It’s a busy time to be a gamer. Between juggernauts like Monster Hunter and Doom, surprise hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, it seems as if there’s barely enough time to complete one title before five others come along.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo may not be a name that rolls off the tongue like Blue Prince or Split Fiction, but make no mistake: It deserves your attention all the same. Developed by Pocket Trap (the folks behind 2021’s Dodgeball Academia) and published by PM Studios, Pipistrello is a 2D adventure inspired by retro royalty.
Zelda, Mega Man, and Metroid are just a few names to which the game pays homage. And while living up to those greats is grueling work — especially with so many great Metroidvanias already out there — somehow, Pipistrello makes it look easy. It’s wonderfully designed, perfectly paced, and filled with secrets and side attractions that are well worth its (lengthy) runtime.
Repetitive combat and a disappointing narrative arc detract slightly from the overall experience, but those are quibbles. By nearly every measure, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a stellar addition to an already stacked year.
“You Come to Me on the Day of My Nephew’s Tourney…”
You play as Pippit, an aspiring yoyoist with as much spunk as he has skills. One evening, while taxiing home from the latest tournament, he lets it slip to the driver that he’s a member of the notorious Pipistrello family. A mafia-esque megacorp in control of New Jolt City’s energy supply (think Shinra from Final Fantasy VII), the Pipistrellos have a vice grip on the city and its people.
Back at the Pipistrello Manor, Pippit is welcomed by the family’s matriarch, his aunt. Unbeknownst to the two, however, leaders of four rival companies have joined forces to usurp the Pipistrellos. Their plan: Eliminate Madame Pipistrello by turning her latest invention — a machine capable of supplying limitless energy — against her. The four adversaries manage to imprison the aunt’s lifeforce, only for Pippit to intervene using his trusty yoyo.
The game picks up in the aftermath of the scuffle. Madame Pipistrello, thought dead by the other corporate overlords, lives on — albeit by embodying Pippit’s yoyo. Together, the two must travel to the four major districts of the city, taking on the factions that helm each sector to recover the batteries powering the aunt’s machine.
The premise is decidedly Mega Man-esque. Go to a zone, defeat a quirky boss, gain a new power for your yoyo, and repeat. Where Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo differentiates itself, however, is in its refreshing banter between its characters. The relationship between our protagonists is a strained one: Madame Pipistrello has embraced capitalism and all of its evils, whereas Pippit wants nothing to do with his overbearing family. Their constant push and pull carries the brunt of Pipistrello’s narrative, to much success.
The result is a surprisingly enjoyable story. The writing is sharp, and you’ll chuckle at the silly scenarios — from a soccer match to a cosplay convention — in which Pippit and his aunt find themselves. If I have one complaint, it’s that a late-game twist comes out of left field, undercutting most of the tension between Pippit and his aunt. I can’t say much else without spoiling it, but it left me feeling cheated out of a more interesting standoff between kin.
Oracle of Yoyos
As much as I enjoyed Pipistrello’s narrative, the real draw is the gameplay. Beyond the Mega Man setup, the game features a Zelda-inspired overworld along with Metroid-flavored upgrades. Each of the four sections of the city houses NPCs to chat with, shops to peruse, puzzles to solve, and secrets to uncover. And, in classic Zelda fashion, each has a labyrinthine dungeon with a big boss battle at the end.
Given all the retro influences, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Pipistrello for a best-hits album rather than a fresh cut. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo channels its muses with pride — its Steam page dubs it “the first Yoyovania” — but it never feels like a copycat. Part of the reason is the inventive world (did I mention one level is a literal convention?), but the bulk of the flowers are owed to Pipistrello’s impeccable design.
