It was nearly two years ago when I first played Astro Bears Party on the Nintendo Switch. Now, the Astro Bears have returned to the eShop. Curiously dropping the Party moniker, this is advertised as both a sequel and an update, although it’s more the latter. So, you can check out my original review for a general idea of the game. As an owner, I received this “sequel” (which has replaced the former game) at no cost.

Confusing marketing aside, I’m keen to say = Astro Bears is the recipient of several significant improvements. It has a fun fresh intro. It now has more bears to pick from—twice as many in fact. With this go around it has more planet variety in both visuals and size. It offers more new music tracks which lend some additional excitement to the action. It gives the player more options. These, and more, are compelling.

It also addresses some of my initial, specific concerns. For instance, fish collecting, formerly a weak solo mode, can now be enjoyably tackled in co-op. Also, you’re no longer limited to just a handful of top scores, as Astro Bears has expanded to incorporate local and online leaderboards!

Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much weight a game will carry once your done reviewing it and have moved on to new titles. In Astro Bears’ case, the passage of time has proven my initial assessment wrong to some extent. The game has endured with me and my friends as a multiplayer attraction, and this new iteration is even better. It’s dropped part of its original handle, but Astro Bears is more a party now than it’s ever been.