Super Mario Odyssey metal blocks explained

The Super Mario Odyssey metal blocks are big and durable in equal measure - but how do you smash them open? They're clearly cracked and therefore can't be totally indestructible, but Mario doesn't seem to have the raw power to break the blocks open - yet.

So how do you break the big metal blocks in Super Mario Odyssey? There's actually a lot to do - story and endgame content with a lot of spoilers ahead, so be warned! But for those who want answers, we'll explain how to break the metal blocks below...

How to break the metal blocks in Super Mario Odyssey

Once you’ve worked your way through all the Broodal bosses in Bowser’s Kingdom, you’ll have to follow Bowser to the moon. Trust Bowser to have his totally consensual wedding in a church on the moon, surrounded by all that stuff he stole from the Kingdoms back on Earth.

As you bounce in zero-G, Cappy will notice that there are similar metal blocks sitting the moon’s craters. Coincidence? We think not. But it gets even more interesting than that.

Follow the story, fight and defeat Bowser and then it all starts to get a bit weird. The massive ring Bowser stole from the Sand Kingdom dissolves, releasing her but also a torrent of those metal blocks, which makes the whole underground moon lair start crumbling around you. Time to run.

It turns out those metal blocks are actually moon rocks and are the source of all the Power Moons, ever. Once you’ve done all the story content and watched the credits roll, you’ll notice that there’s an image of one of these moon rocks surrounded by frogs in top hats. That’s actually the metal block from Cap Kingdom and instead of simply being a bit cracked, it’s now splintered and all the glowiness is seeping out.

And that’s the same for all the metal blocks you saw throughout the game. Head back to any of the Kingdoms and Cappy will prompt you to head for the block. He’ll even mark it on the map for you and there will be a glowing beacon in the sky to guide you towards it.

Once you get to one, you’ll be able to crack it open simply by throwing Cappy at it. No wonder you couldn’t break it open earlier. Doing so will release even more moons into each Kingdom, and much to our delight, these extra moons are all marked on the map. You’ve just got to work out how to get to each one.

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Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.