Super Mario Odyssey leaves poor Luigi behind

Super Mario Odyssey is packed with familiar faces, old and new. But one of the franchise’s most recognizable stars goes shockingly unseen in the Nintendo Switch game, which feels like a real kick in the pants for the perennial second fiddle, Luigi.

Luigi Mario, the lankier and less-loved (sorry!) Mario brother, is absent from Super Mario Odyssey. While he’s occasionally an unlockable playable character in his older twin’s adventures — or at least some non-playable presence — that’s just not the case in the globe-trotting Switch game.

It’s good to note that other 3D Mario adventures don’t give Luigi a huge role, either; he wasn’t playable in Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine, the two games that Odyssey is most inspired by.

But, yes, in both our and other players’ many hours with the game, Luigi has remained sight unseen. Unless he’s hidden in some unbelievable inaccessible spot, Luigi just isn’t in the game, period. The closest we can get is by putting Mario in his brother’s classic green getup and pretending this is the Super Luigi Odyssey game we may never get to play.

Nintendo via Polygon

At least the pair got to hang out together in the Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga remake that hit Nintendo 3DS earlier this month. But unfortunately for scaredy-cat Luigi, he’ll have to keep waiting for his real time to shine.