“We were looking for a way to give the player a lot of different abilities that would be fun to use,” says Motokura. These two concepts - the capture system and Joy-Con flicking gesture - led to the creation of Cappy. Since the game was being developed in conjunction with the new Nintendo Switch, the notion of flicking the console’s Joy-Con controllers to trigger that capture action seemed like a natural fit. Just tossing Cappy at either of these characters or elements will do the trick.įrom the start, Nintendo knew that assuming the powers of Mario’s assailants would be an important part of Odyssey. He helps Mario fully transform into different adversaries and other fixtures found throughout the game, ranging from pint-sized Goombas to miniature tanks capable of firing explosives and power lines that make it possible cover long distances in a quick zap. Cappy makes all that seem tame by comparison. Over the course of his 34-year life, he’s plucked fiery flowers that enable him to hurl flames at foes, he’s dressed in penguin costumes that help him coast along icy surfaces, and he’s donned cat suits that allow him to scale the sides of walls.
For instance: Mario has long been able to gain new powers throughout a game. Odyssey manages to turn the Super Mario series upside down while staying true to the franchise’s most beloved qualities - and dialing them up to 11.
