Developer Shapefarm and animation studio Studio Massket are bringing a vibrant dose of retro anime nostalgia to the Nintendo Switch 2 with Orbitals, a two-player co-op puzzle adventure that wears its ’90s influences proudly on its sleeve.

Revealed during Summer Game Fest 2026 and launching exclusively on Nintendo’s latest console on September 3, 2026, Orbitals is an asymmetrical co-op game played primarily in vertical split-screen. Think classic couch co-op but with a heavy dose of hand-painted Gundam, Sailor Moon, and Saint Seiya aesthetic — and the gameplay to match.

Co-op Chaos With a Retro Soul

Unlike other recent co-op titles such as It Takes Two, there’s no major mechanical difference between the twin protagonists, Maki and Omura. Instead, players can swap tools freely and decide between themselves who pilots the ship and who mans the guns. The demo, set inside a lovingly recreated ’90s-era kid’s bedroom at Nintendo’s Summer Game Fest briefing area, paired attendees up for hands-on sessions.

“It’s predictable but satisfying to nail your timing and simple experimenting,” writes Engadget’s Mat Smith, who played the demo. “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.”

The puzzles are described as “deviously playful” rather than mind-blowingly challenging — the kind of game where you learn by messing up, then try not to repeat your mistakes. A press-the-buttons-in-sequence task even introduces an “Uno Reverse”-style twist that caught players off guard.

Anime Authenticity

The game’s art direction is its standout feature. Developer Shapefarm teamed up with Tokyo-based Studio Massket to work on both art direction and cutscenes. Notably, Toru Yoshida, who drew on the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, served as a guest director on the project.

To capture the authentic look of older anime, the animation studio reportedly had to relearn older animation techniques and styles. During gameplay, characters animate at a lower frame rate than the 3D environments around them — a deliberate choice that makes them feel closer to their hand-drawn animated counterparts.

For the full Saturday-morning cartoon experience, Orbitals will feature English dubs alongside the original Japanese audio.

What’s in Store

The Summer Game Fest demo offered a taste of ship-based puzzle solving, space combat, and grappling hook antics. Players briefly jetted into space toward a cosmic storm, manning ship turrets before time ran out. The full game promises spacefaring exploration, puzzles on every landing zone, and additional minigames aboard both your ship and the central hub.

Side-scrolling sections — where the screen unifies and brings back that chaotic shared-screen feeling reminiscent of Super Mario or Sonic played with a less skilled sibling — were teased but not yet playable. The team has promised each area will have its own unique approach.

Orbitals launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 3, 2026.