Adventures of Pip from Tic Toc Games is a fun 2D action platformer with a colorful look and fun gameplay mechanics. Learn more in our Adventures of Pip review!

 

The evil queen has besieged the kingdom. The royal family appeals to the reluctant hero to save the princess. Does any of this sound familiar? Adventures of Pip is a 2D action platformer developed and published by Tic Toc Games. It was originally kickstarted and released on the Nintendo Wii U in 2015, and the game has now found its way to the Nintendo Switch. Pip, the reluctant hero in question, must journey through dangerous areas to rescue the princess and save the kingdom from the tyranny of the evil Queen DeRezzia. She has cursed the kingdom by reducing the pixel count of its inhabitants. Pip, a single pixel at the start of this adventure, must discover the ability to increase his pixel count to 8-bit and 16-bit to complete this quest!

 

The ability to revert from 16-bit to 8-bit to a single pixel is an interesting change to the platforming formula. Each of Pip’s form allows him to use different abilities. Pip can jump higher and longer as a single pixel, wall jump and punch in 8-bit form, or swing a sword and move blocks in its 16-bit form. Each also has some drawbacks, like how slow you move as a single pixel, the height of your jumps as 8-bit Pip, and the inability to wall jump as the 16-bit version. Your 16-bit form is too heavy to bounce on mushrooms like Pip’s 1-bit and 8-bit forms. The 16-bit form can smash bricks that Pip’s other forms cannot. Managing which form to use to navigate the different platforming sections does add a new layer to the traditional platforming formula.

Outside of the pixel density gameplay mechanic, the rest of the controls are what you’d expect from a traditional platforming model. You will jump with the B button, attack with the Y button – if possible – and devolve by pressing and holding down the A button. Pip can devolve at will to a lower form, but can only increase its pixel count by defeating a certain type of enemy to absorb its energy. This adds a level of puzzle-solving to each platforming segment. Balancing Pip’s forms while traversing a dangerous segment can lead to a lot of hair-pulling, but some trial and error – and extra patience – will allow you to carry on.

 

Hit collision in Adventures of Pip requires some serious precision, since a mistake here and there can make it so that you can’t get to the next checkpoint in a challenge. The game is not forgiving, and some checkpoints can be pretty spaced out. This can lead to repetition as you replay portions of the game after you lose a life. Each level offers three villagers to rescue, which adds some replayability for those of you who like to track down every hidden collectible. One standout of the experience is the soundtrack, composed by Jake Kaufman. Each track adds vibrancy to the level being played, making it a better experience!

 

Adventures of Pip doesn’t reinvent the 2D platformer wheel, but it does add a novel gameplay mechanic with their pixel evolution and devolution gameplay mechanic. The difficulty can be a bit extreme for some platforming sections, but a little perseverance and patience will go a long way. Adventures of Pip is available now on Nintendo Switch for $9.99.

Disclaimer
This Adventures of Pip review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Tic Toc Games.