What do Outfits Actually do in Super Mario Odyssey

Mario Odyssey contains a large number of wearable outfits that players can either unlock through Amiibo characters or by purchasing them directly from the in-game Crazy Cap merchants. What many players want to know is what do outfits actually do in the game?

Outfits come in a variety of forms. We have outfits for a builder Mario, a Luigi cap, a dinosaur headpiece and so many others. I'd guess that there are easily 25 different outfits in the game and that's just an early guess.

On the surface it would appear that outfits are purely cosmetic, a little treat if you like to show off your character and even take you back to the days of by gone Mario games. For example, there's a great Mario 64 outfit that has a "blocky" aesthetic to make Mario look like the Nintendo 64 version of himself, see below:

However, outfits do play an important part in collecting Power Moon's, in particular for players wanting to unlock the secret end-game kingdoms or reach the 100% achievement. You see, Outfits give Mario a chance to partake in inaccessible areas that were previously off limits without the costume.

A great example is in the Metro Kingdom when Mario has to use the Builders outfit to access an off limits area to claim a Power Moon. Without this outfit, he cannot enter and hence the Power Moon can never be claimed.

Explorer Outfit

Outfits do of course cost money (coins) thus presenting the player with a monetary obstacle. It's important to buy the outfits which unlock areas first and then move on to the other luxury outfits such as the insanely expensive skeleton outfit (which costs 9999 coins) later in the game when money's no object.

You may be wondering which outfits you need to buy and which are purely cosmetic? Well, it's too early to say for sure yet but in time I hope to have a definitive list for you.

Players should also note that Odyssey hasn't been out that long and there are still secrets being discovered as I speak. Should anything particularly important regarding outfits crop up, I will endeavour to update this guide for you.