Despite their potential to hurt others, yoyos are not typically seen as a weapon suitable for combat. However, developer Pocket Trap clearly believes in the toy’s potential for harm, because that’s the weapon of choice in Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo. Published by PM Studios, the game offers a top-down action-adventure romp that reminds me of Game Boy games in the 90s. After some hands-on time, during which I completed the introduction and a boss battle, I came away eagerly awaiting the final product.
From the start, the main character Pippit Pipistrello stands out, in part because he’s an anthropomorphic bat. Armed with his trusty yoyo and a rad wardrobe, he’s visiting his aunt’s manor when she’s attacked by her competitors in the electric power industry. The result is that Madame Pipistrello’s spirit ends up inside Pippit’s yoyo, and the two must learn to cooperate in order to restore her original body.
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The biggest surprise in my time with Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo was how versatile the yoyo was. In addition to its use as a medium-range weapon, the yoyo could pick up distant items and activate switches. And, when used against a slanted wall, it could ricochet and extend its range further.
This led to some early fun encounters, such as one room where Pippit could send the yoyo through a winding tunnel to attack enemies on the other end. It’s easy to forget about these features and resort to head-on attacks in the heat of battle, but it’s more engaging to watch your yoyo bounce around, defeating enemies and picking up the money they drop from relative safety.
As Pippit grows stronger, he’ll also unlock new abilities, like letting the yoyo off the string. This results in a much longer-range attack, but if the yoyo doesn’t bounce back to Pippit, he’s left vulnerable for a short while. Pippit can also learn the yoyo trick Walk the Dog, which, in this case, somehow allows him to traverse water. Eventually, he’ll be able to use these and other abilities to access new regions in his quest to save his aunt. Not every ability is meant for exploration, though.
Pippit’s ricocheting yoyo is a fun novelty, but it wasn’t until the boss fight that I understood how frantic the combat could be. Before engaging, I was able to speak to a vendor that offered skill upgrades in exchange for cash. However, in Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, you receive the skill first and pay it off afterward. This also had a negative effect on the skill until you could collect enough money to pay for it. Reversing the transaction provided a fun risk-reward factor that allows players to power up quickly at a cost.
Once the boss battle started, it was hard to stay alive without focusing on his attacks, due in part to a constantly changing arena. Facing a barrage of bullets that could also ricochet, Pippit needed to position himself safely before he could counterattack. It was here where I learned that Pippit could parry attacks, both ranged and melee. Parried bullets would zip back along their path until they struck the boss, stunning him temporarily. A missed parry would leave Pippit vulnerable, so it was necessary to learn the timing. The battle was thrilling, and victory was narrowly attained, but it felt earned nonetheless.
Simply put, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo provides a lot of fun in a delightfully designed package. Combined with an energetic soundtrack, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo seems like a perfect nostalgia trip for anyone that misses the attitude era of adventure games.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is coming soon to PC.
