The Nintendo Switch 2 is just days away. That’s exciting, but there’s one big void begging to be filled come June 5. Unlike the Nintendo Switch and Wii before it, we won’t have a new Zelda game to keep us company this week. Sure, you can buy upgraded versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but the closest thing you’ll get to a Zelda game this year is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a Musou spinoff. If that has you just a little disappointed, fear not: There’s an excellent new game you can play right now that will scratch that itch.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is the latest game from Pocket Trap, the studio behind Dodgeball Academia. Take one look at it and you’ll be able to see its clear sales pitch. The top-down adventure game about a bat with a yoyo is an ode to classic Zelda games circa the Game Boy Advance era. It’s a spitting image for something like Minish Cap with its dense, colorful pixel art. But this isn’t just a simple bit of imitation; Pipistrello is an incredibly clever little adventure that uses yoyo tricks to craft excellent navigation puzzles that break its urban world wide open.
The story stars Pippit, a blue mascot that wouldn’t have been out of place in the GBA era. He’s a yoyo-loving free spirit who just so happens to be part of a powerful family, The Pipistrellos. When Pippit gets unwillingly sucked into their business, as a power struggle breaks out in town, he sets out on a quest to help his family out. That’s sort of by force, because his aunt’s spirit has gotten stuck in his yoyo. It’s a goofy little setup, but one that helps Pipistrello differentiate itself from other Zelda-likes right out the gate. That’s thanks to its setting, which trades in fields and lava pits for bustling city streets. There are densely decorated alleyways full of secrets to explore here, which is exactly what you want from an adventure full of collectibles and upgrades.
On paper, the gameplay should sound familiar. Pippit explores a top-down map in search of four batteries, all while getting new yoyo upgrades that open more places to explore. What makes that idea feel fresh is how he actually moves around. His yoyo isn’t just a stand-in for a sword, though it’s perfectly good at bludgeoning enemies. It’s also handy for crossing water, bouncing off walls while in midair, and eventually creating grapple points to cross big gaps. Pipistrello does something that a lot of my favorite Metroidvanias do: It shows me spaces that seem simply impossible to cross, and then lets me traverse them in increasingly unpredictable ways. By the end of the adventure, I was finding secrets in ways that I couldn’t even dream of when the story began. The late game had me chaining together every move I had learned in puzzle gauntlets that put my reflexes to the test.
That would be enough as is to make Pipistrello so special, but that’s not its only defining quality. It also gets experimental with its skills and upgrades. For one, there’s a badge system that allows me to tinker with how Pippit plays. For instance, I can equip a badge that turns every 5th hit into a stun attack and another that increases damage on stunned enemies. Each badge can be upgraded with cash too, giving them extra perks or reducing how much BP is needed to equip them. With plenty of badge points to collect, there’s a lot of space to mix and match to create a distinct playstyle.
Even more creative is Pipistrello‘s risk-based skill tree. Throughout the adventure, I can grab upgrades that will increase my attack power, BP, and more by speaking to a character in my sewer base. Skills aren’t free, though. Every time I buy one, I have to pay off a cash debt. 50% of any money I earn will go to me, while the other half pays that amount down. While I’m indebted, I’m afflicted with a negative status effect that might cut down my life points, BP, or attack. It’s a neat little system that required me to think more strategically about when I equip a skill, as I don’t want to walk into a big dungeon underpowered. It’s also a great tool for encouraging players to actually explore off the beaten path since that’s a good way to find sacks of cash.
I played Pipistrello over a few days and was delighted by it at every turn. It’s filled with creative ideas that help it stand out in a crowded field, but I love just how well it captures the feeling of the GBA era. Like Grapple Dog before it, this feels like a long lost handheld classic pulled from a time where mascots ruled and a great singular idea could form a backbone for a whole game. Pocket Trap finds so much to do with a simple yoyo, creating the most satisfying top-down puzzling I’ve felt this year.
So, who needs Link? Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is the real hero you’re looking for.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
