History NightmareFuel / SuperMarioOdyssey

** One particular Power Moon requires swimming down a small tunnel with a large black hole at the end. You're led to believe that the hole is a warp to a secret Power Moon. It is not. [[JumpScare You will soon find the gaping maw of a Maw-Ray coming straight at you]], AND the screen, giving you less than a second to quickly enter the tunnel on the right.

** Two subareas in particular stand out. First, there's a post-end game area of New Donk City that is shrouded in darkness, reducing your vision to a few feet around you. You see the screen shake and then you're suddenly confronted by a towering Stairface Ogre! You have to navigate here up a tower whose narrow ledges are constantly patrolled by the damn things.

* Mario has a zombie costume. Seriously. His eyes are blank white and ''never'' blink or close, his skin is a ghastly greyish-green, and on top of that, he has an AXE stuck in his head. And it's also nightmare fuel in-universe: it triggers Bowser and Luigi's "scared" dialogue.
* The [[https://www.mariowiki.com/Stairface_Ogre Stairface Ogres]]. Their design is that of a Whomp with arms and a pair of geta, along with an {{Oni}}-esque NightmareFace, that carry a mallet around and moves quickly. If you are in the red impact square, then you're at best a pancake on their plate at breakfast. [[GameOver And if your health is low...]] Worse, there are only two ways to deal with these (which both involve climbing on their mallets after they come down), ground pounding their head or stabbing their forehead as a Pokio.

* Before you reach the Metro Kingdom, try hitting the Tosteranean radio. You won't hear a song. But what you will hear is Bowser laughing accompanied by creepy music. Hit it again and again and you'll hear Peach calling for Mario and for help, accompanied by a continuation of the music, and again Bowser laughs. It's one creepy EasterEgg...

** The fact the Bonneters are a whole race of possessors is unnerving. Returning to Bonneton later lets you overhear a shifty-eyed Bonneter wondering what person to capture next...

* Mario has a zombie costume. Seriously. His eyes are completely white, his skin is a ghastly greyish-green, and on top of that, he has an AXE stuck in his head. And it's also nightmare fuel in-universe: it triggers Bowser and Luigi's "scared" dialogue.

* The living reefs you can find in the Seaside Kingdom. The glowing eyes and the way they look and move are so unsettling...
* The Mecha-Wiggler is disturbingly realistic and has very fluid, fast movements, not to mention it makes a [[HellIsThatNoise horrific shriek]].
** Even before the fight, things are looking horribly grim for the Metro Kingdom. It's constantly raining, the sky is dark, and all the New Donk residents are either indoors, on the outskirts, or on the rooftops. This is because along with the loss of power caused by Mecha-Wiggler, there are living military tanks and evil larvae that immediately burst into the form of a man eating bug patrolling the streets.

* The cutscene before the Boss Battle with Knucklotec. The guy was the owner of the Binding Band, and he wants it back ''BADLY''. The Binding Band is said to, “Keep the Bride and Groom together, even when the world is upside down.” So seeing as how Knucklotec was the previous owner of the Binding Band, it can be safe to say that it was his wedding ring, and he wants it returned to him, '''at any cost'''. Also doubles as a TearJerker, as he mistakes Mario for being the one who stole the ring due to Mario's status as a HeroicMime and [[PoorCommunicationKills not realizing Bowser had stolen the ring beforehand]].

** When you defeat the dragon, it doesn't blow up and disappear like any other boss in the game, but instead drops his head on the ground after letting out one last roar. The reason this is NightmareFuel is because in every subsequent visit you give this kingdom from that point forward, the dragon will always stay there, resting with his wings still spread, which makes for an intimidating sight when you use the spark pylon to fly up there. As if that wasn't eerie enough, when you return to this platform, the dragon has his eyes open and they follow Mario wherever he moves, which could really scare an unsuspecting player into thinking that it might strike once again any second now. Hell, you can actually ''talk'' to the dragon there, at which point it states that [[LazyDragon it's merely tired]], which thankfully does [[NightmareRetardant mellow the creepiness down a bit]]. Nevertheless, it makes for a surprisingly tense moment in an otherwise cheerful and vibrant game.
* Torkdrift, the boss of Wooded Kingdom. It's a [[FlyingSaucer UFO that sucks up flowers for Bowser's wedding]]. It's extremely detailed, it moves quickly and frantically most of the time — like the Mecha Wiggler — and the room it's fought in is creepily dark. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDJ4L6dixuY Then there's the music]], which sounds nothing like an average ''Mario'' theme, and more like music from a horror game, using robotic instruments and an ominous tone. [[BreatherBoss Granted, it's not really a difficult fight at all]], but it's still creepy. The noises it makes are also rather unsettling, sounding as if it was meant to be cute at some point in its creation process. And to top it all off, it's actively malevolent in its demeanor when angered.

