The Nintendo Switch released over five years ago, bringing the console manufacturer back from a lull it suffered during the Wii U era. This console’s hybrid nature brought a lot of versatility to its games, many of which released during launch year were strong enough to do that gimmick justice:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,Splatoon 2,andXenoblade Chronicles 2among them.Super Mario Odysseywill also celebrate its fifth anniversary this October.
Not countingBowser’s Furyin Nintendo’s 2021 re-release ofSuper Mario 3D World,Odysseyis the mascot’s latest 3D sandbox platformer. It revolutionized the series' platforming with smooth, creative movement options provided by the sentient hat companion Cappy, and gave fans a diverse array of locales surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom to test those abilities in. However,Odyssey’s world-spanning format could easily be used to craft a more referential format in which more tertiary characters like the princesses get defined roles.
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Mario’s Ever-Shifting Landscape
Series creatorShigeru Miyamoto, self-proclaimed father of Mario and Luigi, is known to prefer gameplay mechanics over compelling story elements - a stance that has affected spin-offs like thePaper Marioseries. However, one could also see this as a reason why there’s no real consistency in how theMarioworld is put together. Areas surrounding Peach’s Castle and Toad Town are different in just about every game, and the Mushroom Kingdom’s neighbors also change.
Super Mario Worldintroduces Dinosaur Land,Sunshineintroduces Isle Delfino, and spin-offs likeMario & Luigi: Superstar SagaandPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorare set in the Beanbean Kingdom and Rogueport, respectively. Few, if any, locations outside the Mushroom Kingdom appear more than once, and ultimately this is fine given each title is built around providing new mechanics or settings to play in. Even true sequels likeSuper Mario Galaxy 2don’t often follow the continuity of their predecessors.
While this approach has its merits, it leaves a lot of interesting places - and the people who inhabit them - on the cutting-room floor. Fan-favorite characters like Rosalina may return for parties, and species likeSunshine’s Piantas will make cameos (albeit in disconnected ways such asGalaxy 2’s Starshine Beach Galaxy). However, Mario hopping into the Odyssey airship and traveling the world in 2017 didn’t take advantage of this potential beyond aMario 64-inspired Peach’s Castle. A prospectiveSuper Mario Odyssey 2could address this to stand out from its predecessor.
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How Mario Odyssey 2 Could Harken Back to the Past
There’s no guarantee Nintendo develops a secondMario Odyssey, as sequels are more the exception in this franchise. Rumors have even pointed toOdyssey’s team working on aDonkey Konggameinstead. Yet even though the first game changed theMarioworld to feature new areas like Tostarena and New Donk City, a sequel could pivot again to focus on more fan-service elements (perhaps for the series' 40th anniversary in 2025). A fun way to anchor this game could be visiting returning princesses akin toKingdom Hearts' Princesses of Heart.
Beyond Princess Peach, the obvious candidates for this round-up are Daisy and Rosalina. Daisy’s home of Sarasaland has not been fully depicted sinceSuper Mario Landin 1989, so it would be great to see that brought into 3D - as concept art forMario Odysseysuggests may have been planned. Meanwhile, Mario goes to the moon at the end ofOdyssey, so it isn’t a stretch to think he could also visit Rosalina’s Comet Observatory.
The circle of potential princesses could extend further if Nintendo is willing to dig into its vault. Easier picks might be characters like the Sprixie Princesses from3D World, accessible via a Clear Pipe in the Mushroom Kingdom. A game likeWario Land 4could also contribute Princess Shokora, who appears as a Spirit inSmash Ultimate. Bringing wider spin-offs into the fold could result in more creative choices such asMario & Luigi: Partners in Time’s Princess Shroob. One could even expand to royal families generally, which would introduce Queen Bean and Prince Peasley fromSuperstar Sagaor the Honey Queen fromSuper Mario Galaxy.
A world-spanning return to different characters acrossSuper Mariocanon could be justified by Bowser’s typical shenanigans, but it would be even more interesting to iterate upon Mario helping the citizens ofOdyssey’s Kingdomsby giving each royal member tasks for their people. The original game ends with Princess Peach and Tiara going on a vacation after rejecting Mario and Bowser’s advances, and avoiding the “damsel in distress” trope in a sequel could pay dividends for Nintendo.
