If you have been waiting for a classic side-scrolling platformer with a friend on the couch, there is a new one on the shelf. Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia launched on September 3, 2026, and it is available on Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch and a range of other platforms. It is a direct sequel to the 2021 game Marsupilami: Hoobadventure.
The game was developed by the French studio Ocellus and published by Paris-based Microids. It supports two-player local co-op and lets you pick from three playable Marsupilamis, the long-tailed, monkey-like creatures from the classic Franco-Belgian comic series of the same name. Each of the three has its own set of abilities used for combat, traversal and interacting with the environment, so your choice actually changes how a stage plays out.
Why everyone keeps saying Donkey Kong Country
The comparison is hard to avoid, and it shows up in multiple reviews tracked by OpenCritic. Salsa Palombia mixes colorful 2D stages with jungle-heavy environments, collectibles, hidden routes, character-specific movement abilities and boss fights. Add two-player co-op on top and you land very close to the well-received 2025 remaster Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.
Even the premise lines up. The story kicks off when a strange melody spreads across Palombia and sends the local animals into an uncontrollable dance, all as part of the Mummy Queen’s plan. Donkey Kong Country Returns did something comparable with the musical Tiki Tak Tribe hypnotizing the wildlife of Donkey Kong Island. Beyond that setup the two stories go their separate ways, but musical villains controlling jungle animals is a pretty specific thing for two unrelated platformers to share.
Four worlds, dojos and Flow Mode
The campaign spans four main worlds, and they are more varied than the jungle setting suggests:
- a jungle
- a city
- snowy mountains
- an underworld-like realm
On top of the main stages you will find hidden levels, boss encounters, battle dojos and competitive mini-games. There is also Flow Mode, a speed-focused activity built around clearing trials without dying, which is the obvious hook if you like chasing clean runs.
Because the whole thing is side-scrolling, Marsupilami 2 feels very different from the critically acclaimed Donkey Kong Bananza. That could make it an easy pick if you own a Switch 2 and want something closer to the traditional 2D Donkey Kong games instead of a 3D adventure.
Ocellus has been here before
These comparisons are nothing new for the studio. Its 2021 platformer Marsupilami: Hoobadventure was already widely likened to Donkey Kong Country for its side-scrolling level design and overall feel. Salsa Palombia builds on that foundation and adds local co-op, which pushes it even closer to Nintendo’s long-running sub-series, as well as to modern Switch platformers like Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Windswept, Nikoderiko: The Magical World and Kaze and the Wild Masks, all of which pull from the same classic formula.
Where to get it
The game is on sale digitally across the usual storefronts, including Steam, the Nintendo eShop, the PlayStation Store, the Xbox store and the Epic Games Store. Full details are on the Microids page. If you want to keep track of what comes next for the series, we collect everything in our Marsupilami coverage.
FAQ
It launched on September 3, 2026.
It is available on Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch, plus PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation and Xbox.
Yes. Marsupilami 2 supports two-player local co-op, so you can play it on one couch.
You get three playable Marsupilamis, each with its own abilities for combat, traversal and environmental interactions, and four main worlds: a jungle, a city, snowy mountains and an underworld-like realm.
Flow Mode is a speed-focused activity built around completing trials without dying, on top of the hidden stages, boss fights, battle dojos and competitive mini-games.