Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia Review – Big Vibes, Brighter Worlds

Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia Review

A couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of the Marsupilami character. After a bit of a deep dive, I’ve discovered this character has its own movie, dates back to the Sega Genesis days, and can be played as a board game as well! The first in this latest installment from Ocellus Services arrived back in 2021 – Marsupilami – Hoobaventure. 5 years later, it’s clear Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia, is a major upgrade. The world is vibrant, inviting, and, as the name itself suggests, is a bundle of fun. So let’s move, groove, and jump into what makes Marsupilami 2 tick.

Marsupilami 2 is a 2.5D platformer that will captivate you from the very start. While the story isn’t anything to write home about, there’s a familiar and comforting vibe to it. It will absolutely have you feeling nostalgic, despite being a brand new game. It feels like a Rayman adventure, Donkey Kong, or Spyro in another universe, and I’m certainly not mad about that. Marsupilami 2 builds upon the adventure set in the first game 5 years ago. You’ll play as a combination of 3 main characters: Twister, Hope, and Punch, trying to break the cursed melody that has all of the creatures on Palombia stuck in a dancing trance. Players will have to adventure across 4 separate worlds, defeating the Mummy Queen and her faithful minions in order to save Palombia from this curse.

Character Powers Make All The Difference

These 4 worlds are very different from each other and were thoughtfully crafted to challenge players throughout the entirety of the game. There’s a boss at the end of each world, and while they feel interconnected, all 4 require different strategies and skills to beat. Each of the characters have their own special “power” that will help you through each of the levels, and these bosses. At the start of each one you’ll be assigned the 2 that will get you through the level with the highest success rate. Twister has a turbo glide which will have you through doors and gates in no time. Hope has a spin jump that will give you height advantages where needed. Punch turns into a bouncy ball, which can blast through items, or can hop around the map at different intensities based on the environment.

Marsupilami 2 switches up which characters you’ll need throughout the game, meaning that it never feels stale, and allows you to fall in love with each of the characters individually. And you absolutely will fall in love with each of them. Now I’ll admit that Punch is the most fun if you’re looking for a little chaos. Within 1 of the worlds you can earn additional currency (fruit) for scoring in randomly set up baskets. It may not seem like a big deal, but these little extra details make the game that much more fun!

Replaying Levels is Tiresome

And you will absolutely want to take every opportunity you can to earn as much fruit, scooping up each of the musical notes, and finding and unlocking the dojo in each level. Not just because you want to complete the game to the best of your ability, but also because you will have to go back and play levels again if you don’t do enough. You can only face off against the boss once you’ve earned enough fruit and musical notes in each world. And they don’t stack between worlds either. Replaying levels over and over takes away from the overall entertainment here. It feels a bit tedious. My advice here is that as long as you’re playing the level again in Salsa mode, you may not have to play through the levels more than twice (once regular and once in Salsa mode).

Marsupilami 2 comes with a couple different modes. Players can swing into the traditional story mode solo, or with a friend in co-op. You can also play against your friends in the Dojo challenges, earning some sweet cosmetic items. If you’re playing the story solo, you will find that switching between characters can be a pain at times. It definitely gets in the way of the game’s flow. Depending on the difficulty you’re playing on, this can be extra frustrating. You’re trying not to die between all of the environmental obstacles, whilst trying to earn as much fruit and grab every single musical note you can. And then you come across a gate that can only be opened by Twister. I died a few times hitting the wrong button while trying to switch between characters on multiple occasions. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to just play on an easier difficulty as a result.

Salsa and More Salsa

Now after you’ve completed each level, this will unlock Salsa mode for that same level. And this is where Masupilami 2 shines. Despite having to complete each level first before unlocking Salsa mode, this is easily the most fun I’ve had while playing a platformer in a long time. Before unlocking and playing the first Salsa mode level, I was genuinely curious about how music would factor into this game so heavily. I mean, sure, it was delightful enough in the background, and the story highlights the importance of the musical curse we’re fighting against. But once you jump into Salsa mode, it all just clicks. You’re playing through the same level you may have just completed but on steroids. It’s faster, louder, and smoother. As long as you keep grabbing fruit, keeping the chain alive, it feels like the game comes alive on a whole other level. It’s captivating and incredibly fun. And who doesn’t want to earn triple the fruit, with additional musical notes too?

Salsa Mode is Elite

Marsupilami 2 isn’t just fun in Salsa mode, but the entirety of the game is vibrant and is high-energy from beginning to end. All 4 worlds bring their own platforming challenges and are crafted so beautifully. Players will start in a jungle that’s lush and green, then move into a lively and buzzy city, then a chilly snowscape and finally to a disco paradise. Each of these worlds, and each level individually, is colorful, engaging and vivacious. They’re created with the player in mind, and are all interconnected. Each of the worlds is very different. They feature different types of music and distinct environmental changes. And yet, each is just as fun. The cut scenes are cutesy and charming. The boss battles are intense, and exhilarating.

The platforming itself is smooth and the levels are designed well. In fact, the platforming itself offers some competition to some of the big names in the genre. Marsupilami 2 plays homage to some of these great platformers like Donkey Kong, Super Mario and Rayman. And you can tell that Ocellus Services wanted their game to feel familiar and fun, yet be able to stand on its own. There’s no doubt that this franchise has a ton of potential.

A Handful of Fun

Marsupilami 2 takes about 5-7 hours to complete in full. While it feels like a decent amount of game to jump into, I would’ve liked more of it. I think adding a fifth world and some secret unlockable levels would’ve made this feel more robust. Overall, Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia lives up to its vibe and its name. Salsa mode is an absolute banger, and the platforming and worlds are nothing short of entertaining. On the flip side, the game feels a bit short, and having to replay levels can get old quickly. It’s still absolutely worth a playthrough, though. Especially if you’ve been looking for a new platformer to jump into this fall.

*** PS5 game code provided by the publisher ***