Amidst an ongoing flurry of rumors and speculation about which game will get DLC or whether a sequel is in the works, one of Nintendo’s latest entries into its flagship franchise for the Switch is still being left in the dark:Super Mario Odyssey. Despite being one of the core games behind the Switch’s initial exponential success and critically acclaimed at the time,Super Mario Odysseyhas not been treated as favorably as its fellow Switch titles. Those that came out in tandem withSuper Mario Odysseyto those who came out much later, such asThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildtoPokemon SwordandShield, and even games within Mario’s own franchise likeMario Kart 8 Deluxeseem to be getting better treatment.
5 years on fromSuper Mario Odyssey’sofficial release, there is still no news so far foranotherOdysseywith Mario and Cappy. It is still as strange as ever that Nintendo never revisited the worldOdysseycreated and expanded on an already clearly successful formula. Maybe the reasons forOdysseynot receiving extra content are more complicated than fans think, and there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
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Super Mario Odyssey Deserved DLC
It’s clear from Nintendo’s latest venture into ‘expansion passes’ that it was intending to keep pace with its current competitors. DLC is by now not just an added bonus for fan-favorite games but an expected addition, culminating with current audiences anticipating and speculating on possible DLC before, during, and sometimes even after its release. With in-house franchises alongsideSuper Mario Odysseysuch asBreath of the WildandSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Nintendo demonstrated that it always had plans to capitalize on the market as it moved forwards usingSwitch Online Expansion Passes, so it was surprising to fans thatOdysseydidn’t receive the same treatment.
On the basis of format alone, incorporating DLC intoOdysseywould have been extremely simple. New Kingdoms could have been made available on the world map, even reusing assets and mechanics already established and maybe even underused within the base game to help ease the workload on the developers to create anything ‘new’. Anything beyond that would be dressing, such as the need for any kind of story to motivate the player, as historically ‘rescue Princess Peach’, with the addition of Tiara, has always been motivation enough. However, additional content could have pushed the boat out further and laid the groundwork for potentialOdysseysequels using new mechanics or contentinitially conceived as DLC.
Nintendo’s Possible Preparations for Super Mario Odyssey 2
This leads to the very obvious albeit unconfirmed theory that Nintendo is patently aware ofOdyssey’ssuccess and is planning a sequel. Born from the fact that other entries in the franchise likeSuper Mario Galaxywere similarly critically acclaimed upon its release and later saw sequels,it stands to reason that Nintendo would do the same forOdysseyand is therefore saving any leftover content or ideas for a second installment. This would mean that DLC would be out of the question, just in case any ideas proposed for would-be additional content makes its way intoSuper Mario Odyssey 2.
However, while many are convinced thatSuper Mario Odyssey 2is inevitable, it’s worth pointing out that just 2 years afterSuper Mario Galaxywas released and constant interviews confirming that additional content was planned,Super Mario Galaxy 2was officially announced. Sadly there just hasn’t been the same kind of chatter following inOdyssey’swake, meaning that if extra content was being planned and a sequel was in the works, Nintendo is being remarkably tight-lipped about it. Many fans would agree it would be a crying shame not to take advantage and build upon a game with a phenomenal reputation and high praise, but it seems Nintendo’s machinations are as elusive as ever for people to pin down.
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Bowser’s Fury May Have Replaced Odyssey DLC
An unfortunate realization some have reached is that perhaps players have already received content intended forOdyssey. With the 2021 re-release ofSuper Mario 3D World, ported over from the Wii U,Bowser’s Furywas included as an additional game. Though not as full-blown as previous Mario adventures, it bore enough of the hallmarks of3D WorldandOdysseycombined that it’s led many to believe thatBowser’s Furywas the lovechild ofOdyssey’sopen-world design and freedom of movement coupled with assets and mechanics brought over from3D World. While it may have been a selling point to help market the re-release of3D World, the fact that it bears a resemblance toOdysseyis decent proof that this is the reasonwhyOdysseynever saw DLC.
It’s a bittersweet conclusion to arrive at, but arguably it seems the most realistic. Without any confirmation of a potential sequel in the works forSuper Mario Odysseyand with absolutely no DLC or expansion passes to its name, it would appear that Mario’s next adventure will be something new and unconnected toOdyssey. For now, Nintendo does appear to be occupied with its current planned games fromBreath of the Wild 2to eventhe anticipated albeit unconfirmed Mario Kart 9which are both currently in development with official releases yet to be confirmed. As far as Cappy is concerned though, it seems that his time with Mario on the Odyssey will have to remain as a one-way trip with a hopeful open return.
Super Mario Odysseyis available now on Nintendo Switch.
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