If you’re not a fan of the genre it’s easy to write off all 2D platformers as being similar, but that’s simply not the case. While for many early Mario games are the blueprint for this genre, there are lots of different ways to make a platformer. Even just going off childhood favourites you can make a game inspired by Sonic or Donkey Kong Country and create something nostalgic, and completely unique in its own way. As a hardcore Rareware fan from childhood I’ll always come running when someone lists DK as one as their game’s inspirations, and that’s why Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia was a game I had to play.
For those who also skipped the first game in this platforming series (like me) it follows the adventures of the Marsupilamis, who are basically colourful monkey lemur things. This time around their world is being taken over by a melody that’s making animals evil, and only their platforming prowess will save the day. That’s at least what I gathered from a handful of twenty second cutscenes anyway.
The platforming in Marsupilami 2 very much feels like that of Donkey Kong Country, and that’s meant as a massive compliment. Much like those beloved games the different characters all have different powers here too, which are helpful in different situations. All the Marsupilamis have basic platforming skills that are fun to use outside of this too, like a roll to smash enemies, a tail grapple, and of course a satisfying jump to bring it all together.
The special abilities of each coloured protagonist are all a joy to use, because they’re just so useful. The red critter can do an extra upward jump to gain more height, the yellow one can utilise a horizontal air dash and glide like Dixie Kong, and the purple one can turn into a bouncing ball and avoid damage from spikes. Instead of choosing which of these you want to play as though, you’re made to play as a specific two for each level. This means the stages are tailored to their skills perfectly, and you have to master them all.
The variety in stages of Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia is just fantastic, with all sorts of different hazards and obstacles to overcome. The jungle features toucans that launch you like Donkey Kong barrels which I was happy to see, whereas the city has cars you have to dodge and electric currents you can use to unlock secret areas. The stages are all so well designed, and I was always excited to see what was next.
Getting to the end of a stage is all well and good, but there are secrets you’ll probably want to find too. Each stage features five hidden musical notes, as well as a cave with a fun challenge to complete. Completing a stage with enough collectible mangos will also grant you more notes if you’re thorough enough, and you’ll need enough of these to unlock the boss fights at the end of each world. If you’re anything like me you’ll do this way sooner than you need to though, because gathering shiny shit is just so compelling.
There’s one other way to obtain more notes too, and it’s one of my favourite aspects of the game. When you beat a stage you unlock the ability to play it in Salsa mode, which is a score attack mode where you need to collect as many mangos as possible. The catch is that if you collect them quickly enough you’ll gain a multiplier, which means rushing from fruit to fruit in a frenzy. Getting the best ranking on these is devilish hard, making them the perfect challenge for platforming veterans.
I was not prepared for Marsupilami 2 to be quite as wonderful a game as it is, but it does still have some small issues. The main one of these is how sticky the platforming is, with your furry characters often sort of snapping to walls when you don’t want them too. Other than this the only time I was ever frustrated with the game were during some particularly fiendish levels, but that’s kind of the point really.
Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia surpassed all my expectations, and is a platformer that fans of the genre will absolutely devour. With so many well designed stages full of wonderful collectibles, this is 2D platforming at its finest. Marsupilami 2 doesn’t just ape the classics, it hangs with them.
