Super Mario Odyssey

This time on our journey through the worlds of Super Mario Odyssey, we’ve landed in the Sand Kingdom, a vast desert of rusty sand, crumbling ruins, and poisonous pools. It draws inspiration from many real-world places, including Mexico, Japan, Egypt, and even Easter Island. Tourism is big business here, and the lively, colourful locals – the Tostarenans – greet travellers with open arms. The ancient ruins, in particular, have become popular sightseeing attractions.

The Sand Kingdom’s main landmark is the Inverted Pyramid. This massive, upside-down pyramid may look unstable, but rest assured, it never topples and has thrilled tourists for years. The structure continues underground to a subterranean cavern where a legendary artefact, the Binding Band, is said to lie, protected by a belligerent deity. The upturned triangular shape of the Inverted Pyramid evokes the image of the Binding Band’s diamond and symbolises how those joined by it will never part, even if the world turns upside down.

But the first stop for anyone visiting the Sand Kingdom is surely Tostarena Town in the south. This small but lively desert village is the hub of sightseeing and commerce in this land. The stucco buildings are awash in vivid colours, which reflect the cheerful nature of the party-loving Tostarenan locals, who are always happy to provide directions.

It probably won’t escape anyone’s notice that there is a lot of Mexican imagery in Tostarena. Super Mario Odyssey director Kenta Motokura was the driving force behind this kingdom’s Mexican influence; his own trip to the nation left a strong impression, leading to a world that is unlike the typical Mario desert. Many of the ruins have a Mesoamerican look, and the Inverted Pyramid resembles an upside-down octagonal version of the Mayan city Chichén Itzá.

Tostarena Town, meanwhile, is based on a typical small Mexican town and features traditional Mexican architecture and decor. According to field concept artist Asami Inoue, ‘Buildings [in Tostarena Town] were given varying colours and heights, and we ensured no dwellings of the same hue ever visually overlapped, regardless of the camera angle. The wall decorations were designed as if they were painted by the Tostarenans themselves. We gave the buildings a coarse, hand-decorated finish to show the affection the locals have for them.’

The Tostarenans themselves feature elements commonly associated with Día de Muertos, also known as ‘Day of the Dead’, a Mexican holiday about honouring deceased loved ones. Tosterenans are skeletal beings dressed in traditional, vibrant Mexican-style clothing, including sombreros and ponchos, and often play instruments such as guitars and maracas. They are based on calaveras, the traditional decorative skulls used during Día de Muertos. But given their skull-like faces, the game artists wanted to give them a friendly, cheerful nature so players wouldn’t mistake them for enemies. ‘Their bobble-head-like movement and tendency to dance evoke the same pleasant atmosphere a room full of toys would provide,’ says character art lead Sho Murata. ‘They appear in all sorts of colours, but with enough in common to make them seem like a single clan.’

At the Crazy Cap shop in Tostarena Town, Mario can purchase traditional desert clothing, such as a sombrero and poncho. This is a reference to the 1990 Game Boy game Qix, whereby you draw lines to capture territory while dodging the enemy Qix that wander around the screen. On the Game Over screen, Mario appears in various outfits based on your score. The poncho and sombrero in Super Mario Odyssey are modelled after the Mexican-themed outfit from this obscure game, which you will see if you get between 50,000 and 149,999 points.

Head north from town and you’ll be greeted by ancient ruins that dot the desolate expanse. Though many have become hostile regions patrolled by Bullet Bills, their status as important heritage sites is undeniable. An impressive stone gateway has been built for those making a pilgrimage to the Inverted Pyramid, and astute travellers will notice that it shares the same triangular shape. There is quite a lot of quicksand around these ruins, likely the result of underground erosion.

Tucked away in an isolated area in the west of the Sand Kingdom reside the Moe-Eyes, who have inhabited the ruins there since ancient times. These gentle stone creatures are large and proud, but quite timid. They run at the first sight of a visitor, so getting close can be tough. They love their stylish shades, and capturing one allows Mario to see invisible footpaths in the area.

There is a curious local transportation method in Tostarena. Animated feline statues called Jaxi run at full throttle when ridden, making them the best way to cross the burning desert. In fact, some ruins, which are filled with poisonous goo, can only be reached and traversed on Jaxi-back. Just be aware that the Jaxi run at reckless speed and can be somewhat hard to control.

Jaxi may be inspired by komainu, Japanese guardian lion statues that are believed to protect shrines and temples from evil¹. Numerous tales exist about komainu statues coming to life, similar to Jaxis. They may also draw inspiration from jaguars, since there were various jaguar deities in ancient Mesoamerica; their feline features and stone construction strongly resemble jaguar motifs found in Aztec, Mayan, and Olmec sculptures. In fact, the name is probably a combination of ‘jaguar’ and ‘taxi’, highlighting their role as a means of transportation in this kingdom.

You will also encounter Chinchos in the Sand Kingdom – but they aren’t as friendly as the Jaxi. These shambling, mummy-like creatures have the same basic silhouette as the native Tostarenans, so perhaps Chinchos are their mummified ancestors? I’m not sure how that works since the skeletal Tostarenans already seem undead… but hey, it’s probably best not to think about it too much.

Chinchos are likely named after, and inspired by, the Chinchorro mummies, which are the mummified remains of individuals from the ancient South American Chinchorro culture, found in what is now northern Chile. They are the oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains, having been buried up to 2,000 years before the more famous mummies of Egypt (although they were usually naturally dried and posed rather than wrapped in bandages).

Although Tostarena is usually bathed in blazing heat, things are very different the first time Mario and Cappy visit this land – they face intense cold instead. Accompanying this peculiar weather is a bizarre addition to the desert: massive pillars of ice as far as the eye can see, jutting up from the ground. According to the Tostarenans, the ice appeared without warning, and the low temperature has been a problem for them. The nearby oasis has even frozen over, catching an unfortunate Lakitu off guard while fishing. The reason for this uncharacteristic weather will become apparent in time.

Bowser and the Broodals have stolen the Binding Band from beneath the Inverted Pyramid for Bowser’s upcoming nuptials. After Mario defeats the Broodal Hariet atop the pyramid, the whole structure floats up into the sky, revealing a massive hole beneath it. This grants entry to the Underground Temple, an ice-covered cavern that housed the Binding Band before Bowser absconded with it. It was guarded by an irritable stone idol called Knuckletoc, who lurks in the inner depths. Enraged by the theft, he mistakenly believes Mario and Cappy are responsible, and he proceeds to attack them. Another boss fight ensues.

Knuckletoc’s frigid head is stuck in the temple’s ceiling, exposed to the world above. He is the source of Tostarena’s recent freeze. Knuckletoc was, in fact, the first boss created for Super Mario Odyssey, and his design incorporates aspects from Mexican civilisations. In particular, he seems to be based on the giant heads sculpted by the ancient Olmecs. ‘We wanted players to feel like they’d stumbled into an unknown land upon meeting this character, so we tried straying slightly from typical Mario design philosophy,’ says character art lead Sho Murata.

After Knuckletoc is defeated, the majority of the ice in the Sand Kingdom melts away and the heat returns to normal. This allows Mario to collect more Power Moons. Soon, he has enough to power the Odyssey for another journey, and the player can choose to visit either the Wooded Kingdom or the Lake Kingdom next. We’ll be heading to the Wooded Kingdom, so I’ll see you there next time.

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1. These Japanese statues may have also partly inspired Hisuian Growlithe and Hisuian Arcanine – check out my posts on these two Pokémon for more information. ↩︎