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I think the most natural candidates would be Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.
this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2026
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Will look into Super Mario Galaxy!
what about the other hat based platformer: "a hat in time" ? lots of fun.
Will check that one!
if it's the switch version of 3D World you're emulating, have you tried Bowser's Fury mode? imo 3D World is neat but Bowser's Fury is absolutely phenomenal
Penny's Big Breakaway is on Steam and it has movement options very similar to Oddessy paired with Sonic-style rolling gameplay. I think the bosses are a noticable weak point but the levels are fantastic. if you like the momentum stuff, Spark the Electric Jester 2 (cutscenes but you can skip 'em) and 3 and Rollin' Rascal (early access) are excellent as well
+1 for Kirby and the Forgotten World, magnificent game. if you feel particularly brave, the much maligned Balan Wonderworld is similar but with an emphasis on revisiting old levels with new powers ala LEGO Star Wars. i enjoyed it but most people did not so maybe save this one for a steep sale and a rainy day
I’ve heard that new Donkey Kong game is just Donkey Kong Mario Odyssey essentially.
In its general structure, yeah, it's close. It definitely scratches the same itch for me.
On a more basic gameplay level, it's a bit peculiar because it's almost not a platform game in the traditional sense. There is very little jumping and a lot of climbing, digging and throwing stuff. But it's fun, and there are cool moves to pull off in this one too.
The new Donkey Kong is only on Switch 2.
Yeah haha that’s why I said “I’ve heard” 😂
Pseudoregalia has the same endless space for skill expression in the movement - the platforming is deeply satisfying and scratched a very similar itch for me!
As others mentioned, A Hat In Time is delightful and has similar room for skill expression
Celeste is 2d but the single best platforming game I have ever played. Its movement system is so, so satisfying and deep
You might enjoy Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart - its a ton of fun, but a slight sideways shift in genre
I also found Cavern of Dreams pretty delightful as a cute 3d mascot platformer
I would be failing you if I didn't mention A Short Hike - it's short, as its name suggests, but it is an absolute blast
You might like Penny's Big Breakaway.
The second I saw someone mention A Hat In Time my mind sprung to thinking Yooka-Laylee as a viable option. It's made by a studio founded by ex-RAR employees, IIRC, and has been a game I've played on and off but find a lot of fun. Especially from an exploration standpoint.
Game is basically running through a giant hub, going from level to level, collecting magic book pages, all in order to get back a book that was stolen from one of the main characters. Levels are pretty big too, with expansions as well. Has a Banjo Kazooie vibe, from what I know about that franchise.
There's also a switch port, assuming you don't feel like spending $19.99 on Steam for the original ( 7.48GB space required ) or $29.99 for the remaster ( 25.96GB space required )
I didnt "get" yooka laylee. I played like 1 or 2 hours and I was just deeply bored compared to something like a hat in time or odyssey - is it just a slow starter?
I think it is more of a slower game in general. I've only been to maybe 3-4 levels and it definitely isn't as fast paced as games like odyssey. Doesn't help that there's usually a quiz about the previous level in between being able to access each new area in the hub world after the first level.
Cannot say whether the remaster makes the gameplay any faster or not considering I'm still trying to beat the original.
I think I just didn't see much room for expression in the movement system, but I guess that if its a banjo kazooie type game you might only unlock ways to do different things later on
astrobot!!! as much as I love mario and nintendo I gotta say I might like it even more than odyssey.
if you're just on switch tho splatoon 3 might be perfect, it's not only a platformer ofc but the freedom in movement and the level design are great
Apologies, forgot to mention it is on the Steam Deck through emulation. I’ll look into Astrobot (got a PS5). I have tried Splatoon 3 but was not sure what the goal of the game was.
While there are different game modes, the gist of the Splatoon games is to cover the arena with as much of your team's ink as possible. Most of the mechanics involve spreading or interacting with your ink. Since you mentioned emulation, I guess you only have access to the single player campaign, so just follow what the NPCs tell you.
don't really know if you're able to play online with emulation, but with splatoon I recommend just going with the single player story until you figure it out. I don't remember it having much of a learning curve to start it.
there's a bunch of platformers I think are better than odyssey but are 2d, Celeste, Donkey Kong tropical freeze, both of the ori games
tho since you're able to play peakbot!!!
Astro Bot on PS5 and Sackboy for PC and PS5
Seconding A Hat in Time. It's probably the closest platformer to Mario Odyssey that isn't Mario. The last DLC (Nyakuza Metro) is especially worth your time.
Odyssey is up there as one of my fav experiences of all time. Possibly Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Galaxy scratched the itch like someone else suggested. For some reason I couldn't get into 2 but I know it's considered as better. Quite different but Celeste controls so well it kind of feels similar in that way.
I'm going to go through some of the replies too. Lovelovelove Odyssey.
Edit: Perhaps with trying Luigi's Mansion 3. Not a platformer but very fun.