Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Never trust a hat with eyes: ‘Odyssey’ glitch lets Cappy kill Mario

By Garrett Hulfish November 14, 2017

Mario throws his hat. — Nintendo

There is something unsettling about the idea of a living hat, yet it proved to be one of the best additions to Super Mario Odyssey
when it released in October. As a new friend of Mario’s, Cappy turned out to be equal parts adorable and helpful. Was this all a ploy to lower Mario’s defenses? As it turns out, a newly discovered glitch allows Cappy to make the titular character disappear.

According to a gameplay clip from Twitter user DefinitivNichtSacha (via Eurogamer), Cappy’s ability to kill off Mario appears to be accidental. In order to perform the glitch, Super Mario Odyssey needs to be running in two-player mode. After Mario uses Cappy to capture a Piranha Plant, which can only be done by feeding it a rock first, Cappy can then attack the plant, killing it and Mario in one fell swoop.

I found a glitch in #SuperMarioOdyssey‘s 2 Player-mode that lets Cappy kill Mario when capturing a Piranha Plant. #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/SzM3bMjZEN

— DefinitivNichtSascha (@NichtSascha) November 13, 2017

As players will discover, this sort of locks the game. Mario doesn’t exactly die but he does cease to exist. Cappy can still fly around and return to where Mario exists in spirit, but Mario can no longer progress. In order to continue, players can simply fast travel to a nearby flagpost to see their beloved hero reincarnated.

Nintendo has not mentioned the issue and it doesn’t appear to break the game, but it will likely be patched out in future updates. Anyone interested in recreating the glitch should try it before it’s too late.

Super Mario Odyssey launched on October 27 with almost universal praise, going on to sell more than 2 million units in three days. In our review, we praised its well-polished gameplay with tons of nods to past games. One modder enjoyed the new hat mechanics so much that they retroactively added them to Super Mario 64. While it is clear that the game was not intended for Cappy, his powers make it easy to take out certain enemies and reach difficult areas like the top of Peach’s castle.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Garrett Hulfish

Contributor

Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…

Gaming

All Captain Toad locations in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Toadette talking to captain toad.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is taking the series back to its 2D roots with a new and exciting art style and a ton of new mechanics. Alongside new power-ups and badges, this title has perhaps the largest amount of collectibles and hidden secrets of any game in the series. Between all the Wonder Seeds, Wonder Flowers, Flower Coins, and more, there's no shortage of things to do as you run, jump, and flip your way through all the various worlds. Among all the playable characters to choose from, one non-playable character makes his triumphant return. Captain Toad has managed to make his way to the Flower Kingdom, but this intrepid explorer is not so easy to find. Each time you interact with him, he will reward you with some Flower Coins and a hint at an upcoming world, so let's hunt down all his locations in Super Mario Wonder.
All Captain Toad locations

Captain Toad appears in five unique spots on the Super Mario Bros. Wonder world map. Talking to him at each spot will give you a little bit more of his story, plus the aforementioned rewards.
First Captain Toad location

Gaming

Super Mario Bros. Wonder has some of Nintendo’s best online features

Wiggler in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

When it comes to multiplayer integration, Nintendo can be wildly unpredictable. Unstable online servers and disappointing co-op experiences built for young players can leave its games lacking. Thankfully, that's not the case with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In fact, the new 2D adventure might just contain the best Nintendo multiplayer experience on the Switch next to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

At any point while playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, players can bring their game online with the press of a button in the main menu. Doing so will unlock several multiplayer features at once. For one, there's traditional online multiplayer. Simply press a button to "play with friends" and you'll be able to explore both the overworld and levels co-operatively. Like the New Super Mario Bros. series, four players can work together to complete levels (which can be very hectic fun).

Gaming

All secret exits in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Bowser terrorizes Mario and company in Super Mario Wonder.

Much of your time in Super Mario Bros. Wonder's colorful and vibrant levels is spent collecting Flower Coins and finding fun power-ups that can help you take out enemies, but there are some well-hidden secrets to discover, too. Most notably, you'll want to keep an eye out for secret exits that can uncover some really exciting new stuff to enjoy.

There are a total of seven secret exits in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and if you're looking to find each and every one of them, look no further than our list below. Of course, you'll want to play the levels through completely if you're looking to find all badges and medals in the game.
Piranha Plants on Parade (World 1)