Brand-new gameplay footage for Orbitals, the retro anime-inspired co-op adventure, was revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, offering a fresh look at the game’s two-player action ahead of its exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 launch this summer.
Developed as a shared experience from the ground up, Orbitals puts teamwork front and center, tasking players with working together to overcome environmental challenges, arcade-style diversions, and high-stakes space travel.
A Two-Player Journey Through the Stars
In Orbitals, players step into the roles of Maki and Omura, two partners embarking on a desperate mission to save their home from a devastating cosmic storm. The adventure spans dangerous caverns, asteroid-filled space routes, and a variety of playful minigames that offer brief moments of respite between larger challenges.
The game blends classic action-adventure sensibilities with modern co-op design, constantly encouraging communication, coordination, and creative problem-solving.
Tools Built for Cooperation
Progress in Orbitals depends on mastering a shared set of tools, each designed to complement the other player’s actions. These include the Scrap Hook, which allows players to grapple and reposition platforms to create new traversal routes, and the Liquid Launcher, which fires pressurized water to activate distant mechanisms or cool overheated surfaces.
Players also wield the Beam Cannon, a high-powered heat weapon used to destroy obstacles or melt metal barriers. Many challenges require players to combine these tools in clever ways, such as one player melting a girder while the other repositions it, making collaboration essential at every step.
Flexible Co-Op Options on Switch 2
Orbitals supports multiple ways to play together on Nintendo Switch 2. Players can team up locally using two pairs of Joy-Con 2 controllers on a single system with split-screen co-op, or connect through Nintendo Switch 2’s GameShare feature.
GameShare allows players to share Orbitals with another compatible Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch system, while also taking advantage of the Switch 2’s built-in microphone and GameChat to communicate seamlessly during play.
Launching This Summer
Orbitals is scheduled to launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 this summer and is available to wishlist now. Additional updates can be found through the game’s official website and social channels.
