Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo

Grab your Pocket Trap Game System and pop in the Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo cartridge to jump into this 2D top-down adventure. This game looks like it was released for the Game Boy Advance, with a vibrant and pixelated look. Developed by Pocket Trap — thus the name of the fake console you are playing on — and published by PM Studios, get ready for this retro-inspired yoyovania (coined by the developer, not me). Will this game capture the magic of titles like Legend of Zelda and Startropics on the NES, or will it feel dated, like it should remain in the past?

- By Alana Dunitz

Publisher: PM Studios, inc.

Developer: Pocket Trap

Genre: Action Adventure

Release Date: Out Now

Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox X | S, Switch

When you begin the game, the story starts at Pipistrello Industries; this does not seem like a happy place, based on the ominous-sounding music playing. We learn that this company is the leading provider of electricity in New Jolt City. They have discovered the energetic properties of the wild Denquinellia rose; its extract is the most efficient (and lucrative) form of electricity generation. Because of this discovery, Pipistrello has crushed the competition, becoming the sole energy provider, allowing them to raise their prices to ridiculously high levels. Even the biggest businesses can't keep up with the unfair pricing.

We then see a taxi with our protagonist, Pippit, the red-eyed blue bat. His most prized possession is a limited-edition yo-yo; it looks fancy, and it's even sparkling! Pippit’s dream is to become a yo-yo champion and perform in front of millions of people. We learn, through a conversation he has with a taxi driver, that he is a member of the Pipistrello family that we met in the intro.