Nippon Marathon

About

Nippon Marathon is a good time party game that supports up to four players locally, with wacky multiplayer racing action set across various creative and challenging levels in Japan. Expect to dodge obstacles, throw fruit, and encounter surprising events in this unique and exciting party experience. Solo play is also available, but the game really shines with friends.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

+13

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 183 reviews

humor46 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Nippon Marathon is a hilarious and chaotic party game that provides endless laughs, especially when played with friends.
The game features unique and quirky characters, a fun soundtrack, and a variety of bizarre obstacles that enhance the overall experience.
It offers a mix of gameplay modes, including a story mode and local multiplayer, making it a great choice for casual gaming sessions.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
Graphics and controls are often described as janky and unpolished, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
The lack of online multiplayer limits its replayability, making it less appealing for those who prefer to play with friends remotely.

humor
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Nippon Marathon" is widely praised for its absurdity and nonsensical charm, often eliciting genuine laughter from players, especially in a party setting. Many reviews highlight the game's quirky characters, funny commentary, and chaotic gameplay reminiscent of Japanese game shows, making it a delightful experience for friends and family. However, some critics feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with occasional attempts at wackiness falling flat.
- “I was snort laughing at the absurdity of literally everything.”
- “As catchy J-pop plays, a monkey taking a selfie will appear in the corner of the screen while contestants dodge Shiba Inu dogs and a commentator adds funny remarks in broken English: the events taking place are completely bonkers, and it’s a joy to participate in such a funny race.”
- “Nippon Marathon is a party racing game for runners in a funny and crazy Japanese game show!”
story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The game's story mode is praised for its humor, memorable characters, and engaging narrative, offering a unique blend of visual novel elements and racing gameplay. While the storyline is described as nonsensical and silly, it provides a fun experience with distinct character arcs, though some players find the abundance of unskippable cutscenes and slow pacing frustrating. Overall, the story is considered a highlight, adding depth and replay value to the game despite some technical issues and repetitive elements.
- “Really cute story and memorable characters.”
- “9/10 genuinely a fun game! I loved the story, especially the characters, and the gameplay was very enjoyable as well!”
- “All of the characters in story mode are unique and enjoyable, and have distinct personalities that really shine in the cutscenes between races.”
- “Not sure I'll complete the rest of the stories as I assume it's the same storyline with a different character.”
- “Also, the story mode has a lot of non-interactive scenes with unskippable text.”
- “If there weren't all the filler cutscenes (which are decent & appreciated), it wouldn't be too bad, but having to watch them all again just to get back to a point in the story mode that you were at isn't the most enjoyable experience and is a massive waste of the player's time.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its fun and chaotic nature, especially in multiplayer settings, while others find it repetitive and clumsy. Although the core mechanics are simple and can be entertaining with friends, the lack of clarity in scoring and a confusing tutorial detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers unique ideas and humor, but its execution may not appeal to everyone.
- “But it's not just a joke game with a lot of really cool ideas, the gameplay is actually fun as well.”
- “The core gameplay is simple (just run), but with a few friends, it quickly becomes a whole new game - it becomes less about running and more about making sure your friends can't run.”
- “[frantic and inexplicably fun gameplay, can tag in and drop out of races at any point, great eight player party modes, humour to match the game's brilliantly stupid content].”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't follow suit.”
- “Gameplay feels quite repetitive, and the things that affect your score most are not only non-obvious, but there are few hints on how to optimize them, either.”
- “The tutorial isn't super comprehensive, and some aspects of the gameplay and the scoring system remain confusing.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics of "Nippon Marathon" are intentionally quirky and janky, resembling a chaotic blend of meme culture and Japanese game show aesthetics, which some players find amusing while others see as mediocre. While the vibrant colors and character designs add to the game's unique charm, many reviews note that the textures and overall graphical quality could benefit from significant improvements. Ultimately, the visuals are not the main focus of the game, but their basic nature may detract from the experience for some players.
- “The graphics contribute to the weirdness, a mix of flashy colors and characters with hyper-realistic background textures.”
- “The artwork surrounding the main story characters and the visual novel elements are well done.”
- “Nippon Marathon isn’t going to be everyone’s taste – those eye-wateringly janky visuals (whether by design or not) and the nature of physics-driven racing are an acquired taste that most people are going to tire of, fast.”
- “On the aesthetic front, the graphics seem purposely bad because they seem like meme-bait.”
- “Welcome to Nippon Marathon, a game whose aesthetic can be described as a Japanese game show host's fever dream after playing Speedrunners once.”
- “Nippon Marathon isn’t going to be everyone’s taste – those eye-wateringly janky visuals (whether by design or not) and the nature of physics-driven racing are an acquired taste that most people are going to tire of fast.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
45%
18%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and engaging soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience whether playing solo or with friends. Reviewers appreciate the fun and exciting sound effects, which contribute to a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a Japanese game show. However, some users have requested additional sound options for better customization.
- “The courses are great, the music is awesome. I bought this during a sale and it was worth every penny!”
- “The music is fun and exciting, and the sound effects make you feel like you are watching a Japanese game show.”
- “Just one thing, though: please add sound options (volume control for music, announcer, and sound effects).”
- “Besides an energetic and unobtrusive soundtrack, there's also a marathon commentator who makes funny remarks, creating a full picture of what's happening.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the intentional jankiness and find it adds to the fun, many others report that the numerous bugs make the game unplayable and not worth its price. Overall, the consensus leans towards the game being excessively buggy, detracting from the overall experience.
- “It's way too buggy.”
- “Fun but this game is too buggy to be worth 15 dollars.”
- “There will probably be some glitches.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game offers significant replayability due to its charming party game mechanics, diverse characters, and a variety of unlockable content, including courses, mini-games, and features. Frequent updates enhance the experience, making it a recommendable choice for players seeking ongoing enjoyment.
- “There are 4 main characters, each has their story with nonsense humor to walk through the 8 courses with rich Japanese culture, stuff to unlock, some other mini-games and party modes, so the replay value is there.”
- “More items, more courses, more playable characters, more announcer lines, more mini-games, more features, more mechanics, more special moves, more anime/cultural references, additional background songs, online multiplayer, etc.”
- “I can recommend it as development is frequent, and the game is in a well-playable state and has a lot of replay value.”
- “There are 4 main characters, each with their own story filled with nonsensical humor to navigate through the 8 courses, which are rich in Japanese culture. While there are things to unlock, mini-games, and party modes, the overall replay value feels limited.”
- “The game has a lot of features like items, courses, playable characters, announcer lines, mini-games, and special moves, but despite these additions, the replayability doesn't hold up over time.”
- “While the game is frequently updated and in a playable state, the replay value is not as high as expected, making it hard to recommend for long-term enjoyment.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a deep and touching story that evokes discomfort, particularly due to frustrating gameplay mechanics that can detract from the narrative experience. Players feel that fully appreciating the story often requires skipping cutscenes, as repeated failures can overshadow the emotional impact.
- “The story is deep and touching, but to enjoy it fully, you have to skip all the cutscenes.”
- “You just keep dying on things you have no control over; touching the wall makes you fall too.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game enjoyable as a party experience with friends, but note that the grinding aspect can become tedious due to a lack of content over time.
- “Great party game with friends, though it can get quite tedious after a while because it doesn't have much content.”