Lune de puissance : le carburant de Super Mario Odyssey

Power Moons: the fuel of Super Mario Odyssey

1431 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

ItemPower MoonSuper Mario Odyssey

Around 880 to collect, and a counter that climbs all the way to 999. A small golden crescent, the Power Moon is the fuel of the Odyssey in Super Mario Odyssey. This guide explains its role as the engine of progression, the Multi Moons tied to story milestones, the total to collect for completionists and its lineage with the Power Stars and the Shine Sprites.

A small golden crescent floating above the rooftops or hidden under a pile of blocks, the Power Moon (Power Moon in English) is the beating heart of Super Mario Odyssey. Without it, the Odyssey stays nailed to the ground and Mario never sees Princess Peach again.

Heir to the Power Stars and the Shine Sprites, this little moon works as a reward, a progression key and a fuel all at once. Here is why players have hunted hundreds of them across every kingdom in the game.

Contents

What is a Power Moon?

The Power Moon is the central collectible of Super Mario Odyssey, released on 27 October 2017 on Nintendo Switch. In Japan it goes by パワームーン (Pawā Mūn), a direct transcription of the English Power Moon.

In practice, it is a golden crescent moon that Mario picks up by the hundreds. You find them just about everywhere:

  • in plain sight, on top of buildings and rock formations;
  • hidden under a rock, inside a wall or behind a puzzle;
  • as the reward for a minigame, a race or a platforming challenge.

One detail changes everything compared with the older 3D Mario games: picking up a Moon does not send Mario back to the start of the level. He keeps exploring right away, which invites you to comb through every kingdom from top to bottom without a single break.

Several Power Moons gathered together in Super Mario Odyssey
They replace the Stars: more of them, easier to get, but everywhere.

The fuel that powers the Odyssey

The big idea behind Super Mario Odyssey is that the Moons are not just a score: they are the fuel of the Odyssey, the hat-shaped airship that carries Mario and Cappy from kingdom to kingdom. To take off for a new destination, you have to feed the engine a set number of Moons.

Every kingdom therefore asks for a small quota before you can move on. This system turns collecting into the engine of progression: there is no advancing through the adventure without a minimum of exploring. In all, you need to gather at least 124 Power Moons to wrap up the main story and face Bowser at his forced wedding in the Moon Kingdom.

Nothing forces you to pick up every last one, though: a player in a hurry charges straight for the ending, while a completionist rakes through every corner long after the credits.

The very first Power Moon collected in the adventure
Every Moon feeds the Odyssey: without them, the ship never takes off.

Multi Moons and story milestones

Not all Moons are equal. At the end of certain key missions, and above all after beating a boss, Mario receives a Multi Moon (Multi Moon). Bigger and ringed with several crescents, on its own it is worth three Power Moons in one go.

Multi Moons mark the great milestones of the adventure: they reward freeing a kingdom or defeating a major foe, and unlock the next stretch of progression. They often hand over exactly the fuel needed to set off for the next kingdom, which makes them true story checkpoints rather than mere hidden bonuses.

It is also a Multi Moon, the very last one in the game, that rewards players who conquer the ultimate challenge after the credits.

880 Moons... and a counter that reaches 999

The number of Moons on offer is dizzying: you can collect around 880 across all the kingdoms, Multi Moons included. Each kingdom hides dozens of them, and new ones appear after the credits when you smash the moon rocks.

But the counter itself climbs all the way to 999. So how do you close the gap? At the checkout. The Crazy Cap shops, found in every kingdom, sell extra Moons for coins:

  • each Moon bought costs 100 coins;
  • these purchases only serve to pad the total up to the maximum;
  • reaching 999 Moons adds a decorative touch to Peach's castle, a wink at perfectionists.

In other words, the first 880 are earned out in the field, the last ones are bought with the loose change picked up along the way.

The heir to the Stars and the Shine Sprites

The Power Moon did not come out of nowhere. In Super Mario Odyssey it holds exactly the place taken by other iconic items in the previous 3D entries:

  • the Power Star from Super Mario 64 and the Super Mario Galaxy series;
  • the Shine Sprite (Shine Sprite) from Super Mario Sunshine.

The big difference comes down to the game's philosophy. Where grabbing a Star used to end the level, the Moon leaves Mario free to carry on. You move from a logic of walled-off missions to open, continuous exploration, chaining discovery after discovery without ever leaving the kingdom you are visiting. That game design choice explains the game's wild density and its record number of collectibles.

After the credits: Dark Side and Mushroom Kingdom

Finishing the story is only the beginning for Moon hunters. Once the credits roll, several secret areas open up depending on how many Moons you have banked:

  • the Mushroom Kingdom, home to Peach's castle and to Moons that take the shape of the old golden Stars, a nostalgic nod to Super Mario 64;
  • the Dark Side of the Moon Kingdom, unlocked once you have collected 250 Moons, with one final gauntlet against the game's bosses;
  • the Darker Side, the true final challenge, which demands 500 Moons and serves up the most punishing platforming courses in the game.

This post-credits content alone justifies the sheer number of Moons: they act as the key that unlocks the trials reserved for the most dedicated players.

The Power Moon at a glance

French name Lune de puissance
English name Power Moon
Japanese name パワームーン (Pawā Mūn)
First appearance Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Type Collectible / fuel
Quantity ≈ 880 to collect (counter caps at 999)
Equivalent of Power Star, Shine Sprite
Shop Crazy Cap (100 coins/Moon)

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FAQ

  • How many Power Moons are there in Super Mario Odyssey?
    You can collect around 880 across all the kingdoms in the game. The counter then climbs to 999 by buying extra Moons at Crazy Cap.
  • How many Moons do you need to finish the game?
    You need to gather at least 124 Power Moons to fuel the Odyssey all the way to the Moon Kingdom and face Bowser, the end of the main story.
  • What are Power Moons for?
    They are the fuel of the Odyssey, Mario's hat-shaped airship. Each kingdom asks for a quota of Moons before you can take off for the next destination.
  • What is a Multi Moon?
    It is a beefed-up version worth three Power Moons at once. You get it after a boss or a key mission, which unlocks the next step of the adventure.
  • How do you unlock the Darker Side?
    Once the Dark Side is open (250 Moons), you need a total of 500 Power Moons to reach the Darker Side, the ultimate platforming challenge in the game.
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