Also On: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Publisher: PM Studios Inc.
Developer: Pocket Trap
Medium: Digital/Physical
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB: E10+
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo identifies itself as a “yoyovania”…but if you want to go by more traditional genres I’d would probably refer to it as action-adventure game akin to classics such as Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and other top down Legend of Zelda titles especially on the Game Boy handheld. This is latest outing from the studio that brought us, Dodgeball Academia and Ninjin: Clash of Carrots even stealthy takes nods to the handheld games with their title being run on a “portable console” dubbed the Pocket Trap Game System (A previous iteration of the “system” even looked a bit more “advance”) and the Pocket Trap logo for the game animates like the boot screen of a very iconic handheld game console.
New Jolt City on the surface looks like any vibrant major metropolis, its citizens go about their days without a care in the world. The city’s modernity comes at a price as it’s services are all provided a small group of oligarchs with the Pipistrello Industries being the lynch pin as it is the sole provider of electricity for the region. Tired of the iron reign of Madame Pipistrello, the other barons conspire against the matriarch of the Pipistrello clan and their plans would’ve gone without a hitch if not for the unintentional intervention of the most unlikely member of the bat clan.
Pippit, a young member of the family who is more concerned about mastering yoyo tricks than running the family empire, was unexpectedly summoned by his aunt. Seeking to speak some common sense to her layabout nephew, little did the Madame know that her nephew would be her savior. As the elder Pipestrello began to plead her case, the 4 barons of the city burst in and fire a mysterious beam at the magnate. Pippit tries to intervene the best he knows how, by hurling his yoyo at the beam, however when the dust settles 4 mega batteries have been filled and the barons exit the scene with their illicit gains. Pippit awakens to find a portion of his aunt’s soul has been infused into his yoyo and now he needs to take on the 4 barons, reclaim the mega batteries and restore his aunt to her tangible body.
Once you exit the family safe house you are free to roam New Jolt City’s 7 regions…as long as you possess the abilities to overcome any obstacles in your path (Pipistrello Industry might run the town, but they have not kept New Jolt City’s infrastructure maintained.). In your hunt to restore your aunt your first destination will either be Don Mauretti’s Mega Mall, or the Slime Tycoon’s construction site. Like any good action adven…yoyovania each region will unlock an ability that will allow you to progress to new areas. Unlike most action adventure games, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo lets you tackle things in the order you like.
Most of the combat will be done with your yoyo and if you’ve ever been nailed by a stray Duncan, you know this child’s toy can be deadly in the right hands. During the course of your adventure you’ll find “inspiration” or straight up pay to learn new moves that will add to your arsenal. Some of these moves will even act as traversal techniques which will open up New Jolt City…bad infrastructure and all. The only downside to the game’s combat system is that you will not be able to utilize everything in your arsenal and you’ll need to decide if you want something defensive like the parry or something powerful, but skill based like the coin flip.
Augmenting your yoyo skills are badges and contracts. The former makes your Pippit more modular and the latter provides steady growth…as long as you invest often. Throughout the city you will find badges or blueprints which can be crafted into badges. These trinkets can be equipped to give Pippit various abilities, such as insight into enemy health, tweak your yoyo attacks or straight up give you extra health and strength. However you can’t exactly cover yourself with all the badges in your collection as you have to budget to meet the BP your character possesses. How does one get more BP, you might inquire? There’s collecting BP shards (which is extremely Legend of Zelda coded), or you can buy contracts that give you BP.
Contracts are another way to strengthen Pippit. It’s ostensibly the game’s skill tree with a capitalistic twist. When you enter a contract you need to pay a certain amount of money, however not just any money will do. Only freshly collected money that hasn’t touched your grimey pockets (Your cousin who is the administrator of these contracts is a bit of a germaphobe…). Once you pay off the contract, the boons granted to you by it are for yours to keep and any negative effects of holding the contract will be removed. So while it might be smart to always have a contract active, it might not be the wisest thing to go into a boss fight with a high penalty contract that deducts life and strength from you.
The game’s approach to puzzles is oddly refreshing. Most of the elements have some level of permanence. Batteries used for one puzzle can be removed and placed in another puzzle. Give you plenty of opportunities to sequence break the game. I personally have soft locked myself out of some areas because I used batteries from other puzzles for ones I just didn’t bother to find the proper battery for..and that’s kinda neat.
I also want to praise the game’s writing. While it seems like a straight forward, avenging my family plot, Pippit is oddly introspective about the state of New Jolt City and not necessarily 100 percent aligned with the business dealings of his aunt, the very woman who funds his carefree lifestyle. The barons are all quite the caricatures, but I no doubt found myself chuckling at antics of Cuca Carrara and Toxy, the two barons you will get to confront after Don Mauretti and Slime Tycoon. If you also take the time to chat with NPCs, you’ll find some sharp social commentary, which is certainly something you won’t get from other action adventure titles.
If you’re jonesing for a fresh action adv…yoyovania, then Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo will absolutely fit the bill. The game steadily grants you new abilities as you traverse a charming contemporary world which I would dare compare to the one found in Nintendo’s Earthbound. As the adventure heads to its conclusion, it becomes a test of all the skills you’ve accrued along the way. Thorough players will find every badge, pay off every contract, conquer every mini-game and collect every Rose and BP shard, but even if you don’t, at least you’ll be treated to a grand story about an unlikely hero with a heart of gold.
Note: PM Studios Inc. provided us with a Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo code for review purposes.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Standard Edition - PlayStation 5
6 used & new available from $40.95
Purchase on Amazon
