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Mouse P.I. for Hire has caused quite the stir since it was revealed by Polish developer Fumi Games a couple of years back. Its rubberhose animation style, Doom-inspired boomer shooter gameplay, and Mickey Mouse-esque cast of characters helped it to stand out in the indie scene, and it’s already enjoyed a healthy dosage of positive reception from critics and players alike.
Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: April 16, 2026
So, when I got the chance to try it out on Nintendo Switch 2, it’s safe to say I was pretty excited. Playing detective in a noir, rodent-filled world sounds pretty enticing, right? And given that I had some long-haul flights up ahead, going with the Switch 2 edition to mouse around on the go felt like a no-brainer.
But just how good is Mouse P.I. for Hire on Nintendo Switch 2? And does the indie title nail the boomer shooter formula and 1930s cartoon aesthetic? Here’s what I think after more than 20 hours with the game.
Say hello to my little friend
Welcome to Mouseburg, where the cops are more crooked than an old shrew’s teeth, the ‘cheesehibition’ brings unrest, and the stench of crime lurks on just about every corner. For private investigator Jack Pepper — a war hero and former police officer — mystery awaits, with the cases of a missing magician, a murdered mouse, and a shrew-trafficking ring all drawing his attention.
You’ll have to snoop around Mouseburg, shoot through your foes, dig around for clues, and solve these key cases, which may or may not be interlinked. It’s a fun premise for sure, and although the game is pretty linear, this ensures that the mystery is paced pretty nicely.
When it comes to the investigative aspects, Mouse P.I. keeps things relatively simple. Across various locations, you’ll stumble across clues — such as misplaced notes or photographs — and be tasked with pinning them up at Jack’s office. Here, he will be able to ponder evidence, resolve leads, and decide what action to take.
As a player, you’re not able to give much personal input into the investigation process — much of it unfolds before your eyes as Jack discusses his findings. It could’ve been interesting to see some multiple choice options or to think up correlations between pieces of evidence, but personally, I was happy for the game to take a more agile, straightforward approach.
Other than the main story, you’ll be able to take on side gigs, like gathering info for Jack’s journalist ally Wanda, or locating ingredients for his bar-owner buddy John Brown. The rewards for these aren’t always massive, but getting some extra coins to buy newspapers and comic books, as well as baseball cards required for a simple bar game, is always welcome.
Best bit
Although Fumi Games nailed the black and white 1930s aesthetic, stepping into the film studio and seeing a burst of color was a clever twist and a feast for the eyes.
The main thing to discuss, however, is the game’s combat. This is a first-person shooter that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The boomer shooter formula is executed very well, with fast-paced, brutal, and chaotic shoot-outs that feel thrilling to blast through. There’s a bit of platforming mixed in too, which feels surprisingly sharp — and equally forgiving, as falling will simply respawn you from where you left off.
My only issue with Mouse P.I.’s rodent-packed shoot-ups is the unfortunate lack of enemy diversity. During the game’s approximate 20-hour run time, you’ll encounter the same foes over and over again, which becomes a little dull in the latter stages. There’s the occasional odd creature or robot sprinkled in, and the bosses offer some challenge, but it feels like the Devs could’ve given your enemies more weapon types and more unique looks depending on the area you’re in.
For Pepper, however, things are a bit different. He’s given a neat selection of weapons to wield against his opponents, including the James Gun (a playfully named Tommy Gun), the Boomstick (a shotgun), the Loose Cannon (a cannonball shooter), and more. The James Gun is certainly the most reliable, and it makes a lot of areas easy to tear through, but there’s a hard mode if you want to test your skills.
As a player, you can also choose to play with a controller, with a standard handheld setup, or with…ahem…mouse controls. The latter genuinely works pretty well, although I prefer the comfort of using a Switch 2 Pro Controller, personally. One thing I’ve seen a lot of players lament, however, is the lack of gyro, which is packed into a lot of rival first-person shooters, and it would’ve been great to see here.
A step down on Switch 2
I’ve been pretty positive about Mouse P.I. for Hire so far, and I genuinely think it’s a game that fans of games like Doom Eternal will love. But we’re looking at the Switch 2 version in particular today, and on this platform, the game runs into far too many technical issues.
The biggest issue for this title is its unreliable frame rate. With the Switch 2 docked, Mouse P.I. is targeting 1080p at 60fps (frames per second) in performance mode and 1440p at 40fps in quality mode. In handheld, it’s 900p at 60fps and 1260p at 30fps, respectively. That’s already not the most impressive, after all, this is hardly the most demanding game out there. But Mouse P.I. still struggles to reach some of those figures.
The worst offender is Performance mode. In handheld mode, the game has constant frame drops, which can be pesky during combat situations and a bit of an immersion killer during exploration. Things are a bit better in docked, but I still experienced frequent drops, even when visiting areas like the kitchen by the bar.
Sure, things are a bit steadier in quality mode, but there are still occasional drops, and the lower frame rate just doesn’t lend itself very well to the fast-paced, fluid nature of Mouse P.I.’s gameplay.
On top of this, I discovered other technical oddities, like menus scrolling without me pressing any buttons (no matter what controller I used), overlong loading screens, and even a crash when I was mid-mission.
Don’t get me wrong, Mouse P.I. for Hire is still playable on Switch 2. As frustrating as these issues are, the port is still workable, and I was able to push through the pesky frame drops to get over the line. Apparently, there is a patch in the works to address some of the game’s performance issues, which is a positive sign, although I’d argue that it should’ve played smoother from launch.
Having said this, there is still a lot to love about Mouse P.I. for Hire. Its story is pretty engaging, and the characters are voiced to absolute perfection. Yes, not all of the jokes about cheese land, but using it as a substitute for alcohol during the prohibition era really adds to the 1930s setting.
The rubberhose animation style is also stellar, and suits the noir vibe to a T. In the same way that Cuphead charmed audiences years ago, Mouse P.I. for Hire thrives off its charismatic, frantic, and sometimes bizarre animation. Oh, and that’s not to mention the soundtrack, which features jazz hits from the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, as well as some iconic classical tunes.
All in all, then, Mouse P.I. for Hire on Nintendo Switch 2 leaves me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I’d argue it hits a lot of the right beats when it comes to gameplay, narrative, and visual style. But on the other hand, I have to say, the sloppy performance was a bit of a let down, and makes this specific version of the game tougher to recommend. And that’s where I’m at: Mouse P.I. for Hire is a largely enjoyable, fantastically animated boomer shooter — but if you own another system, like a PS5 or PC, I’d steer clear of the Switch 2 version, unless there’s a major fix rolled out, that is.
Should you play Mouse P.I. for Hire?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility features
There are a fair few ways to customize your experience in Mouse P.I. for Hire. For instance, there are three difficulty levels, you can either toggle or hold down R3 to crouch, you can turn blood effects off, and you can remap controls to your liking. On top of this, you can alter sensitivity, camera controls, aim assist levels, and even visual effects, like depth of field. Subtitles are also available, and you can pick from a wide array of text languages.
How I reviewed Mouse P.I. for Hire
I spent more than 20 hours playing through Mouse P.I. for Hire, during which time I completed the main story, finished a bunch of side quests, and tried nabbing as many collectibles as I could.
Most of the time, I played the game in handheld mode on my Nintendo Switch 2, using the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones to hear in-game audio. However, I did play the game docked from time to time, and had my system connected up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 television and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar.
More generally, I’ve reviewed a bunch of titles here at TechRadar gaming, including everything from Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties through to Kirby Air Riders.
First reviewed April-May 2026
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