Adventures of Pip
Overview -
Back in August 2014, Tic Toc Games, a new studio formed by a small group of ex-WayForward developers, funded a Kickstarter for a PC and Wii U platformer: 'Adventures of Pip'. It was the project’s second Kickstarter - the first one was unsuccessful, so they tried again with a more modest target. The game spent some time in Steam’s Early Access program and is now available for wide release.
Video Review
Whenever an indie game comes down the pipe that embraces an old school visual aesthetic, I am tasked with explaining how said older tech can still look nice. We have become quite spoiled with our 4K resolutions and HDTVs and all of those other toys, but pixel art is still making strides in the background. 'Adventures of Pip' uses a mixture of pixels, sprites, and a kind of pixel-sprite combo. Some of the lighting and animation effects look very beautiful. Most admirably, the controls are perfect. Pip always goes exactly where I move him without any slipperiness or wonkiness, even if that’s straight to his death.
Audio Review
'Pip' has a great soundtrack, courtesy of prolific composer Jake Kaufman ('BloodRayne', 'Red Faction', 'Shovel Knight'). It is light, refreshing, and doesn’t get old. The sound effects follow the same nostalgic theme as the visuals - expect lots of plinks and beeps and other retro noises.
Final Thoughts
The indie platforming scene is thriving, and the 'Adventures of Pip' is another example of why that’s happening. It tells a light and fluffy story but does it with panache, love, and great controls and mechanics. It’s perfect for platform fans who want to take a trip down memory lane, or anyone who enjoys jumping on the heads of bad guys.
