The second-best thing about being a Mario fan is that bad Mario games are exceedingly rare. But the first best thing about being a Mario fan is that Super Mario Odyssey exists. Whew, what a damn game. It’s a franchise entry that manages to be both wondrously inventive and comfortably familiar, setting the bar almost insurmountably high for any platformer that dares to follow it over the next few decades.
As of right now, Super Mario Odyssey remains my favorite platformer of all time—and if you’ve played it, there’s a reasonably high chance you already agree. If not, however, you may be looking to see what our favorite plumber’s most ambitious game is all about. And with that comes curiosity about how long it may take to see things through. Well, I’ve got some good news for you: It’s beefy! Let’s take a look at just how beefy. But first, let’s talk about whether or not you can expect a better experience on the newer Switch 2.
How does Super Mario Odyssey run on Switch 2?
We have great news for you if you’re hoping to enjoy Odyssey on the Switch 2. Via a free update for the Switch 2, Odyssey has never looked better. In its original presentation on the first Switch, handheld mode perhaps suffered the worst, with an incredibly low resolution that made for a rough image at times. The stronger hardware of the Switch 2 combined with the new update makes for a dramatically better experience. The framerate is also more reliable in the game’s busier, open-world city environments. Take a look at the game in motion here:
How long does it take to beat Super Mario Odyssey?
Mario’s globe-spanning journey not only features an absolutely staggering amount of collectibles to find, but it also throws unique mechanics and thrilling new features at you faster than you can say “Wahoo!”
But how much of this you want to experience is largely up to you. You won’t need to collect all 999 Power Moons or every purple coin in each world to complete Super Mario Odyssey, but it’s all there for you to chase down if you want to. For a basic run-through, though, you’ll only need around 12-14 hours.
If you’re like me and need to earn every costume in the game (they’re all awesome) and see that Power Moon counter hit one number below a thousand, you’ve got a whole lot more game to see. Fully completing Super Mario Odyssey can take upwards of 40 hours—perhaps even longer for those who take things at a leisurely pace or struggle with some of its more challenging sequences.
Whether you just want to check it out casually or take things all the way to 100%, you need to check out Super Mario Odyssey right away. I give it my highest recommendation. And you can trust me. My dad works at Nintendo.
Super Mario Odyssey is available now on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