Unlike top-down Zeldas like Oracle of Ages/Seasons, where Link navigates hundreds of screens while swinging his sword either vertically or horizontally, in Pipistrello, the action takes a much different angle — literally. Pippit can shoot his yoyo out in front of him (sort of like a sword), or he can bounce it off a corner of the environment for some right-angle hijinks. Many puzzles take advantage of this mechanic, tasking players with activating switches, collecting keys, and defeating enemies that are often out of Pippit’s immediate line of sight.
It’s hard to overstate how impactful this design choice is. With such a clever twist, Pipistrello transforms from “just another Zelda-like” to “wow, this is utterly incredible stuff.” Puzzles are tricky, yet always fair. Power-ups are novel, ranging from “walking the dog” (which lets you cross bodies of water and sewage) to wall runs and other crafty traversal tricks. In later areas, Pipistrello builds on its previous mechanics, leading to devilish platforming gauntlets that are as challenging as they are satisfying.
The team at Pocket Trap clearly put in painstaking effort to design these puzzles, and the results speak for themselves. I spent nearly 20 hours uncovering 99% of the game’s map — and I intend to return soon to find those final few secrets I missed the first time around.
Around the World
Another clever trick of Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo’s is the ability to tackle areas in a non-linear fashion. In a subtle ode to A Link Between Worlds, dungeons have no preset order, allowing a degree of freedom in how you choose to play. (There are some guardrails, granted. Two areas of the world must be completed before the final two unlock, allowing for a nice balance between player choice and guided design.)
Pipistrello offers similar agency in its character progression. Strewn across the world are red trapdoors, which lead to a “home base” of sorts for Pippit and his aunt. Here in this hideout, you can practice combat abilities on a dummy, admire batteries you’ve collected for your aunt, and, most importantly, upgrade your arsenal. With the help of two Pipistrello cousins, you can equip badges you collect out in the world (a la Paper Mario) and exchange currency for permanent upgrades to your attack power and other stats.
This is all pretty standard stuff. But, in another welcome callback to A Link Between Worlds, Pipistrello layers on one last wrinkle. Any upgrades you purchase cannot be with currency you already possess (the cousin in charge of upgrades is a germaphobe). Instead, she’ll loan you the upgrade with a noticeable downside (reduced attack power, fewer badge slots, etc.) until you pay her back with fresh cash.
It’s a clever system. By constantly adding various debuffs to your kit, Pipistrello forces you to think on your feet and plan every upgrade with intent. The system also ensures the game never gets too easy (though, as you may expect from a Zelda-like, the game indeed gets easier as you expand your health).
If I have a qualm, it’s that these debuffs can sometimes feel a tad too restrictive. By the end of the campaign, I found myself staring at two upgrades that hampered my character to the point of being punitive. I strongly considered avoiding those unlocks altogether — only to eventually come around, realizing it’d be a fun challenge. For people with less of a tolerance for pain, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo offers a bevy of accessibility options (from health multipliers to damage modifiers), ensuring those of all skill levels can enjoy the experience.
Final Thoughts
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is such a pleasant surprise. Its story is charming, its world is rich with places to go and things to see, and its puzzles will keep you entertained from start to finish. There’s so much I didn’t mention, from the game’s terrific map (a completionist’s dream!) to its catchy soundtrack (composed by the legendary Yoko Shimomura).
If there’s one area where the game falls flat, it’s in its overworld combat. While far from bad (the action is snappy, with a variety of special moves to unlock), you’ll often find yourself battling the same few enemy types ad nauseam. Compound these moments across the game’s 15- to 20-hour runtime, and you may find yourself burning out at times.
But I implore you to press onward. There’s so much good in this package that outweighs the not-quite-as-good, and I’ll be damned if you don’t crack a smile while dismantling the cogs of capitalism. If you’re a fan of old-school Nintendo games — or, heck, you just want a break from massive AAAs — then you owe it to yourself to give Pipistrello a go.
Score: 9.0/10
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, developed by Pocket Trap and published by PM Studios, is available now on PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. MSRP: $19.99. Version reviewed: PC (via Steam Deck).
Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