--->'''Bowser''': And are you trying to scare me with that...totally scary costume? [[BlatantLies Well, it didn't work, alright?!]] And y-you WEREN'T INVITED!

* The previously mentioned [[https://www.mariowiki.com/Stairface_Ogre Stairface Ogres]], which are basically Whomps with arms and a pair of geta, along with a Oni esque NightmareFace that carries a mallet around and moves quickly, if you are in the red square, then you're best a pancake on their plate at breakfast if your health is low, there are only two ways to deal with these, both involve climbling on their mallets after they come down, ground pounding their head or stabbing their forehead as a Pokio.

* The previously mentioned [[https://www.mariowiki.com/Stairface_Ogre Stairface Ogres]], which are basically Whomps with arms and a pair of geta, along with a Oni esque NightmareFace that carries a mallet around and moves quickly, if you are in the red square, then you're best a pancake on their plate at breakfast if you're health is low, there are only two ways to deal with these, both involve climbling on their mallets after they come down, ground pounding their head or stabbing their forehead as a Pokio.

** Even before the fight, things are looking horribly grim for the Metro Kingdom. It's constantly raining, the sky is dark, and all the New Donk residents are either indoors, on the outskirts, or on the rooftops. This is because along with the loss of power caused by Mecha-Wiggler, there are living military tanks and evil larvae that immediately burst into the form of a man eating bug patrolling the streets. Considering the size of the city, this isn't just Bowser trying to get something for the wedding. He wants nothing from there. [[MakeAnExampleOfThem This is an outright terrorist attack on the Metro Kingdom, to show what should happen if you get in King Bowser's way.]]
** Also, considering that the Metro Kingdom is specifically based on UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and that Bowser is performing a terrorist attack on the city using military weapons, the whole thing [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything bears an uncanny resemblance to]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic the immediate aftermath of]] ''[[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror 9/11]]''.

* Just in case you thought [[VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker the Mud Troopers and Mummy Mes]] weren't scary enough, this game introduces Chinchos, who manage to be a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to both enemy groups. Much like the Mud Troopers, they appear to be mummified spiritual copies of people--in this case, the Tostarenan citizens. For the Mud Troopers, they share their slow pace as they home in on you with their arms outstretched, with sad eyes that can be as heartbreaking as they are terrifying. Even the Tostarenan locals comment on the dangers they present. What better pick for the Day of the Dead apparently being celebrated here at Tostarena? They provide the page image, amigos.

* The Deep Woods, a lower area in the Wooded Kingdom, is terrifying. It's dark and moody, with shadows obscuring everything unless you actually get near them or, as of the February 2018 update, by using the Coin Filter in Photo Mode, and you have no map or compass while down there, so you can easily get disoriented. The area also has absolutely no music, only ambient noises, which adds to the creep factor. Oh yeah, and there's a ''hostile Tyrannosaurus-Rex living down there'' who patrols the beaten path, [[ItMakesSenseInContext wearing a bowler hat to protect himself from the Capture ability]], and immediately gives chase if he sees Mario. Your pulse will race if it's close enough to [[BadVibrations shake the ground]] but you don't know exactly where it is. We don't blame Mario for shaking in his shoes during his IdleAnimation.[[note]]He's actually shaking because he's cold. Apparently it's cold down there as well...or the animation can be looked at both ways.[[/note]]

-->'''Bowser''': And are you trying to scare me with that...totally scary costume? [[BlatantLies Well, it didn't work, alright?!]] And y-you WEREN'T INVITED!

-->'''Luigi:''' Bro! You startled me! That outfit is kinda, ummm...how can I put this? I mean, it looks good on you! It looks good, but uhh...yeah.

* The "ghosts" of New Donk City. For whatever reason, when travelling through the city, the NPCs you can see from a distance will fade away as you approach and the actual interactive NPCs fade in. It's most likely to give the illusion of a large populace without having too much on-screen activity, but it's a very eerie effect. For example, there's a man dancing in the corner of the park where the jump-rope game is. Approach him and he just... vanishes.

* Mario has a zombie costume. Seriously. His eyes are completely white, his skin is a ghastly greyish-green, and on top of that, he has an AXE stuck in his head. And it's also nightmare fuel in-universe: it triggers Bowser's "scared" dialogue during the FinalBoss.

