Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia review for PC, Xbox Series X, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Ocellus Studio, the developers behind Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia, don’t specialize in making original games. Their first outing was Marsupilami – Hoobadventure, which borrowed very heavily from Donkey Kong Country. Their second game, The Smurfs – Dreams, had a very clear Super Mario 3D Land influence. Now they’ve returned with Marsupilami 2, and even if they’ve moved off of Nintendo as the main influence, it’s still heavily indebted to the 2D Rayman games.

But that only tells part of the story. Marsupilami – Hoobadventure copied the DKC formula perfectly, to the point that it was clearly more “loving homage” rather than “shameless rip-off.” The Smurfs – Dreams may not have been as good as Hoobadventure, but it was still a very solid 3D platformer. And, continuing the trend, Marsupilami 2 may not add much to the likes of Rayman Legends, but it copies it so well that it’s impossible to complain about it.

Much like the first Marsupilami game, this means that Marsupilami 2 is just a really good platformer that gets everything right. The levels are just the right size and length, and just challenging enough that it feels like an achievement to beat each new level, but not like you’ve slogged your way through something that’s trying to punish you for playing (though the game has varying difficulty levels if you find anything too easy or too hard). Marsupilami 2 also implements its core gimmick – that you have three Marsupilamis, each with their own unique abilities – perfectly, allowing you to seamlessly switch between one and the next during the levels. Better still, even though the three Marsupilamis are different, they all move with so much fluidity and grace that the game almost feels balletic.

On top of all that, Marsupilami 2 also feels incredibly vibrant. Every level feels like a joyful explosion, with a rainbow of colours bursting off the screen. You have a soundtrack that feels lively and upbeat, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

And, to really set the game apart, it’s worth mentioning that Marsupilami 2 has a “Salsa mode”, where moving gracefully through the game’s beautiful world really comes into play. If you can collect fruit and keep your Salsa metre filled, the screen becomes somehow even more colourful, and your movements are soundtracked by music that’s best described as “soaring.” Even if you’re not someone who usually goes back to play levels after completing them – which describes me – I’d say that it’s worth it here to see the game really show off what it can do.

The important thing to know, above all else, is that Marsupilami 2 is even better than the first Marsupilami game – and if you were lucky enough to play that game, you’ll know what an impressive achievement that is.

Microids provided us with a Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia PC code for review purposes.