Imagine running a marathon in a lobster onesie, dodging exploding melons, ravenous Shiba Inu dogs, and bizarre TV game show antics. That’s Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu!

But what does “Daijoubu” mean? It’s a popular Japanese phrase meaning “It’s okay,” “I’m fine,” or “Everything’s under control!”—exactly what you’ll be shouting (or hoping) as you navigate Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu’s outrageous courses packed with unexpected surprises.

With ragdoll physics that defy logic, a cast of eccentric characters, and courses bursting with absurd hazards, just about anything can happen—and it probably will.

Leaning further into its Japanese TV theme, Nippon Marathon 2 is set to leave fans shouting “Konnichi-what?!” instead of “Konnichiwa!”

Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu is coming to Steam Early Access in Q2 2025, bringing even more hilarity and chaos to your screens.

Expect fresh features to be added throughout development, including new contestants (like the egg-haired man, Mister BREAKFAST who desperately wants to replace all meals with breakfast food), brand-new marathons, casual and ranked online modes, and a fully-fledged single-player campaign.

"Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu is separate from the Kickstarter version of Nippon Marathon 2. After the unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign for Nippon Marathon 2 in 2020 and some health challenges, we decided to pause its development and focus on a smaller project, SUPER 56.

After discussing developing the sequel for Nippon Marathon, we opted to take the game in a new direction compared to the KS edition. While this updated game won’t feature stages from around the world like the KS edition, we’re open to incorporating some of those earlier ideas as post-launch content if it makes sense down the line—though we can't guarantee anything at this stage."

“With Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu, we’re taking a giant leap forward. Every aspect of the game has been rebuilt from the ground up, featuring improved gameplay, greatly enhanced visuals, all new hand-crafted stages and painstakingly detailed characters. Early Access provides an opportunity for us to collaborate with you, our community. Your input via Discord and the Steam Community Forums will be key to making Nippon Marathon 2 the best it can be. We will also be introducing an online mode, which we intend to develop alongside your continued feedback.”

“Four contestants will be available at Early Access launch, along with an early version of our new Create-A-Contestant feature. You can play locally with friends and CPU or via Remote Play Together. The game currently includes three marathon stages, each packed with unique and exciting hazards, traps, weapons, and Shiba inu. All content in the Early Access release is subject to change as we plan to use your feedback to improve as many aspects of the game as possible.”

“During the Early Access period, we plan to introduce a variety of exciting new content and features. We plan to add new contestants as development continues such as the brand-new character Mister BREAKFAST. Brand new marathons, unique outfits, expanded create-a-character options, a fully-fledged online mode, and the return of the fan-favourite turn-based party game L.O.B.S.T.E.R. MODE from the original Nippon Marathon along with brand-new party games are planned too.

A fully-fledged story mode campaign is planned featuring quests (such as helping an old lady get to the discount onigiri before it’s gone) and shiny collectible items. We’ll be sharing our development roadmap via the Steam Community Forums and our Discord too.

Usually the localisation for a videogame is one of the last things to be done once the game’s native text is fully complete. Seeing as we're launching in Early Access please excuse the use of machine translation. Machine translations will be mainly placeholder until the final release at which point we intend to include professional localisation. We've taken this approach so that we can include as many communities as possible in the Early Access period.”

Key Features:

• Hilarious New Stages: From urban streets and ramen museums to hillside temples and bamboo forests, each stage brims with wacky obstacles and surprises. Explore Shika Shika Deer Town, Yolko Harbour, and Poodle Hill Zone—where you might even find an old lady battling for fresh bread!
• Bigger, Better Gameplay: Enjoy fresh hazards, fruity weapons like the devastating Whirling Cucumber, and new game-show interruptions, including surprise Shiba Inu appearances.
• Expanded Features: Customize your character with Create-a-Contestant, compete in online ranked modes, or dive into a fully-fledged single-player campaign.
• Multiplayer Mayhem or Solo Glory: Battle with friends or CPU rivals in a chaotic contest for game show supremacy.
• Epic Soundtrack: Stay pumped with an electrifying soundtrack that keeps the energy high.

Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu is in development for PC (Steam).