* Mario has a zombie costume. Seriously. His eyes are completely white, his skin is a ghastly greyish-green, and on top of that, he has an AXE stuck in his head.

* There's something oddly disturbing about [[Cloudcuckoolander Rango]] being the one to tell Mario that he'll pay for putting the Broodals out of a job. The Broodals having their apparent livelihood destroyed is bad enough, but Rango is the "less focused" one with a funnier design and a habit of prefacing his dialogue with a country laugh, yet he's the one who gives the explanation of their fate with what appears to be TranquilFury.

** The second subarea, a simple ice-and-block sliding puzzle, is found in Shiveria. The entire area is more dim than usual, and the background is nothing but endless stars, with no Sun, planets or moons to give you any reference points to your location, punctuated by only a sprawling but dull reddish-brown nebula. And the other other thing within light-years of you, aside from the rather small platform you find yourself on, is a lone Ty-Foo, whose presence is less scary than it is simply not comforting.

* The Deep Woods, a lower area in the Wooded Kingdom, is terrifying. It's dark and moody, shadows obscuring everything until you actually get near them, and you have no map or compass while down there, so you can easily get disoriented. The area also has absolutely no music, only ambient noises, which adds to the creep factor. Oh yeah, and there's a ''hostile Tyrannosaurus rex living down there'' who patrols the beaten path, [[ItMakesSenseInContext wearing a bowler hat to protect himself from the Capture ability]]. Your pulse will race if it's close enough to [[BadVibrations shake the ground]] but you don't know exactly where it is. We don't blame Mario for shaking in his shoes during his IdleAnimation.[[note]]He's actually shaking because he's cold. Apparently it's cold down there as well...or the animation can be looked at both ways.[[/note]]

* The cutscene before the Boss Battle with Knucklotec. The guy was the owner of the Binding Band, and he wants it BACK. The Binding Band is said to, “Keep the Bride and Groom together, even when the world is upside down.” So seeing as how Knucklotec was the previous owner of the Binding Band, it can be safe to say that it was his wedding ring, and he wants it returned to him, '''at any cost'''. Also doubles as a TearJerker.

* The living reefs you can find in the water kingdoms. The glowing eyes and the way they look and move are so unsettling...
* The Mecha Wiggler is disturbingly realistic and has very fluid, fast movements, not to mention it makes a horrific shriek.
** Even before the fight, things are looking horribly grim for the Metro Kingdom. It's constantly raining, the sky is dark, and all the New Donk residents are either indoors, on the outskirts, or on the rooftops. This is because along with the loss of power caused by Mecha Wiggler, there are living military tanks and evil larvae that immediately burst into the form of a man eating bug patrolling the streets. Considering the size of the city, this isn't just Bowser trying to get something for the wedding. He wants nothing from there. [[MakeAnExampleOfThem This is simply a terrorist attack on the Metro Kingdom, to show what should happen if you get in King Bowser's way.]]

* Remember [[SlipperyAsAnEel Unagis]]? Now renamed Maw-Rays, they make an [[https://www.mariowiki.com/images/6/6c/Came_out_to_play.png unholy HD return]], and appear in deep underwater sections of the Seaside Kingdom to get a bite of some fresh Mario.

* What is one of the bosses Mario has to fight? A FREAKING DRAGON! A massive, big as a castle (as in Bowser himself stands on the bridge of this thing's snout), black, lightning-wielding dragon fought in desolate crumbling ruins of an ancient kingdom surrounded by thunder clouds. What's really jarring is the dragon doesn't have the typical cartoony design you see in the Mario-verse (like the Rex from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' or Draggadon from ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker''); it has a realistic-looking, dark, fantasy-esque design you'd expect from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' or ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''. After seeing a monstrosity like that, you have to wonder what other unholy beasts are roaming in the other kingdoms.

