Ah, the Moon. It's so serene, beautiful, even. Odyssey captures the majesty of outer space very differently from the Galaxy games with its monochrome color scheme and use low gravity over anti-gravity, but there's still a clear throughline with the Star Bit regional coins and the ethereal music reminding me of Galaxy 1 and 2's calmer moments. After the chaos of the Ruined Kingdom and the tense energy of Bowser's Kingdom, it makes for an effective contrast. It's the perfect reminder to stay calm, even when you got a wedding to stop.
But the Moon Kingdom isn't just interested in helping you relax. This is the final kingdom, after all, and the final kingdom needs to present a challenge. Enter the underground moon caverns, probably the closest thing we have to a traditional Mario-style castle level. It's both a final exam, testing your knowledge of many of the game's captures in quick-fire challenges, and a power trip featuring new captures of classic Mario enemies not seen up to this point. You're dodging lava streams with Winged Dry Bones, going on the offensive with Sherms and non-chef Hammer Bros., thinking fast with the Tropical Wiggler and Moe-eyes, blasting ahead with Banzai Bills, and I can't forget the sudden inclusion of Chargin' Chucks at the very end - an enemy type that appears solely in this room and in one post-game challenge, one not strictly rooted in the mechanics of a previous enemy type liked Winged Dry Bones to Winged Goombas or Banzai Bills to Bullet Bills. It's a short moment, but it's one that makes you feels so powerful as you just ram through otherwise invincible stones. All of this backed by a fantastic, pulse pounding rock track. I love this segment.
Odyssey also gives us two last call-backs to the beginning of the adventure. The first - a remake with Madame Brood, utilizing one last use of the Chain Chomp capture. And then, at the back of the Wedding Hall, a singular frog, the very first capture of the game, letting you get a few moons and Regional Coins before the final battle. It's a simple yet effective reminder of how far you've come on this journey.
And then the final battle itself - Mario's come to crash the wedding, let all those kidnapped attendees go home, and save the princess once and for all. The Bowser fight itself is solid, a good "Round 2" on the fight from the midpoint of the game that brings all the intensity you would expect. If there's any note I had while playing it, it's that the fire breath attack is the perfect opportunity to use the sideways somersault, a move I mostly use for style normally since Mario has lots of effective jumps in this game, but one that worked as a great dodge. But that's not what makes the finale so good, not by far. It's in the capture mechanic's logical conclusion - being able to capture Bowser himself and tear through the collapsing moon cavern, that one last power trip to end a wild adventure. And they make it feel that way - Bowser busts up massive blocks and moon rocks like it's nothing, you get a really neat 2D section where you play as SMB Bowser, and once you get to that final room, you hear the electric guitar and get ready to jam out. Break Free (Lead the Way) is such a cheesy, feel good song packed in with as much Mario references as Jump Up, Super Star!, and it just...works. It feels like a moment more out of a 3D Sonic game than a Mario game, but the game has more than earned its chance to have this kinda conclusion.
Odyssey is the first Super Mario game that pushes for a comedic ending, something that might be a trend if the Bowser's Fury ending is anything to go by. It's an interesting choice because while the game has its comedic moments, it still generally took itself seriously, at least earnestly enough to treat its events with some gravitas. The ending instead brings things back to earth, having the cast act like the Mickey Mouse or Looney Tunes-esque characters they are deep down and resetting the status quo to the usual. While it's not a big sticking point, I actually am kinda mixed in the direction of the ending in that regard, though Peach being able to show some agency in her conclusion is a satisfying change of pace. While I'm not holding my breath, I would love for this to be the final Super Mario game that involves Peach getting kidnapped. The ending as set up here feels like the conclusion to that line of storytelling, and both Super Mario Maker 2 and Bowser's Fury don't feature the princess getting kidnapped. I can hope, but I doubt Nintendo cares all that much.
It's good to be home in the Mushroom Kingdom. But the adventure isn't over. I gotta get to 880 Power Moons!