'Super Mario Odyssey' Co-Op Mode Demo Shows Player Two Take Control Of Cappy

Nintendo recently held a Treehouse livestream during E3 2017 and has confirmed that “Super Mario Odyssey" will feature local co-op gameplay. The second player will take control of Mario’s hat, Cappy, in co-op mode.

Mario’s hat is a core gameplay mechanic in “Super Mario Odyssey.” Players will be able to swing it around enemies, use it a temporary platform to hop on and can be used to transform Mario into other characters or objects.

For “Super Mario Odyssey’s” local co-op mode, Cappy will be the playable character for the second player. During Nintendo’s E3 Treehouse livestream, Cappy will float above Mario’s head when the game is being played by two players.

Playing as Mario remains mostly the same. He’ll still be able to run and jump throughout the game's sandbox environment. Playing as Cappy is a very different story. Players will be able to fly around, attack enemies and do actions that Mario is not capable of doing, according to IGN.

This includes collecting coins and other collectibles that are totally out of reach for Mario. Cappy also helps in solving puzzles in the game. Taking control of Cappy is pretty simple. Players will simply have to press Y on the Joy-Con controller to fly around and move independently from Mario.

This type of two-player mode also seems like a way to protect Mario from incoming enemies. In the demo, the player using Cappy can basically act as a form of protection for Mario just by moving around him.

Cappy is also invincible, giving the second player a more relaxed gaming experience than playing as Mario. This might also be a way to encourage people to try out the game first before buying the full experience.

Check out co-op mode for "Super Mario Odyssey" in action around the 4:30 mark.

“That’s was certainly intentional on our part,” Nintendo producer Yoshiaki Koizumi said during the livestream. “When you throw Cappy he’s invincible, so we thought that would be a really good opportunity for people, who aren’t used to games, to be able to play with someone else who’s a little more advanced knowing that they wouldn’t get hurt. It’s easier for them to try.”

The two-player co-op mode for “Super Mario Odyssey” also takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch JoyCon controllers. Each player will be able to used each half of the JoyCons to take full control of Mario or Cappy. Both players will also have control of the game’s camera as well.

This style of co-op gameplay is a bit similar to the co-op mode of the “Super Mario Galaxy” games, as pointed out by Eurogamer. In that game, the second player is able to simply collect items for Mario and manipulate the environment. “Super Mario 3D World” had four-player co-op, but camera view was limited due to the number of players on the screen.

“Super Mario Odyssey” might only have a two-player co-op mode, but looks like it functions well for the game’s sandbox design, and seems to be light and fun. “Super Mario Odyssey” is scheduled to arrive for the Nintendo Switch on Oct. 27.