There's something about the visual language of 1980s and 90s animation that hits different. Orbitals, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, weaponizes that nostalgia with brutal efficiency, wrapping a genuinely clever co-op experience inside cel-shaded character designs that feel pulled straight from Dragon Ball or Ranma ½.
The game is mandatory two-player, which alone sets it apart in a landscape where most co-op titles treat multiplayer as a checkbox feature. But Shapefarm's debut has ambitions beyond the obligatory tag. In a hands-on session at Summer Game Fest, the studio demonstrated a refreshing design philosophy: flexibility. Unlike many co-op stalwarts that lock you into rigid role assignments, Orbitals lets players choose their responsibilities on the fly. Want to handle the grappling hook on this puzzle, then swap to the water gun mechanic next? You can.
The demo unfolded across a space station where two teenage characters, Maki and Omura, prepare for an expedition into a supernatural cosmic storm. The core gameplay loop alternates between environmental puzzles that demand both players' attention and mini-games that test communication and quick reflexes. One standout sequence required each player to input color-coded button presses in a specific sequence, with icons that could swap roles or reverse progress. Success hinged on real-time coordination, with the kind of verbal back-and-forth that transforms a game session into something collaborative rather than parallel.
The technical execution deserves attention. Orbitals intentionally caps its frame rate at 30 fps to match the 24 fps animation standard used in traditional anime. The cel-shaded graphics sit comfortably alongside the hand-drawn cutscenes without feeling incongruous, achieving something few games manage: a cohesive visual identity across dynamic gameplay and narrative moments.
What makes this impressive is the pedigree behind it. Game director Jacob Lungden spent years at Hazelight Studios crafting some of the most respected co-op experiences in gaming, including A Way Out and It Takes Two. Studio Massket, a Tokyo animation house with credits on dozens of anime properties, handled the character animation. That collaboration between a proven co-op architect and a legitimate anime studio isn't accident. It's the entire point.
The 15-minute session barely scratched the surface. Other video footage has shown sequences that shift into 2D perspectives, suggesting the team has no intention of relying on a single gameplay template. The demo ended with a spaceship section where one player piloted while the other chose a gunner seat, a classic dynamic executed with enough polish to feel effortless.
Orbitals releases exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 3, 2026, and supports both split-screen couch co-op and online play via Gameshare, meaning only one copy is needed for two players to enjoy it together.
Author Emily Chen: "Orbitals isn't trying to reinvent co-op gaming, but it's doing something better: it's remembering what made these games work in the first place, wrapped in the anime aesthetic that deserves more love in gaming."
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