With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 on the horizon, fans are speculating how the direct sequel will handle returning elements like the Master Sword. It's uncommon to see Nintendo produce follow-ups for its flagship games, but another Switch title that deserves the same treatment is Super Mario Odyssey. One of the best things about Odyssey is its creative world designs facilitating the return to a 3D platforming style not seen since Super Mario Sunshine, and a sequel using the same engine could amplify that creativity in a second go.
If there is a Super Mario Odyssey 2, it should move beyond a "rescue Princess Peach from Bowser plot," as blasphemous as that sounds. The first game's story follows Mario traveling the world with Cappy as Bowser wreaks havoc to steal wedding supplies. Each new land perfectly encapsulates these supplies while maintaining unique atmospheres from the Seaside Kingdom of Bubblaine with carbonated seas to the overgrown Steam Gardens of the Wooded Kingdom with beautiful flower fields. Add in Odyssey's smooth-as-butter controls, and it's a real crowd pleaser, including for Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser.
Once Mario saves Peach from a marriage on the Moon, she rejects his and Bowser's advances, then goes on vacation with her new friend Tiara. This is a well-deserved ending to Super Mario Odyssey for the Princess, and feels like a perfect endpoint to her story if the developers start a new adventures in the same continuity. The game's global level select confirms that almost everywhere Mario travels is outside the Mushroom Kingdom, and some of the most interesting world building in previous Mario games has occurred when Peach takes a backseat to new locations and lore.
Mario RPG series have multiple examples of this. For instance, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga brings the brothers to the adjacent Beanbean Kingdom built around a monarchical society of Beanish people with just one pocket of Toads in the immigrant community of Little Fungitown. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door features an island just a boat ride away from Peach's Castle with a sketchy criminal hive called Rogueport, a floating combat arena, a great tree full of cute sentient insects, and more. Assuming Odyssey 2 would avoid Breath of the Wild 2's approach of reusing its Hyrule map, it could incorporate some of these long-forgotten locales or at least venture to make more unique Kingdoms that flesh out Mario's world.
Another reason why Odyssey should move on from a Princess Peach "damsel in distress" story is because those aforementioned RPG games (while still using the trope) are able to explore other avenues for her characterization than a mainline Mario title. The upcoming Paper Mario: The Origami King will make Peach a brainwashed villain, for example, building upon an idea also seen in The Thousand-Year Door. Meanwhile, Super Paper Mario made her one of the four playable characters with unique story beats — most infamously defeating a fandom-obsessed chameleon in a dating sim.
Super Mario Odyssey was chock full of creativity, as can be seen by its 368-page Dark Horse Comics art book and sales numbers that continue to rise. If Nintendo decides to capitalize on this popularity like it will through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, it should elevate this philosophy rather than falling back onto the series' staple basic desert, ice, and lava worlds. One of the best ways to do this would be letting Peach enjoy her vacation so more ideas can be reigned in.
Super Mario Odyssey is available now on Nintendo Switch.
