As would be expected, as my name is Kirby, I got to review and pretty much enjoy Kirby’s Epic Yarn a few years ago when it was released on the Nintendo Wii. I found the game’s art style incredible and I always wondered when we’d see another game with the same look. Well, that time was at E3 last week as Nintendo unveiled Yoshi’s Woolly World to the crowd at E3. After spending some time with it I have to say that the cuteness factor is pretty much through the roof as I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as I played. The feeling was intoxicating, as my smile seemed to be a natural response when playing. Seeing Yoshi in yarn form was pretty darn impressive, and the world he explored in the demo levels was just as amazing given the yarn look of each one. Add to this the fact that the game is in true HD on the Wii U and you will see that the adorability of the game is pretty much amazing.
There were only a few demo levels for us to play, and I ended up playing cooperatively with someone I didn’t know. That being said, what was somewhat noticeable from the snippet of gameplay that I did get to experience is that the game is fun. Maybe it was because I was captivated by the beauty of the on-screen action, or that I didn’t find the brief learning curve difficult, regardless I enjoyed what I played. What was evident was that the game was not particularly hard. For those that might be diehard platform fans, this may turn you off, but for those families with younger ones, this is probably a good thing. I didn’t get a chance to ask if the difficulty level would change, but if the game is remotely like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, this shouldn’t be an issue given that there as more than just the ability to finish the game as a challenge as there are collectibles and whatnot to find as well as trying to complete the game 100% means you’ll have to find all the secrets.
As I progressed with my nameless co-op partner I found that teamwork was indeed the name of the game as we played. From each of us creating a platform to get to that “hard-to-reach to having one of us jump on top of our respective Yoshi to get that bit more height when jumping, the co-op aspect makes you work as a team. Of course “Yarn Play” (did I just make up a term?) is a reality to, as you pull strings to open hidden areas to growing yarn flowers or making other yarn items. It is all there. I really wonder what the single player experience will be like, but regardless I can’t help but think of the possibilities of playing with my kids at home as I fully expect some crazy kid laughter as we play together.
For those diehard Yoshi fans out there, you’ll be happy to know that all the moves and grooves that Yoshi is known for makes a return in this game. From spitting out eggs, tossing eggs at your foes, to “pooping” out eggs (I use my kids description for this). The traditional Yoshi jump is there too, making for those double like jumps as you get more height the longer you hold the jump button. A new feature that is found in Woolly World is the ability to aim and fire a row of puffy yarn clouds that can bridge gaps in the level. They are not permanent but they are effective and pretty fun to utilize. If there was one thing that was evident as I was playing along with the other Yoshi on-screen is that many people just stopped to watch our Yoshi’s jump about the level and laughed as we made our way through the level. The game just seemed to draw people in to watch.
Even though my time with Yoshi’s Woolly World was brief I can believe that I can confidently say that it is a game that has the Nintendo Quality that all first party games have. It’s as vibrant and cute as other games they have made and I wouldn’t expect anything less. My biggest disappointment with this game is that its release date is sometime in 2015. That is a long time away and I don’t’ think I have the patience to wait that long for something this cute looking and so fun to play. Guess I will just have to see if I can wait.
