Switch 2 exclusive Orbitals wows with retro anime visuals
The Switch 2 Partner Showcase opened with Orbitals, an exclusive two-player co-op puzzle adventure whose visuals look like an episode of a long-lost anime. The game is the work of Tokyo-based studio Shapefarm, announced earlier in 2026 and due in the summer of 2026.
The Switch 2 is more capable than its predecessor but still falls short of the high end on other platforms, so many players expect Nintendo releases to favor art direction over ultra-realistic graphics. Strong stylistic choices can overturn that expectation—The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker is one such example—and Orbitals leans into cel-shaded visuals that bring to mind Cowboy Bebop.
Footage shows gameplay echoing It Takes Two: a young woman and a blue alien cavort through space, explore futuristic landscapes and shoot enemy ships via split-screen, with each player controlling one character side-by-side.
Japan, Tokyo