Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia Delivers Top-Tier 2D Platforming Joy

Screenshot: Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia

Before I played this game, I had no idea what a marsupilami was. I thought it was a novel character created by developer Ocellus Studio for their Donkey Kong Country-like Marsupilami: Hoobadventure, and that Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia was just its follow-up. It turns out, in fact, this is a character that has been long established.

Which, honestly, is a bit how my Moomin knowledge was before I played Winter’s Warmth. I guess if it’s not a video game, I just don’t really know about it. Which is a bit ironic because I didn’t really catch Marsupilami: Hoobadventure when it first released to fan and critical acclaim–if not big sales numbers. But now that I’ve had a chance to spend some time with marsupilamis (marsupilamii?) Punch, Twister, and Hope I’m glad I discovered these strange creatures.

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is a side scrolling Donkey Kong Country flavored sidescroller. That means precision platforming, and lots and lots of collectibles. And that’s exactly what Marsupilami 2 delivers. Now with added co-op!

And while I want to mention the drop-in/drop-out co-op, I didn’t actually have a chance to test it out before this review. There are also obstacles that can only be overcome by one of the three characters, occasionally requiring you to switch between them as you play.

Screenshot: Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia

Each of the three characters have their own abilities. Twister can do an air dash and hover like Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog. Punch can turn into a giant bouncy ball that is immune to spikes and Hope can bounce on purple enemies without taking damage. You have control over two predetermined characters in each level, which is a bit of a bummer. I would have loved to be able to choose who I wanted to take. All characters have a long tail that can help them hook onto specific grab points and swing or ride. 

While Donkey Kong Country was obviously an inspiration for Marsupilami 2, I can’t help but sense there’s a bit of Crash Bandicoot and other old school platformers thrown in. Maybe it’s just the island theme, especially with one of the main collectibles looking like mangos. The game just calls them ‘fruit’ and they serve the same function as the bananas in Donkey Kong Country.  If they stuck closer to the original 1950s source material, the marsupilamis would be eating piranhas instead. Or also. 

Palombia, the fictitious island chain where Marsupilami 2 takes place has four distinct zones, each with its own hazards and end boss. Each level is not only packed full of collectibles, but also has a challenge inside that is itself a secret to find. On top of that, there are competitive battle dojos for each zone which provide a further set of challenges to conquer. There is also a dedicated speedrun (ish) mode called Flow Mode where you have to clear a series of trials quickly, and without dying. 

Screenshot: Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia

While Salsa Palombia invokes that Donkey Kong Country feel, it doesn’t feel as difficult (outside of its challenge modes). Don’t get me wrong: Marsupilami 2 is a difficult sidescroller worthy of being compared to DKC, but it just never gets to the white knuckle intensity as its inspiration does. Maybe I’ve skilled up considerably since I’ve played Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, but I feel like I was breezing my way through sections of Marsupilami 2 that looked like they should have been more difficult. Not that it’s an easy game, especially when it comes to some of the challenges.

I’m glad I got a chance to play through Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia–it’s my favorite platformer this year. It’s a game that is tough enough for anyone to play, but wholesome and friendly in a way that you rarely see outside of Nintendo games. In fact, if you told me that Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia was a new Nintendo IP, I’d believe you.