Pico Park 2 shows that the Switch is still getting good new games

Given the excitement surrounding the rumored Nintendo Switch 2, it’s easy to miss new games released for the current Nintendo Switch consoles. The recent Nintendo Direct presentation seemed to rattle off a bunch of random titles with little attention paid to each game, and the console hasn’t received a new release in a while, save for the most recent. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. However, between the two exciting future Switch and the slow death of the present, I write here to make sure that one game in particular is not buried: Pico Park 2.

Although the game can be different depending on what mode you play, or even what level you play on, the general Pico Park 2 is pretty straightforward. You and your friends will team up and cooperate in various platforming games. You will jump on each other, hit keyboards on each other, and work together to solve each short level. Pico Park 2 allows eight players to join at once, but you can play with as few as two, and the game has decided to create levels to suit the players.

In my opinion, the more people you have, the more fun, and having at least four players is ideal. Much of the fun comes from the frustration (and coordination required) of having eight people jumping around the screen simultaneously. You may need to carefully assemble to build a bridge over a large gap or decide how to cross separate platforms with each person connected by a bungee cord. The games are very different, and some levels even have a combination of bullet-hell arcade gameplay where you are shooting monsters together.

Every time the screen loads, you don’t know what to expect. However, everything can be played with a simple control concept and a Joy-Con. There may be a special gimmick, like a vacuum that you use to suck up your friends and complete the challenge, but the controls are pretty simple. In my experience, this makes the game enjoyable for many reasons, but can also be good for all types of players.

The game has different groups of levels that are organized by theme and gameplay, so if you are stuck on one group of levels, you can try one of the dozen others. If you don’t want to work together, you can choose to play some competitive minigames. I played with my boyfriend, who hasn’t touched a video game machine since Wii Sportsand my cousin Mario’s 8-year-old brother, and everyone was able to easily pick up the game and have a fun time. Although there are many skills, the high that comes from successfully competing as a team never gets old, no matter how many shouts there are.

So if you’re looking for a great gem of a game to keep and tide you over until the Switch 2 comes out, or just want to remind yourself that the Nintendo Switch is still great, I recommend picking up the sleeping-on Pico Park 2.

Pico Park 2 available to play on Mac, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.