The venerable 2D side scrolling platform genre. Oh how ye have fallen in recent platform generations. Maybe it is signs of changing consumer interests, maybe it is signs of developers and publishers just not having faith in the genre like they did 20 to 30 years ago. No matter the reason, it has become clear that fans of 2D platform games can trust in the independent homebrew community to keep the candle burning. Whipseey and the Lost Atlas is an upcoming game that proves that last statement in fine style.

Our friends over at Indie Retro News stated that Whipseey and the Lost Atlas is programmed by Daniel A. Ramirez. Blowfish Studios picked up publishing rights on this one and for good reason judging by the embedded video below.

Whipseey and the Lost Atlas tells a familiar tale that gamers are all too accustomed to – a young boy has found himself in trouble after going on an adventure to satisfy his curiosity. Unfortunately for our hero, this adventure has caused him to be transformed into a magical creature known as Whipseey. Only completing this journey will return him to his life that he so misses at this point.

Whipseey uses a whip to defend himself against the enemies he encounters on this adventure. Kind of like Simon Belmont in Castlevania except here you can also jump on the head of certain enemies, Super Mario Bros style. Jumping on their heads apparently only stuns them requiring a snap of the whip to actually dispatch them from the level.

The animation quality displayed in the video for Whipseey shows this is not your usual independent release that focuses on what the developer thinks are limitations similar to those of the Nintendo Entertainment System (while obviously blowing well past the capabilities of that platform). Whipseey appears to be pushing for 16-bit, maybe even early 32-bit levels of graphics which is perfectly fine with me. There is enough detail to get the point across, this is a beautiful land to explore, but not so much that you are left confused as to whether you can jump somewhere or not.

I am a huge fan of this genre so obviously Whipseey has entered my regular routine for coverage. Whether it stays there or not is up to you, our friends that show support for what you like and what you don’t.

Whipseey and the Lost Atlas by Blowfish Studios
Developer – Daniel A. Ramirez
Genre – 2D side scrolling action platform
Platform – Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam
Coming soon.