Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 49 | 9 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 178 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 7, 2026) · 1 reviews sampled · 1 total reviews in window · weighted 0.3 up / 0 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (25)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“Nippon Marathon isn't not going to be everyone's tastes, 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. However, look past the surface and there's a multiplayer experience here that will appeal to fans of Gang Beasts and the like, who just want a silly party game that cares not for seriousness in any form.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Playing Solo you’re most likely going to spend your time in the very weird Story Mode where you’ll ge to try to progress through the multiple stages of this annual event and hopefully get to the final race where you’ll face the infamous Handsome Hazuki...”
read full review ↗ - 20
“Nippon Marathon is an atrocious game. The kind of "wacky" that is trying far too hard to be funny and failing in every way. Cringeworthy. Buggy. Dull. Between the terrible gameplay and the appalling writing, it's hard to keep playing and not just turn this off for literally anything else. Absolute shovelware, and one of the worst to come to Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Nippon Marathon is a curious multiplayer game that unfortunately falls prey to its own over the top nature. ”
read full review ↗ - 35
“Nippon Marathon in theory is a good idea, but when it came to actually playing the game I did not enjoy myself and I really wanted to. Maybe there’s fun to be had if played with friends but I was so put off myself that I wouldn’t force any friends to play it. ”
read full review ↗ - 40
“In the end having extra modes beyond the main game do nothing to help Nippon Marathon remain a fun time for more than a few hours at most. It would be impressive as a final project for a college course and is still good for a few laughs at a party, but those fleeting good times are not enough for me to recommend this game.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Weird Japan race is so cute and simple-minded, but somehow funny. Especially with friends in party mode.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Nippon Marathon is a game that is proud to be exactly what it is. There are no pretences or delusions of grandeur, just good clean fun. Playing with friends is sure to bring a fair few laughs as you rain watermelons down on your rivals. Just be prepared to be taken out by sudden barrels and hordes of cute dogs.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Nippon Marathon could have been a fun and enjoyable party game: its unusual concept and amount of game modes are a good start but sadly, they cannot overcome the game's poor gameplay experience, which will quickly drive any player into bouts of frustration and repetitiveness, not to mention that the game's audiovisual component is simply outdated and nowhere near what is expected at this day and age.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If I had to pick a single word to describe Nippon Marathon, it would be fun. While I struggle to ascertain exactly which part of this beautiful mess calls to me so, I can recommend it for anybody looking for a wild multiplayer experience. Pick up four controllers and get ready for the marathon of your life.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Don’t bother with Nippon Marathon if you don’t a have company to play the game with or if saying “keep it real, keep it Nippon” makes you irritated. Everyone else, though, forget cheap production values and throw yourself broad-mindedly into the craziness of Nippon Marathon!”
read full review ↗ - 50
“With its Takeshi's Castle style, Nippon Marathon will delight those who enjoy the peculiar and ridiculously funny style of these contests, although neither technically nor playable is anything special.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Push Square
ZTGD
NintendoWorldReport
SECTOR.sk
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
GBAtemp
Darkstation
IGN…and 13 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Nippon Marathon 2 : Daijoubu Major Update - NM2 0.42fJun 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Nippon Marathon Unity Security PatchOct 13, 2025
- Play the Updated Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu DemoSep 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- All hail a Nippon Marathon update (and much more)Sep 30, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Kickstarter Update: New Features RevealedOct 1, 2020
- Update v1.02: Now Live!Dec 31, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Update Imminent: Details here!Dec 28, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Update - Version 0751: Fruit, Mazes & a Speed Increase of 25?Aug 18, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Controller Assignment Fixed!Jul 7, 2018
- The update you’ve all been waiting for IS FINALLY HERE!Jun 18, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Huge Update ImminentJun 4, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Update - News on Unsafe SakeApr 30, 2018
- Patch Notes - 0.478Apr 29, 2018significant · resets scoring window