Orbitals is a nostalgic hit of split-screen platforming, puzzles and ’90s anime
It feels like childhood
By Mat SmithJuly 7, 2026 9:00 am EST
My final demo at Summer Game Fest 2026 (I promise this is the last story) was the retro-anime-styled Orbitals. As a Switch 2 exclusive, it was also one of the bigger games being showcased inside Nintendo’s briefing area. Orbitals is billed as a two-player puzzle adventure game, which can be played both locally and online. The SGF demo area was styled like a ’90s-era kids’ bedroom — there were beanbags — with attendees paired up for their co-op session
I quickly discovered that, unlike other recent co-op games like It Takes Two, there’s no major difference between the twin protagonists, Maki and Omura. During the demo, playing as the spectacled Omura, I was able to swap tools with my partner, and we decided between us who’d pilot the ship and who’d handle the ship’s guns
With plenty of early exposition out of the way, our characters barged into their spaceship. It’s an asymmetrical co-op game, meaning you’ll mostly play in vertical split screen. We were soon picking up lasers and grappling hooks, and gently guiding you into how to solve puzzles in Orbitals
It’s predictable but satisfying to nail your timing and simple experimenting. Part of the ship would rotate, and our duo would have to quell the fire before replacing covers or reconnecting simple circuitry, after extracting a unit with a grappling hook
While not mind-blowingly challenging, I’d frame the puzzles as deviously playful. A press-the-buttons-on-screen task between my partner and me failed a few times, especially when the game introduced the equivalent of an Uno Reverse card. Honestly put, you play by messing up, learning from your mistakes, and hopefully not repeating them
Nintendo
Eventually, we briefly jetted into space towards a cosmic storm on the horizon. I got to shoot some spaceship turrets before my demo timed out. The wider game will involve spacefaring, completing puzzles wherever you land, and even more minigames and tasks in your own spaceship and in the hub
The ”80s-’90s anime art style is hypnotic, with countless cutscenes interspersed through the early part of Orbitals I played. Character design and the seemingly hand-painted backgrounds during cutscenes reminded me of Gundam, Sailor Moon and Saint Seiya. If it’s not the sound effects that scream Mobile Suit Gundam, it’s the Tuxedo Mask-adjacent look of the spaceship leader. (Sailor Moon and Ranma apparently inspired the two protagonists)
Developer Shapefarm teamed up with Studio Massket, based just down the road in Tokyo, to work on both art direction and cutscenes. In fact, Toru Yoshida, who drew on the original Gundam series, worked as a guest director on the project. Apparently, the animation studio had to relearn older animation techniques and styles to replicate the look of older anime shows
During gameplay, the characters move at a lower frame rate than the 3D environments around them, making them feel closer to their animated counterparts. And for that true Saturday-morning anime feeling, Orbitals will feature English dubs alongside the Japanese audio
According to the teasers, we didn’t get to play some of the side-scrolling parts that were teased. These bring the players back to share a screen, with all the nostalgic chaos that involves. Suppose you’ve ever played Super Mario or Sonic with a less competent sibling — that feeling. The team has promised that each area will have its own unique approach. I look forward to seeing how creative they get
Orbitals arrives on Switch 2 on September 3, 2026
