Nippon Marathon

 Xbox One
Metascore
49

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 3 out of 5
  1. Xbox Tavern
    Dec 20, 2018
    38
    Nippon Marathon is a waste of digital space. The game’s seemingly fun Takeshi’s Castle-like concept is completely undermined by its several technical issues and questionable design choices. Even with that cluster-mess to the side, the game at its core attempts to be both wacky and innovative through the character of its outlandish foundation, but only comes off as poorly developed, boring, and ultimately frustrating.
  2. XboxAddict
    Jan 14, 2019
    35
    If this had online multiplayer, it would be a little more entertaining and exciting, but I can’t picture a time where I would load this up over the other party games I have whenever I have company over. Nippon Marathon is zany, wacky and simply odd, but it feels like a marathon trying to finish it at times. Unless you’re dying to race as a lobster-man, hold off until a really deep discounted sale before entering this marathon.
  3. ZTGD
    Jan 8, 2019
    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.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Dec 18, 2018
    8
    There’s a decent amount of content present for a good price and the variety present in the content means things stay fresh and interesting forThere’s a decent amount of content present for a good price and the variety present in the content means things stay fresh and interesting for longer. The gameplay is completely insane and doesn’t stop being insane throughout so expect to have a lot of fun and real laugh out loud moments. While it’s enjoyable when playing on your own the game truly shines when played with friends and it’s also very addictive when played this way as well. Technically the game held up really well throughout and the controls remained tight and responsive with no real problems. I was a little disappointed to learn that there were no online components included in the game. The presentation side of the game is too repetitive for its own good so expect both the visuals and sound design to become average after some time with the game despite the fun that is overall present. Sometimes the races can feel a little unfair and every now and then the gameplay does make you have more frustrating than fun moments. The best word to describe Nippon Marathon is definitely unorthodox, because I’m not exaggerating when I say that this game is completely insane. In fact this insanity is without a doubt the game’s unique selling point and while it does have a few shortcomings the insanity will keep you coming back for more time and time again. You’ll be pleased to know then that in terms of content the game has a decent amount for you to get to grips with and each mode has tons of variety as well. Despite this though it still would have been nice to have been able to play this game in an online capacity but unfortunately there isn’t one available to you. I did however tend to forget about the lack of online though and that’s mainly down to the game being so much fun when playing with friends, and this for me is when the game truly shines. Dont get me wrong it can also be enjoyed on your own as well but when played this way you will feel that the races are a little unfair at times and you will get frustrated more because of this. At the end of the day though Nippon Marathon does get a solid recommendation from me because there isn’t really anything quite like this on the Xbox One and this uniqueness does hide the little shortcomings the game suffers with meaning the fun factor stays high for the most part. Thumbs up party fun!… Full Review »
  2. tom2tums
    Feb 1, 2021
    9
    So, why is this so hated? Sure it has the graphics of a certain 1998 platformer, but this has the same charm as that game, they should justSo, why is this so hated? Sure it has the graphics of a certain 1998 platformer, but this has the same charm as that game, they should just call it japanese sonic adventure, its as fun as hell, good unclean fun!… Full Review »
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