The Nintendo Switch started its own category of greatness with its flashy approach, smooth design, and enhanced controls, elevating the best features of all previous home consoles to new heights.
Much the same can be said about Super Mario Odyssey, the eighth 3D Mario title overall that has sold around 29.84 million units as of late 2025, placing it in the Top 5 most popular Nintendo games of the modern era – and for plenty of very good reasons.
This entry combines 2D and 3D puzzles, brand-new companion mechanics, and living, breathing worlds that captivated players worldwide. Not only did Odyssey push the boundaries of movement in Mario games, but it also elevated the platforming genre yet again, something only the Italian plumber’s adventures can do for the industry.
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Almost a decade after release, the community is clamoring for a sequel to revive the hype around the Nintendo Switch 2. But, how exactly would a Super Mario Odyssey 2 work if it ever saw the light of day? The first step is the easiest: storyline-wise, you have to save the princess.
Like the only existing 3D Mario sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Odyssey continuation would use the same core mechanics, baseline gameplay, and the damsel-in-distress trope as an excuse to expand on them through more engaging stages, levels, and worlds.
Nintendo, here's my pitch:
The perfect follow-up would be to involve Bowser Jr. as the antagonist, since his father, Bowser, hasn’t given him the memo on the last game's failed wedding and the friendlier relationship with the mustached man.
Once Bowser's plan is in motion, the return of Cappy to the adventure is a lock. The Odyssey ship, however, would need to be broken down or flat-out stolen for the first level to ease players back into gameplay. Dr. Egad can fix it or recreate it with Odyssey 2.0, featuring a sleeker design and an edgier look.
This, in turn, sends the player back out on a Power Moon hunt to chase Bowser Jr., traveling to vibrant new worlds that come to life as they did in the original Super Mario Odyssey. New Kingdoms with Medieval, Cowboy, and Safari themes would add variety to the scenery, characters, and platforming – even circling back to see some familiar faces.
After the 2025 release of Donkey Kong Bananza, it feels natural for Mario to return to The Big Banana, New Donk City, asking for help yet again. This would set up a on-screen timeskip reunion between Mayor Pauline and DK, showcasing Bananza's extraordinary mechanics created by the same development team that brought Super Mario Odyssey to life.
Digging deep into the sewers, demolishing scaffolds, and pummeling enemies with a banana-crazed hat-wearing Donkey Kong would be a sight to see, rewarding players for their knowledge and hours of gameplay, whilst introducing the new DK design to the mainline Mario games as New Donk City's right-hand monkey.
The biggest plot twist in the original game came during its final moments, where players controlled Bowser for the first time in a mainline game, so this entry should be no different when it comes to shock value. Luigi as an unlockable after 100% completion is a no-brainer, but I would love for Nintendo to go even further this time.
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Tiara, Cappy’s sister, whom we meet at the end of the first game, should act as a sleeper agent on Peach's head, and would activate only at the siblings’ signal for an iconic reveal in the closing act and final levels of the game. This would make gaming history by allowing the Princess to save herself in a Mario title.
As Peach escapes aboard the Odyssey, Prince Koopa’s fury grows uncontrollably. Transforming into Dark Bowser Jr., he wreaks havoc in the final stage, forcing our hero to flee the level. Using Donkey Kong Bananza's malleable terrain physics, this destruction could generate unique tunnels and paths for an epic platforming getaway. Only King Koopa can put a stop to this final form with a bonding father-son moment, finally giving Bowser Jr. closure and turning the iconic problem child into the wonder kid he's meant to be.
While Super Mario Odyssey 2 seems improbable as we enter year nine post-launch, we can still hope to see these flawless platforming mechanics, iconic characters, and living worlds return to our screens, maybe even the silver one following up Super Mario Galaxy’s theatrical release. Call me Wario with how greedy I’m getting, am I right?
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