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You wake up in a meat locker. There is a floating, talking banana named Pedro. He tells you to kill everyone.
That is basically the plot. It doesn't need to be Shakespeare because My Friend Pedro Switch isn't trying to win a Pulitzer; it’s trying to make you feel like John Wick if he had a serious potassium deficiency and a penchant for slow-motion gymnastics. Honestly, playing this on the Nintendo Switch feels like the way it was meant to be experienced. There’s something specifically satisfying about hitting a 360-degree flip while dual-wielding Uzis while you’re sitting on a bus or ignoring your laundry.
Developed by DeadToast Entertainment and published by the chaotic geniuses at Devolver Digital, this game landed on the Switch back in 2019. You’d think by now the novelty of a "ballet of violence" would have worn off. It hasn't.
The Physics of a Sentient Banana
The movement is what separates this from every other side-scroller. You aren't just walking left to right. You are rolling, wall-jumping, and splitting your aim to hit two different guards at once. On the Switch, the Joy-Cons (or the Pro Controller, if you value your hand health) handle the twin-stick shooting surprisingly well.
You’ve got a "focus" meter. Press the stick, and everything slows down. This is where the magic happens.
I remember the first time I found the frying pan. You kick a frying pan into the air, enter slow-mo, and shoot the pan. The bullets ricochet off the metal and auto-target enemies behind cover. It’s ridiculous. It's peak gaming. Viktor Ågren, the solo dev behind DeadToast, clearly spent a lot of time making sure the "feel" of the ricochets felt intentional rather than random. It’s a puzzle game disguised as a bloodbath.
If you just spray and pray, you’ll finish the level, but you’ll get a "C" grade. The game mocks you. To get those "S" ranks, you have to stay in motion. You have to be stylish.
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My Friend Pedro Switch Performance: Does it Chug?
Hardware matters. The Switch isn't a PS5.
Initially, there were concerns about how the physics-heavy engine would hold up when the screen gets filled with explosions, shell casings, and blood splatters. For the most part, it stays locked at a smooth frame rate. There are tiny hitches when things get truly insane—like during the motorcycle chase sequences—but nothing that ruins the flow.
Portable mode is where I spent 80% of my time. The 720p resolution on the handheld screen makes the gritty, industrial art style pop. In docked mode, it scales up, but you start to notice the low-poly count on the environments. Does it matter? Not really. When you’re mid-air, spinning like a deadly ceiling fan, you aren't looking at the texture resolution of a concrete crate.
Comparisons You Should Care About
- PC vs Switch: The PC version obviously allows for mouse aiming, which is objectively more precise. However, the Switch version includes all the content updates and feels more "natural" for short bursts of play.
- The "Blood Bullets and Bananas" Update: This was a freebie that added a timer for speedrunners and several "mutators." You can play with big head mode or infinite focus. It’s included natively in the digital and physical Switch releases now.
The Difficulty Spike Nobody Warns You About
The first half of the game is a power trip. You feel invincible.
Then, the game introduces platforming challenges that require actual precision. Lasers. Moving platforms. High-speed vents. Some people hate this shift. They want to keep shooting, not time their jumps over electrified floors. Honestly, the platforming can be a bit finicky because the protagonist, "The Protagonist" (yes, that's his name), moves with a certain weightiness. He’s a bit floaty.
If you’re coming from a game like Hollow Knight or Celeste, the platforming here will feel "loose." It’s the one area where the game’s physics engine works against it. But then you find a skateboard, and all is forgiven.
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Why We Are Still Talking About This in 2026
The indie scene is crowded. Every week, ten new "retro-inspired" shooters drop on the Eshop. Most of them are forgotten in forty-eight hours. My Friend Pedro Switch survives because it has a distinct identity. It doesn't take itself seriously.
There’s a level that takes place entirely inside Pedro’s "world," which is basically a psychedelic dreamscape filled with smiling clouds and top hats. It’s weird. It’s jarring. It’s exactly what the game needed to break up the gray industrial corridors.
The soundtrack by Noisecream and Battle Tapes is also a massive factor. It’s driving, electronic, and perfectly synced to the rhythm of the gunfights. You don't just play the game; you vibe with it.
A Note on the Physical Edition
Collectors often hunt for the Special Reserve Games or the retail version released by Nicalis. If you can find a physical copy, it usually comes with some stickers and a reversible cover. Given how often digital games disappear from storefronts due to licensing or "re-branding," having the cartridge for a cult classic like this is a smart move for preservationists.
Mastering the Mechanics
To actually get good at this game, you have to stop playing it like a standard shooter.
- Don't forget to dodge. Clicking the left stick makes you spin. While spinning, you are effectively invincible to most gunfire. It looks cool, but it’s a vital survival mechanic.
- Use the environment. Those canisters aren't just there for decoration.
- The "Split Aim." Hold the shoulder button to lock onto one guy, then move the right stick to aim at another. It’s the hallmark move of the game.
It’s a short experience—maybe four to five hours for a single playthrough. But the replayability comes from the leaderboards. Seeing a friend beat your score by 200 points is a personal insult that requires immediate rectification.
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The game lacks a traditional multiplayer mode, which some fans have complained about over the years. Honestly? I think multiplayer would have diluted the focus. This is a lonely, violent journey guided by a fruit. Adding a second player would have broken the carefully tuned "focus" mechanics.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you’re just picking this up on the Eshop today, do yourself a favor and dive into the settings immediately.
- Adjust your sensitivity. The default aim can feel a bit sluggish on Joy-Cons. Bump it up.
- Check the "Hold" vs "Toggle" for slow motion. Depending on how your brain works, one will feel significantly better than the other.
- Play on "Bananas" difficulty eventually. It sounds intimidating, but it forces you to actually learn the ricochet mechanics instead of just tanking hits.
The game is frequently on sale. While it’s worth the full price for the sheer polish of the gunplay, catching it for under ten bucks is an absolute steal. It’s the perfect "pallet cleanser" game between massive 100-hour RPGs.
Go into the Eshop, search for the banana, and get ready to flip. Just don't expect the plot to make any more sense by the end than it did at the beginning. It's a game about a man, a banana, and a lot of empty brass.
Next Steps for Mastery:
- Start your first run on "Normal" to get a feel for the 360-degree aiming window.
- Focus on clearing the "District" levels without using the "Focus" button to train your twitch reflexes.
- Once you finish the story, head to the "Blood, Bullets and Bananas" menu to toggle the "Infinite Focus" modifier if you want to practice complex ricochet shots with the frying pan or signs without the pressure of a depleting meter.