Indie games are often the sources of some of the most innovative ideas out there. A lot of these games also wear their inspiration on their sleeves. It’s impressive when a game can both bring its own unique ideas to the table while also paying homage to the titles that inspired it. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is one such game. A lovingly crafted and self-proclaimed “Yoyovania” that pays homage to titles like The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania while still maintaining its own unique identity. No small feat, but Pipistrello accomplishes it.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo follows Pippit, a self proclaimed yoyo champion and member of the Pipistrello family. The Pipistrellos are famed and feared energy moguls that built a thriving business. One day when Pippit visits his auntie, The Madame, to ask for money, rival entrepreneurs attack. Afterwards, Pippit embarks on a mission to find the entrepreneurs and steal back the valuable energy source they took. After all, can’t ask for money for yoyoing if the family goes bankrupt. The story isn’t anything groundbreaking but it serves its purpose in providing a narrative frame for the games events.
Fortunately, the gameplay is where Pipistrello shines. Pippit’s proud of his yoyo skills, as he should be since those are being put to the test. He uses his trusty yoyo to attack enemies, hit switches and solve the various puzzles he comes across. There’s a surprising amount of depth and variety with the yoyo tricks. Hitting angled walls causes the yoyo to bounce off and go in a different direction, allowing Pippit to hit things around corners. I enjoyed having to pay attention to map layout and consider the best angles to approach the puzzles from. I did find the game to be a little challenging in places, either due to the number of enemies on screen or the delicate platforming. But neither of these is a game breaker and difficulty is freely adjustable in the settings. As the adventure continues, Pippit learns more tricks and special moves such as a freeform throw for longer distance attacks and puzzle solving, a parry which deflects projectiles, a charged attack and more. Special moves can be equipped and swapped out in the hideout, which is accessed from special squares dotted throughout the overworld.
The hideout also lets Pippit recover lost health, equip badges which grant different bonuses, and unlock new abilities. Once found, Pepita and Pippo will appear in the hideout. Pippo can upgrade badges to improve their effects or reduce their BP cost. Meanwhile, Pippit can enter contracts with Pepita for stat upgrades. These upgrades come into effect right away but puts Pippit into debt and incurs a penalty, which he has to work off by earning money that can be found in the overworld or dropped by enemies. Once a contract is fulfilled, Pippit can pick up another upgrade and start the process all over again. Upgrades are arranged in a skill tree like fashion, so players get to decide which ones they want to aim for. I appreciate how they took familiar concepts and redesigned them. There’s a lot of small touches like that throughout the game.
Many of these touches can be seen in the games overworld. The retro pixelated city that Pippit explores is full of buildings to enter, obstacles to navigate and puzzles to solve. There’s quite a bit to do and a lot to see during Pippits quest. Fortunately, the city is pretty vibrant and well designed. There are anthropomorphic npc mice, birds, lizards and more around that give tidbits or have small quests to offer. Cars traverse the streets and have to be avoided or Pippit takes damage. I love pixel art in general and it looks great here, reminding me of Scott Pilgrim in particular. It’s pretty lively and naturally it benefits from having a solid soundtrack.
Like any good top down game, there’s upbeat music to accompany Pippit's adventures. The city sounds as lively as it looks. The theme for the mansion at the beginning of the game reminded me of Castlevania and the game maintains that kind of vibe that stage music in the metroidvania games have. The sound design is solid if not anything too notable. Like the game's story, it serves its purpose.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is the first of its kind. It manages to strike that balance between paying homage to the franchises that inspired it, while also bringing its own unique mechanics to the table. The result is a very memorable and well made experience. I, for one, am excited to see more Yoyovanias in the future.
Shout out to the PM Studios Inc. and Pocket Trap for the chance to review this game and thank you all for reading!
