Today’s review covers Pipistrello & the Cursed Yoyo from developer Pocket Trap and publisher PM Studios. I feel a kinship with this game because we both have the same birthday, May 28th! I’ve reviewed it on the Steam Deck since I can always use more games on the Steam Deck. This title is all about an adorable looking character and a buff yoyo, so what’s already not to love? There’s lots of fun little things to cover (I’ll keep it quick), let’s get into it!
Description:
Explore a vast urban landscape in this narrative-driven, 2D top-down retro platforming adventure! In Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, you’ll face off against enemies using the weapon you know best: your prized yoyo! Combine old and new yoyo tricks to combat evil masterminds, and pay attention to your surroundings to discover new ways to traverse the terrain! Your versatile yoyo moves enable you to reinterpret the cityscape, allowing you to dexterously reach places never thought of before — the very best puzzle-platformer experience!
Features:
Explore the city’s 4 districts with over 1000 screens of challenges and secrets!
Defeat the 4 crime lords that have taken over your family’s company!
Learn over 6 yoyo tricks to create your own cityscape yoyo-parkour routes!
Learn over 6 yoyo special moves to pulverize your enemies in combat!
Collect over 40 equippable Badges that alter the way you play!
Unlock over 20 passive Upgrades through a shady loan shark!
Find over 80 other collectibles throughout town, from life upgrades to precious treasures!
Trailer:
Pros:
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First off, the game is clearly mimicking the GBA visual style. The look of the game, and probably the feel as well, is straight out of 2003. The game has a top-down 2D Metroidvania design. For those in 2025 who don’t know what that means, basically, it takes you from screen to screen, fighting baddies and finding a way onto the next area. The gameplay mechanics themselves are what the developers have called a “yoyovania.” Because of this, in the game, obstacles can be overcome with various moves. But others will be locked to the story, becoming unlocked at certain story beats. So the devs are wearing their influences on their sleeve. You love to see it.
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The story was my favorite part of the game. Without posting too many spoilers: you assume the role of Pippit. The character’s auntie is in the game too…only she has had her soul is split into mega batteries. Those batteries have become one with the yoyo that Pippit uses throughout the game. Hence where the “cursed” part comes in on the title. Anyway, Pippit battles crime bosses to “restore” her and to a lesser extent, save her company and city. I think saving an individual carries a lot more emotional stakes with it, better for video games. But when there are action games like this, I guess you have to make the main character save the city as well.
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For a game designed to look and feel like a GBA game, it definitely features modern game design. When you’re playing, it’s not so linear that you start at one point and end at another. Instead of forcing you into maps and locations, you’ll have your choice of initial locations. The game still weaves them together and you then can search out the level’s secrets in every nook and cranny. This opens the game up to a lot more depth and increases the game length. You’ll find more bang for your buck here because of it.
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As I mentioned before, the yoyo is imbued with lots of focus from the developers. It does everything in the game, so of course, it’s the main focus, but it does loads of the work. It is the main tool for both a ranged attack and a movement tool. It enables wall-bouncing, chained maneuvers, and high-damage attacks. You have yoyo-parkour in this game, you’re typically learning these new abilities from baddies you’ve defeated.
There are definitely times when you’re in a flow state and you don’t even think about it as you’re wheeling it around the level. Before you know it, you’re onto the next screen. It’s crazy how accurate and fun it is. Though I do wish that, when it comes to the platforming and the puzzle solving, the game would help if I got stuck somewhere. Like it could remind me what to do or give a hint on how to proceed. Sure there are lots of checkpoints, but sometimes I was getting stuck. Sometimes, it’s not so obvious what I could be doing with the yoyo to proceed.
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The strangest bit of this game is the loan-based passive ability unlocks with temporary penalties (e.g., reduced health or damage). Sure they add depth to the game’s non-linear approach of exploration and strategy. But it’s certainly something I’ve never come across in games before. If this is a new feature of only Pipistrello, let me know in the comments. But since there’s loans, you do have to “repay” them. In this game there are teleport spots (phoning a taxis) and hideout locations. These not only make it easier to travel around the map, but they are also spots for the aforementioned loan repayment. That’s also where you’ll find where you can adjust your loadout of moves. Badge system allows customizable, upgradable boons using limited energy, with the ability to swap loadouts.
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There are some other challenging bits that can extend the life of the game. This can add extra value to the cost of the game so you feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth. Some include time-based tasks. Others involve obstacle navigation within a certain amount of hits. Speaking of extending the length of the game, there is a New Game Plus at the end of it. I discovered that once I finally got to the end of my playthrough. So if you’re one of those people who likes to 100% a game, there are effectively two games in this title. Can you beat them both?!
Cons:
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The combat can be repetitive, especially in a game that goes on for a long time. I mean, if you think about all the game has to offer (diverse power-ups), it’s sort of strange that the combat feels lackluster at times. So despite all of it’s innovation, I think that they could add more mechanics in terms of the combat and this game would feel better. There are times that the combat feels fun and smooth and it just clicks, but when you’re in some of the kill rooms, weak combat makes the rooms feel really, really repetitive.
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I did find that as the game went on, it did get far too difficult for me. The game gets more and more complex with regards to combining lots of moves to overcome everything being thrown at you. I just really had a hard time with this. And then I stepped away for a couple of days and came back, at which time I had found I had lost the muscle memory of it and I didn’t have a way to relearn anything. I did eventually give up, I had to restart the game from the beginning just out of necessity. So beware of increased difficulty later on in the game.
Final Thoughts:
This game is just nuts. Let me reiterate everything really fast so that you can see that it’s a must buy. Ok, it’s a GBA-inspired 2D Metroidvania (yoyovania). Pippit’s aunt’s soul is trapped in his yoyo after crime bosses drain her energy (she’s haunting the yoyo!). You’re tackling bosses in several districts with the yoyo that doubles as a ranged weapon AND a parkour device for wall-bouncing and chaining up maneuvers. There’s secrets, there’s puzzles, and tons of unlockable abilities. You’re given open-ended exploration, accessibility options, and a metric ton of challenging achievements…*sigh* I truly wish it were on GBA!