Play the Updated Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu Demo

[p]Konnichiwa minna-san! 👋
[/p][p]It’s Wedy Jones here with good news: the Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu demo has been updated! 🎉
[/p][p]After the first Playtest, the devs crawled back into their secret developer dojo (whilst dodging banana peels 🍌) and fine-tuned a bunch of fixes, updates, and brand-new features. And guess what? You can try them right now in the Steam demo!
[/p][p]Here’s the deets:
[/p][h3]🏗️ Demo Stage YOLKO HARBOUR (Reworked!)[/h3][p][/p][p]Inspired by Yokohama, this fishing port-themed stage has it all: water, giant carp, anchor-twirling sailors, and yes… a very grumpy Giant Octopus 🐙.[/p]

• [p]We’ve reworked most of the stage to include extra dockside hazards and new environments. [/p]
• [p]Test your sea legs in the all-new cargo ship section, but watch out for Octopus attacks, the water’s about to get a little choppy.[/p]
• [p]Find alternate routes by jumping on dockside machinery like forklifts and scissorlifts. They might launch you to victory… or straight into the drink.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]📸 Photo Mode (✨NEW FEATURE✨)[/h3][p][/p][p]Thought you didn’t need a photo mode in a silly party racer? Think again! Now you can pause mid-race and capture those relivable moments - whether that’s a dramatic tumble, a Shiba Inu ambush, or someone getting sent flying by a giant anchor.[/p][p][/p][p]You can move the camera wherever you like, zoom in and out, and let the auto-focus do the work:[/p]

• [p]Want to take a photo of Zenbei’s luscious eyelashes up close? Go for it. [/p]
• [p]Feel like waving and pretending to be one of the crowd? Absolutely. [/p]
• [p]Or maybe you just want to capture your wildest antics for clout - we don’t judge.[/p]

[p]Here's some screenshots we took using Photo Mode:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]And if you’re more of a sightseer than a stunt photographer, Photo Mode doubles as a mini-tour guide: pan around, read the barrier text, snap your favourite shop signs (Google Translate at the ready) - trust us, they’re worth it.[/p][p][/p][p]You can find Photo Mode in the pause menu.[/p][p][/p][h3]🕺 Strike a Pose on the Podium [/h3][p][/p][p]It didn’t feel very Nippon Marathon to just stand still on the podium while being told you’re the smelliest contestant! [/p][p][/p][p]So each contestant now has their own exhausted animation. But we didn’t stop there.  [/p][p][/p][p]Each contestant also comes with a completely unique set of dance moves to show off while the scores are tallied. Mix and match to create chaotic podium performances and make the stage your personal spotlight! [/p][p](Currently, these animations are only available for player-controlled contestants; AI will get them in a future update.)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Pssst… want to go completely wild and break free from the podium altogether? Enter the secret cheat code:[/p][p]
up down up down left right left right up up down down up up down down [/p][p][/p][p]What was once a bug is now a cheeky feature, you're welcome.[/p][p][/p][h3]👏Other Fun Updates:[/h3]

• [p]The screen now shakes for melon & gas tank explosions making them feel even more dramatic💥[/p]
• [p]Watch out for sneaky finish line gates that love to trick you, some might be a fake![/p]
• [p]Our Create-A-Contestant got a makeover too — updated head and hairstyle models[/p][p][/p]

[p]For a full list of changes since the March Playtest; including bug fixes, performance improvements, and gameplay tweaks, check the Patch Notes at the end of this post. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The demo supports solo, local, and online multiplayer via Steam Remote Play Together![/p][p]It’s the perfect excuse to grab your friends and challenge them to a race, or even a podium dance-off, who really deserves the title of Nippon Marathon Champion![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This might only be one stage, but it gives you a taste of what’s to come in the full game, and a glimpse of just how dedicated we are to making Nippon Marathon 2 the ultimate racing game![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Want even more mayhem? Our Discord Playtest will include these updates plus a brand-new stage — join the community for early access and be part of the fun.[/p][p][/p][p]🔗 Join the Discord -> https://discord.gg/SpsyEHs[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for your patience, enthusiasm, and support. We know you’ve been waiting almost as long for Nippon Marathon 2 as for Silksong, but we promise, it’ll be worth it.[/p][p][/p][p]Stay Daijoubu,
Wedy Jones[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]📝 FULL PATCH NOTES[/h2][p][/p][h3]🐞 Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed pineapple rope line renderer glitch[/p]
• [p]Fixed flag props spawning off-centre (causing them to fall over)[/p]
• [p]Fixed commentary incorrectly saying spectators were blown up[/p]
• [p]Fixed commentary talking about eliminated player’s stamina[/p]
• [p]Fixed inconsistent player order bug[/p]
• [p]Fixed tutorial bug: wrong key assigned for Waving to the crowd[/p]
• [p]Fixed tutorial bug: instructions not progressing if paused[/p][p][/p]

[h3]⚙️ Performance & Technical[/h3]

• [p]Improved loading times[/p]
• [p]Added upscaler options in Settings (⚠️ unstable on Steam Deck, under investigation)[/p]
• [p]Camera updates:[/p]
  • [p]Now follows centre point of all contestants when 4 players are active[/p]
  • [p]Zooms further out when contestants are spread out[/p][p][/p]

[h3]🎮 Gameplay Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Dive skill improved – more useful & predictable[/p]
• [p]CPU AI: better navigation, more variety, smarter obstacle handling[/p]
• [p]Contestants respawn in random order at checkpoints[/p]
• [p]Updated character poses, hairstyles and head models in Create-A-Contestant[/p]
• [p]Weapon visibility improved:[/p]
  • [p]Larger & clearer in gameplay[/p]
  • [p]More realistic in snapshots[/p]
  • [p]Visible in contestant’s hands during snapshots[/p]
• [p]Snapshot camera angles improved[/p]
• [p]Water splash animation upgraded with a new hand-drawn 9-frame spritesheet[/p]
• [p]Item respawn time reduced (2s → 1.5s)[/p]
• [p]Increased cucumber attack range slightly[/p]
• [p]Contestants recover from falls quicker & more reliably[/p]
• [p]Water slows contestants less than before[/p]
• [p]Banana improved: instantly trips enemies, especially when close behind[/p]
• [p]Explosion interaction: pineapple bursts when hit (⚠️ not fully working yet)[/p]
• [p]Elimination rules tweaked:[/p]
  • [p]Must sweat for at least 2s before elimination[/p]
  • [p]Immediate elimination if 15m+ behind 1st place
    [/p]