** When you defeat the dragon, it doesn't blow up and disappear like any other boss in the game, but instead drops his head on the ground after letting out one last roar. The reason this is NightmareFuel is because in every subsequent visit you give this kingdom from that point forward, the dragon will always stay there, resting with his wings still spread, which makes for an intimidating sight when you use the spark pylon to fly up there. As if that wasn't eerie enough, when you return to this platform, the dragon has his eyes open and they follow Mario wherever he moves, which could really scare an unsuspecting player into thinking that it might strike once again any second now. Hell, you can actually ''talk'' to the dragon there, at which point it states that [[LazyDragon it's tired]], which thankfully does [[NightmareRetardant mellow the creepiness down a bit]]. Nevertheless, it makes for a surprisingly tense moment.
* Torkdrift, the boss of Wooded Kingdom. It's a [[FlyingSaucer UFO that sucks up flowers for Bowser's wedding]]. It's extremely detailed, it moves quickly and frantically most of the time — like the Mecha Wiggler — and the room it's fought in is creepily dark. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDJ4L6dixuY Then there's the music]], which sounds nothing like a ''Mario'' theme, and more like music from a horror game, using robotic instruments and an ominous tone. [[BreatherBoss Granted, it's not really a difficult fight at all]], but it's still creepy. The noises it makes are also rather unsettling, sounding as if it was meant to be cute at some point in its creation process. And to top it all off, it's actively malevolent in its demeanor when angered.

* One side area of New Donk City starts out with Mario getting a motorcycle... and being abruptly chased by a T-Rex. Oh, and the ground is rapidly collapsing beneath you.
* Mario wearing the [[DemBones skeleton costume]]. There is something hilarious and at the same time something [[UncannyValley disturbing]] on him when he has this outfit on when you consider that Mario is reduced to a [[StrippedToTheBone lifeless skeleton]] when he is electrocuted in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. Also, he looks quite different and less cute when you put him next to a Tostarenan or a Chincho.
** To make matters worse, even ''Bowser'' is unnerved by the skeleton costume!

* There's something oddly disturbing about Rango being the one to tell Mario that he'll pay for putting the Broodals out of a job. The Broodals having their apparent livelihood destroyed is bad enough, but Rango is the "less focused" one with a funnier design and a habit of prefacing his dialogue with a country laugh, yet he's the one who gives the explanation of their fate with what appears to be TranquilFury.

** Two subareas in particular stand out. First, there's a post-end game area of New Done City that is shrouded in darkness, reducing your vision to a few feet around you. You see the screen shake and then you're suddenly confronted by a towering Stairface Ogre! You have to navigate here up a tower whose narrow ledges are constantly patrolled by the damn things.

* The cutscene before the Boss Battle with Knucklotec. The guy was the owner of the Binding Band, and he wants it BACK. The Binding Band is said to, “Keep the Bride and Groom together, even when the world is upside down.” So seeing as how Knucklotec was the previous owner of the Binding Band, it can be safe to say that it was his wedding ring, and he wants it returned to him, AT ANY COST. Also doubles as a tearjerker.

* What is one of the bosses Mario has to fight? A FREAKING DRAGON! A massive, big as a castle (as in Bowser himself stands on the bridge of this thing's snout), black, lightning-wielding dragon fought in desolate crumbling ruins of an ancient kingdom surrounded by thunder clouds. What's really jarring is the dragon doesn't have the typical cartoony design you see in the Mario-verse (Like the Rex from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' or Draggadon from ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker''); it has a realistic-looking, dark, fantasy-esque design you'd expect from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' or ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''. After seeing a monstrosity like that, you have to wonder what other unholy beasts are roaming in the other kingdoms.

** With the way the moon looms ominously behind the clouds and the eerie, empty atmosphere, the Ruined Kingdom wouldn't be out of place in a VideoGame/DarkSouls game.

** When you defeat the dragon, it doesn't blow up and disappear like any other boss in the game, but instead drops his head on the ground after letting out one last roar. The reason this is NightmareFuel is because in every subsequent visit you give this kingdom from that point forward, the dragon will always stay there, resting with his wings still spread, which makes for an intimidating sight when you use the spark pylon to fly up there. As if that wasn't eerie enough, when you return to this platform, the dragon has his eyes open and they follow Mario wherever he moves, which could really scare an unsuspecting player into thinking that it might strike once again any second now. Hell, you can actually ''talk'' to the dragon there, at which point it states that [[LazyDragon it's tired]], which thankfully does mellow the creepiness down a bit. Nevertheless, it makes for a surprisingly tense moment.
* Torkdrift, the boss of Wooded Kingdom. It's a [[FlyingSaucer UFO that sucks up flowers for Bowser's wedding]]. It's extremely detailed, it moves quickly and frantically most of the time - like the Mecha Wiggler - and the room it's fought in is creepily dark. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDJ4L6dixuY Then there's the music]], which sounds nothing like a Mario theme, and more like music from a horror game, using robotic instruments and an ominous tone. [[BreatherBoss Granted, it's not really a difficult fight at all]], but it's still creepy. The noises it makes are also rather unsettling, sounding as if it was meant to be cute at some point in its creation process. And to top it all off, it's actively malevolent in its demeanor when angered.

