This isn’t a mere coincidence anymore. With Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia, it is now a scientific fact that combining Microids, Ocellus Studio, a 2D platforming gameplay loop, and a Belgian comic book franchise will result in a pretty damn good time. Whether we’re talking about the previous Marsupilami game or the shockingly entertaining The Smurfs: Dreams, Ocellus Studio has firmly established itself as a team capable of crafting delightful 2D sidescrollers with gorgeous visuals, great music, and inventive level design.

Moreover, their games consistently manage to transcend the usual “recommended if you’re a fan of the source material” caveat. They’re simply good platformers in their own right, regardless of whether you know anything about the characters beforehand. So, with that track record pretty much established, let’s see if their latest endeavor can keep the trend going.

Marsupilami 2 is a graphical enhancement over its predecessor, but you gotta take into account that this game was made for a different console generation.

The first Marsupilami game, released in 2021, wasn’t a game changer in any way or shape, but was a polished and entertaining platformer clearly inspired by Donkey Kong Country. You played as the titular character, whatever species he’s supposed to be, in levels full of optional puzzles, platforming gauntlets, and fruit to collect. You could glide for a bit, use your tail as a whip, and also pretend it was a grappling hook of sorts, latching onto certain targets and objects. Nothing out of the ordinary, but still fun. So, what’s the difference this time around?

Enemies are cute, but still deadly.

The main improvement seen in Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia over its predecessor is the inclusion of two additional playable characters. Apparently, the protagonist from the first game is called Twister, and he’s still a playable character. The two newcomers are the orange-colored Hope, who has a spinning jump that allows her to reach higher platforms than Twister, and Punch, a purple-colored Marsupilami (just found out they’re a species, by the way) who can morph into a nigh-invincible bouncing ball. You can then hop around as this ball in order to avoid attacks, land onto spikes, and reach other platforms. It’s a borderline broken ability, in my opinion, which makes each level you can play Punch hilariously entertaining.

Just like in the first game, toucans act as the barrels from Donkey Kong Country.

You cannot exactly play as any of the three characters in any level. Instead, each level in Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia has you playing as two preset protagonists, which can be swapped with the press of a button. You can also enjoy the game in a cooperative two player mode. Each level is then crafted with their specific abilities in mind. Getting from point A to point B isn’t the hardest task in the world, but collecting musical notes, which act as the main macguffins used to unlock the final boss battle at the end of each world, is. You’ll need to carefully pay attention at visual clues and the overall level design to understand which Marsupilami you gotta use in order to solve said puzzle. Again, it is NOT the reinvention of the wheel. But it doesn’t need to be. It’s just well-designed.

The purple Marsupilami can morph into a nigh-invincible ball, whilst the orange one can perform a high (and floaty) jump.

As for the presentation, Marsupilami 2 feels very similar to its predecessor. Said predecessor was already good looking, so that’s not a bad thing to be compared to, but you have to take into account that a lot has changed in terms of graphical benchmarks over the last six years. So even if, sure, Marsupilami 2 features better lighting effects and slightly more polished animations, I’d say it basically retains the same degree of visual quality.

What has improved, and by a wide margin, is the soundtrack. I have no idea of who was responsible for the composition of this game’s soundtrack, but I’m now a huge fan of said musician. This completely caught me off guard; whilst the previous Marsupilami game had a decent soundtrack, I was already shocked with how epic and catchy the first song in the first level was. Things never stopped sounding epic and well-composed from then onwards. Without a doubt, the best element in this game as a whole.

Some trippy visual effects when you enter a bonus level.

A living, breathing example that a good game doesn’t need to be revolutionary, and that a good sequel certainly doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia adds just enough new gameplay elements to make what was already a pretty good platformer even more entertaining. Throw in some charming visuals and a fantastic soundtrack, and you’ve got a little hidden gem of a platformer that might be easy to overlook at first due to its licensed nature. Don’t let that fool you, though. Just like its predecessor, this is an absolute treat, and a must have for fans of the genre.

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB and Asus ROG Ally.

A copy of Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia was provided by the publisher.