„World's First Yoyovania” Don't miss this retro-inspired indie Metroidvania: Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo wears its retro inspirations on its sleeve. It's a top-down „yoyovania” with gorgeous pixel art and truly clever use of yo-yos.
You may have missed one of this week’s best indie games, the self-described “yoyovania,” Dodgeball Academia. Pipistrello is a retro-inspired top-down action adventure through the seedy underbelly of a sprawling city. Your yoyo is the ultimate weapon, giving you ranged strikes to take out enemies, plus a long reach to grab useful items. This indie game is receiving great reviews from critics, with an 88 / 100 rating on both Metacritic and OpenCritic. There are only eleven reviews on Steam at the time of writing, but they are 100% positive. This is a game you won’t want to miss.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo impressions: a creative and gorgeous fresh take on a retro genre
The first thing that stands out about Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is its gorgeous pixel art. Not only the detailed urban environments, but also the colorful cast of characters, both friends and enemies. The protagonist, Pippit, is a “self-described yo-yo master,” and his design fits this personality perfectly. With their prized yoyo in tow and a long flowing red jacket, it would be easy to mistake them for a masked vigilante rather than an overconfident kid. Other highlights include the four main villains, each representing a section of the city’s industry that is upset with the power monopoly held by the Pipistrello family. Both literal power and figurative power.
The game’s story picks up as Pippit is visiting the family home. While there, the four business rivals arrive to put an end to the Pipistrello family monopoly on power. They capture Pippit’s aunt’s soul in four batteries that will give them unlimited power, but not before Pippit can interfere with their yoyo, resulting in a portion of his aunt’s soul trapped inside. After nearly being killed, Pippit escapes to a saferoom with the help of their aunt, which serves as a hub throughout the game. To reverse the process, you’ll have to take on all four bosses and take back their batteries.
Combat is surprisingly fun right off the bat. I wouldn’t have guessed how creative these developers can get with a yo-yo as the primary weapon. The basic attack is reliable, and the satisfaction from pulling off something more complicated is excellent. One of the early environmental quirks you learn to take advantage of is angled edges. Bounce the yo-yo off an angled edge to send it ricocheting around, extending much further than usual to strike crowds of enemies all at once. Pippit unlocks new tricks with the yo-yo as you progress, but even the foundational moves are clever, creative, and fun to explore.
I when I first watched the trailer, I had trouble comprehending all the actions and movements happening on screen. But the first few levels do a great job of showing you the ropes, or strings? Since it’s a yo-yo? It doesn’t flood you with tutorial text boxes, instead just presenting you with puzzles and combat encounters that get progressively more challenging. It gives you time to think through and figure it out for yourself. By the time I was out of the first level, the game had given me a solid grasp of the core mechanics. So if the trailer makes you think this looks complicated, trust in the process.
Thanks to the team at Pocket Trap for early access to a copy of Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo. I look forward to playing a lot more in the coming days. I highly recommend a controller over the keyboard controls, and while I haven’t had the chance to play on a portable screen like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, I imagine it would feel right at home there. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, the Xbox Store, and the Epic Games Store. It normally costs $20, but across nearly all platforms, you can get Pipistrello for 10% off until next week.
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