It’s interesting seeing the creativity and ideas that come out of the indie gaming industry. I mean, the thought of a pixel cube being able to turn into different bit forms is just pure genius and is so unique from TicToc Games’ Adventures of Pip. Adventures of Pip is a retro 2D platformer that has a much more unique gaming mechanic that sets it aside from most 2D platformers.
When the King and Queen of Pixel Kingdom are turned into pixels and Princess Adeline is kidnapped by the evil witch Queen DeRezzia, Pip, a boy born a single pixel cube, rises to the challenge to face the witch and save the princess.
While the graphics may not be that outstanding, the true beauty is within this game’s gameplay. Most of the time it does feel like you’re playing a Super Mario Game, or if you want to take a trip down memory lane – Alex Kidd. So it is your typical point A to B platformer and the levels tend to feel repetitive with no real uniqueness that distinguish or set it aside from others.
Throughout the game, Pip can turn into three different types of bits; 8-bit, Pixel and 32-bit Pip. Each have their own set of abilities and can be used differently to navigate through level obstacles. You can upgrade to each form by destroying certain blue monsters that roam throughout the levels.
8-bit Pip is able to float, Pixel Pip can move a lot faster, punch and run up walls, while 32-bit Pip has a handy sword to slash. You can also downgrade from a certain form to help progress through certain sections of a level, which I felt was very clever and offers more thought as to how to get through certain levels.
Boss battles also tend to follow the same formula. While sometimes you can defeat bosses in a single form, it is also encouraged to switch between forms to defeat certain bosses, which I thought was really neat and definitely made this 2D platformer more engaging. There is also the option to save villagers throughout the game but whether it actually does anything for the game or not, I found myself not bothering as it didn’t really feel like these actions impacted anything for my game playthrough, apart from just returning them to their village.
The soundtrack is not as enticing but it gets the job done in having some background music to accompany you while slaying monsters and progressing further to saving the princess.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Adventures of Pip. The gameplay for me was the most solid part of the game. Although the plotline is your typical save the princess and the graphics may be a bit standard along with its music, Adventures of Pip still stands out as an enjoyable game that’s fun and just packed full of amazing pixel action.
Adventures of Pip is currently part of PAX Online as part of the gaming festivals digital line up and is available now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, XBOX One, Nintendo Wii U and iOS.
