Today, Nintendo released a Creator’s Voice video that explores the inspiration behind the upcoming co-op game Orbitals.
Creative Director Marcos Ramos emphasizes how Orbitals is inspired by popular 80s anime, with carefully drawn line art that is meant to feel nostalgic to that era. He describes the game as a love letter to the shows that shaped who the creators are, saying that playing the game feels like going back home and watching those shows again with your friends.
To recreate that specific style, the development team went directly to the artists who made those animations back in the day. Animation Director Hidetoshi Yoshida, who brings over 40 years of experience to the project, says he prefers pencil and eraser hand-drawn art over computer animation. The team talks about wanting to recreate not just the look of that era, but the methods used to traditionally make it. Yoshida says they hit the mark with those methods.
Yoshida also emphasizes how important the characters are to the entire work, noting that facial expressions and the timing of the movements are paramount to making the game interesting and authentic to that style.
Orbitals is specifically designed to be played by two people, and that is expressed in the mechanics, music, and essentially every part of the game. The goal isn’t just to recreate the feeling of 80s anime, but to share that feeling with a friend or family member. Players must rely on each other and communicate effectively, with cooperative gameplay mechanics that go deeper than just standing on a switch waiting for your partner to go through a door. Beyond the main campaign, there are both co-op and versus mini-games that players can return to and enjoy between levels.
Finally, the development team explains why they chose to make the game for the Nintendo Switch 2: Game Share makes it easier for two people to play together using just one copy of the game, making it a natural fit for the experience they are trying to create.
You can watch the full 7-minute Creator’s Voice video below.
A trailer for Orbitals was shown during the June Nintendo Direct, coming after the game was announced during last year’s Game Awards show.
Orbitals releases exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 on September 3, 2026.
