I recently played the demo of Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo on PlayStation 5.
Pipistrello is being developed by Pocket Trap and is scheduled to release on May 28, 2025 across PC/Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch. Pocket Trap formerly released Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (93% recommended on Steam) and Dodgeball Academia (94% recommended on Steam).
For some reason (probably to reinforce the retro aesthetic of the game), Pocket Trap decided to build a 3D model of a handheld gaming device and have the game playing on the device. Now you can determine whether or not to display said device, and you can simply go full screen and not see any of it if you wish, but I decided to play through the demo slightly zoomed out so I could see it around the edges (as shown in the screenshot below).
They even went as far as to have the buttons on the fake 3D console highlight and depress when you press the actual buttons on your controller IRL.
Graphically I think the game looks a bit better when its zoomed out like this, as the full screen view really highlights the blockiness of the graphics, but that being said, everything looks really great.
For some reason this game gave me strong Link to the Past vibes, even though I am sure there are a lot of games in this kind of style beyond just Zelda.
The YoYo mechanic is interesting, as they've setup angled corners of rooms and items within some rooms that you can bounce your YoYo off of and create a chain of hits. This is useful for reaching enemies that you can't get to with a straight shot, or for staying away from enemies that otherwise might hit you.
There are also sections where you have to use the angled YoYo throwing mechanic to solve puzzles and unlock things. Overall the gameplay feels really tight and well designed.
So should you give it a try? Heck yeah! I had a lot of fun playing the demo, and I'm looking forward playing and reviewing the game when it releases in May.
I believe the demo is available on Steam, PS5, and Switch. Xbox owners appear to be out of luck.
Hit me up on socials and let me know what you think of it. You can see my demo playthrough in the YouTube video below:
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