Jason Savio
Say hello to Whipseey, the cute, adorable and often times frustrating titular character in Whipseey and the Lost Atlas.
It’s hard to tell exactly what Whipseey is; he looks almost identical to Kirby, meaning he is basically a little pink-colored blob. Whipseey, though, has a little doodad on top of his head and gets his namesake from a whip that he uses to get around and hit enemies with. Yes, Whipseey is cute, but deadly.
There is a pinch of reality thrown into this cartoon fantasy, as Whipseey starts out as a young boy who accidentally gets transported into the vibrant and joyous world of Whipseeyland. Needless to say, he wants to go home, and it’s your job to get him back there.
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas from Blowfish Studios, is very much like an old Kirby or Mario game from the golden days of Nintendo. The graphics have that charming old school appearance and the gameplay is of the side-scrolling variety. Whipseey’s whip becomes the key to survival and getting around in the game. Not only is it used to fight off enemies, it is also used to wrap around objects and swing from place to place like Indiana Jones. The whip can even be used like a propeller so that Whipseey can fly. Whipseey also isn’t afraid of getting his little feet wet and going into the water if need be, swimming around much like Mario has been known to do.
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas can sure be fun. But it can also be quite challenging and a tad annoying.
Don’t get fooled by the appearance of the enemies in Whipseey and the Lost Atlas. Just like Whipseey, they may not look dangerous, but they certainly are. What’s more dangerous though is the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any checkpoints in the individual levels. If you run out of lives, you’re toast. You’ll have to start all the way back at the beginning of the level. That boosts the frustration factor up way high. Making it even worse is seeing Whipseey smiling and bouncing around, seemingly mocking you during your bouts of inability to progress through the game.
There is no doubt what games of yesteryear the developers of Whipseey and the Lost Atlas used for inspiration. It’s a testament to just how great those Kirby and Mario games were from decades ago. The simplicity and joy that can be found in all of them is what makes them so much fun to play, even if you get near the very end of a level and have to start all the back at the beginning again because you landed just a hair too close to a spike sticking out of the ground. Good luck.
For more information visit: twitter.com/Whipseey.