A remastered edition of a 90s arcade game has been announced, but some gamers may not remember this obscure title. Toaplan was a Japanese video game company responsible for creating various titles until filing for bankruptcy in 1994. One of these titles was called Pipi & Bibi’s, also known as Whoopee!! in Japan. Pipi & Bibi’s was an action-platform game where you play as two spies who infiltrate a series of buildings and take on different enemies. Some may look at this game as a copy of Elevator Action, but Pipi & Bibi’s maintains its own identity through one prominent feature. Toaplan’s mysterious arcade game is known for the inclusion of lewd images of women after completing the stages for each building.
Strangely, these erotic images have nothing to do with the actual gameplay. Instead, they serve as a treat for the player once they finish each level. Due to the suggestive nature of the game, it did not gain the recognition of other Toaplan games such as Snow Bros. or Zero Wing. Many arcades refused to buy and exhibit Pipi & Bibi’s back in the day, leading to the game being undiscovered by many. Publishers of the remaster have asked if nostalgia for unknown games exists. “Pipi & Bibi’s was fun but unknown game.”
RAWR Lab Games, in collaboration with Tatsujin (the company that owns the rights to Toaplan licenses), will launch the game under the title Spy Bros.: Pipi & Bibi’s DX. Even though this is a newer version of the original game, little will be done to improve the game’s visuals or mechanics. The developers wish to stay true to the aesthetics from 1991, similar to the re-release of Super Mario 64 for Super Mario 3D All-Stars. As of now, it is unknown if the nudity will be censored or featured at all in this version.
Spy Bros.: Pipi & Bibi’s DX will be released worldwide for Nintendo Switch in Q4 2022.