* One side area of New Donk City starts out with Mario getting a motorcycle...and being abruptly chased by a T-Rex.

-->'''Rango''': No one will hire us now. So, guess what? You're gonna pay- for ALL of it!

* Remember [[SlipperyAsAnEel Unagis]]? Now renamed Maw-Rays, they make an [[https://www.mariowiki.com/images/6/6c/Came_out_to_play.png unholy HD return]], and appear in deep underwater sections of the Seaside Kingdom to get a bite of some fresh Cheep-Cheep Mario. [[note]]Or regular Mario if you don't feel like capturing a Cheep Cheep whilst playing Assist Mode, where Mario has indefinite air underwater.[[/note]]

* The "ghosts" of New Donk City. For whatever reason, when travelling through the city, the NPCs you can see from a distance will fade away as you approach and the actual interactive NPCs fade in. It's probably just a programming quirk, but it's a very eerie effect. For example, there's a man dancing in the corner of the park where the jump-rope game is. Approach him and he just... vanishes.

* The Deep Woods, a lower area in the Wooded Kingdom, is terrifying. It’s dark and moody, shadows obscuring everything until you actually get near them, and you have no map or compass while down there, so you can easily get disoriented. The area also has absolutely no music, only ambient noises, which adds to the creep factor. Oh yeah, and there's a ''hostile Tyrannosaurus rex living down there'' who patrols the beaten path, [[ItMakesSenseInContext wearing a bowler hat to protect himself from the Capture ability]]. We don't blame Mario for shaking in his shoes during his IdleAnimation. [[note]]He's actually shaking because he's cold. Apparently it's cold down there as well...or the animation can be looked at both ways.[[/note]]

** Even before the fight, things are looking horribly grim for the Metro Kingdom. It's constantly raining, the sky is dark, and all the New Donk residents are either indoors, on the outskirts, or on the rooftop. This is because along with the loss of power caused by Mecha Wiggler, there are living military tanks and evil larvae, that immediately bursts into the form of a man eating bug. Considering the size of the city, this isn't just Bowser trying to get something for the wedding. He wants nothing from there. [[MakeAnExampleOfThem This is simply a terrorist attack on the Metro Kingdom, to show what should happen if you get in King Bowser's way.]]

** With the way the moon looms ominously behind the clouds and the eerie, empty atmosphere, the Ruined Kingdom wouldn't be out of place in a [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Dark Souls]] game.

** When you defeat the dragon, it doesn't blow up and disappear like any other boss in the game, but instead drops his head on the ground after letting out one last roar. The reason this is NightmareFuel is because in every subsequent visit you give this kingdom from that point forward, the dragon will always stay there, resting with his wings still spread, which makes for an intimidating sight when you use the spark pylon to fly up there. As if that wasn't eerie enough, when you return to this platform, the dragon has his eyes open and they follow Mario whereever he moves, which could really scare an unsuspecting player into thinking that it might strike once again any second now. Hell, you can actually ''talk'' to the dragon there, at which point it states that it's tired, which thankfully does mellow the creepiness down a bit. Nevertheless, it makes for a surprisingly tense moment.

** Even before the fight, things are looking horribly grim for the Metro Kingdom. It's constantly raining, the sky is dark, and all the New Donk residents are either indoors, on the outskirts, or on the rooftop. This is because along with the loss of power caused by Mecha Wiggler, there are living military tanks and evil larvae, that immediately bursts into the form of a man eating bug. Considering the size of the city, this isn't just Bowser trying to get something for the wedding. He wants nothing from there. This is simply a terrorist attack on the Metro Kingdom.

* The living reefs you can find in the water kingdoms. The glowing eyes and the way they look and move are so unsettling..

* The Deep Woods, a lower area in the Wooded Kingdom, is terrifying. Its dark and moody, shadows obscuring everything until you actually get near them, and you have no map or compass while down there, so you can easily get disoriented. The area also has absolutely no music, only ambient noises, which adds to the creep factor. Oh yeah, and there's a ''hostile Tyrannosaurus rex living down there'' who patrols the beaten path, [[ItMakesSenseInContext wearing a bowler hat to protect himself from the Capture ability]]. We don't blame Mario for shaking in his shoes during his IdleAnimation. [[note]]He's actually shaking because he's cold. Apparently it's cold down there as well...or the animation can be looked at both ways.[[/note]]