I’ve had my eye on Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo for a little while now, ever since it found its way across one of my various social media feeds. I was particularly intrigued because it broke the indie convention of emulating the NES or SNES-era of gaming, and moved into the lesser-adapted early 2000s era—games that emulate the Gamecube or, in this game’s case, Game Boy Advance style.
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo outside of a game that mashed The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap’s gameplay with Wario Land 4’s visual chonk. But the more I played it, the more I fell in love with it and was consistently captivated to continue.
In Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo, Players take on the role of Pippit, a self-proclaimed YoYo Master and part of the illustrious Pipistrello Family. When he returns to his Auntie’s mansion after a YoYo tournament, he finds himself caught in the crossfire of an inter-syndicate power struggle between Madame Pipistrello and the city’s four crime bosses. Utilizing a strange machine, the four try to remove Madame Pipistrello’s soul to power their Mega Batteries, but in a moment of bravery, Pippit crosses the stream with his YoYo, binding part of his Aunt’s soul to it.
“This game is what happens when The Minish Cap meets Wario Land 4 in the back alley of a Brazilian cyber-noir power struggle.”
Now the two—but mainly Pippit—must work together to take down the bosses and restore Madame Pipistrello’s body, as well as her grip of power on the city. It’s a really compelling and interesting story not often seen in videogames because it essentially aligns you with the perspective of the villain in a way that doesn’t glorify them or sympathize with them. You’re told from the start that Pipistrello Industries has a monopoly on the city’s electrical infrastructure and has raised tariffs to unreasonable degrees.
Pippit doesn’t really agree with his Auntie, but she’s essentially got him over a barrel—if he wants to maintain his lavish, carefree lifestyle, he has to help her. Even the other crime bosses have a reasonable point, citing Madame Pipistrello’s tariffs as the reason they had to go to such extreme lengths because their businesses were failing. Granted, they use their Mega Batteries to pursue endeavours that are equally corrupt, but even Pippit points out that Madame really forced their hands.
Gameplay in Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo strikes a compelling balance between the familiar and the refreshingly unique. At its core, it plays much like The Legend of Zelda—players explore a large open world, battle enemies, and unlock new abilities to access previously unreachable areas. But the game introduces so many clever mechanics that add surprising depth to the experience.
Combat, for instance, can be as simple as striking enemies with your YoYo or mixing things up using special attacks discovered throughout your adventure. Almost every battlefield features angled walls that let you bounce your YoYo off surfaces. In combat, this adds a tactical element, allowing you to hit enemies from a distance or strike multiple foes at once. In exploration, these mechanics let you reach distant platforms or trigger hard-to-reach switches. The result is a more layered gameplay experience, where players are constantly challenged to stay alert and think creatively.
Exploration in Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo is equally satisfying. The game follows a Metroid-like design, with areas that can’t be fully explored until new movement abilities are unlocked. As you progress, more of the world opens up, and the game rewards experimentation, often offering multiple ways to overcome obstacles. It’s an exploration system that feels both rewarding and empowering, encouraging players to play with movement and approach challenges in their own way.
Another standout feature is Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo’s upgrade system. Once players find Cousin Pepita, they can begin signing Upgrade Contracts, which require a set amount of coins to fulfill. While the contract is active, a portion of the collected coins automatically goes toward paying off the debt. Once the full amount is paid, the upgrade is permanently unlocked. The catch? While in debt, players face negative effects, such as reduced health, decreased damage output or fewer health drops.
“Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo feels like a game plucked from a forgotten 2004 cartridge and remastered with modern finesse.”
Similar to the Traits system in Fallout, it creates a compelling risk-versus-reward mechanic. The game becomes slightly more challenging in the short term in exchange for long-term benefits, forcing players to rethink their approach to combat and exploration. Entering a dungeon full of enemies might help pay off your debt faster, but doing so with reduced health or power makes survival more difficult. That challenge is compounded by the fact that players lose a bit of money each time they die.
That said, the game isn’t without its flaws. In its earnest attempt to emulate the Game Boy Advance experience, early combat can feel a bit frustrating. The size of both Pippit and the enemies can make certain arenas feel restrictive. Players can lose health quickly, and there aren’t many options for avoiding damage. While you can jump, a dodgeroll—like the one in The Minish Cap—would have been a welcome addition. These issues ease up once you unlock upgrades and new battle Tricks, but combat in the early hours can still be a bit aggravating.
Visually, Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo is genuinely fantastic. It features a charming wide-pixel design reminiscent of Game Boy Advance titles, especially Wario Land 4. The game embraces a bright, colourful aesthetic and offers a wide variety of environments. As a studio based in São Paulo, Brazil, Pocket Trap also includes several fun references to Brazilian culture, giving the game a distinctive and memorable visual identity.
These visuals are complemented by a stellar soundtrack that ranges from adventurous to intense—and even downright funky. It also features a composition from the legendary Yoko Shimomura. The game is further enhanced by sound effects that feel directly inspired by, or possibly lifted from, classic Game Boy Advance titles—I could’ve sworn I recognized some sounds from Kirby in there.
I also have to give Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo a massive shoutout for being one of the few recent games that actually makes full use of the Joy-Con’s HD Rumble. It adds a tangible sense of weight and punch to the chunky pixel visuals, making the experience even more immersive.
Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo may end up being the sleeper hit of 2025, but I truly hope it doesn’t fly under the radar. It’s one of the rare games this year that I couldn’t stop thinking about when I wasn’t playing, drawn in by an irresistible urge to keep going. It’s bursting with style and charm, capturing the spirit of early 2000s handheld gaming while elevating it to an entirely new level.
