy co-op
HONEST COSTS
- Low challenge for most of it
- Some filler moons
- Motion controls for a few moves
- Third-party seller at my check
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