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    Kirby's Epic Yarn

    Game » consists of 10 releases. Released Oct 14, 2010

    Kirby's first console outing since Kirby Air Ride sees our lovable pink hero using the power of magical yarn, rather than his usual inhaling abilities, to explore a world made of arts and crafts.

    kickinthehead's Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) review

    Avatar image for kickinthehead

    Try not to smile

    There's a very good chance that Kirby's Epic Yarn is the most FUFFY WUFFY FLUFFY game I've ever played! If this game doesn't make you smile while playing it, you may be a replicant, or other synthetic lifeform lacking a heart or soul. When I first saw footage of it I just thought it looked interesting, but after a better look I marvel at the cleverness of its design and fun gameplay. If developer Good Feel hadn't made any games before Epic Yarn I would've been convinced that it was started specifically for this game just so the creator of this game could be called Good Feel.  

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    The story goes that one day Kirby sees a strange looking tomato (which happens to be his favorite food), and after gobbling it up is encountered by a an evil sorcerer who sucks Kirby into his magic sock that transports him to Patchland. Kirby discovers that his body is now made of yarn and that his normal eating/sucking powers have been rendered useless. He encounters Prince Fluff and joins him to save Patchland from the evil sorcerer Yin Yarn by retrieving all the magic yarn strands that keep the world of Patchland intact.   

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    The story is told via storybook style cutscenes with a children's book narrator who acts out all character voices which makes it feel even more like a bedtime story. The visuals have a stop motion animation feel that looks like it was made with cut out paper drawings and yarn. It all works splendidly to create this seamless (no pun intended) visual presentation that is a joy to look at and play. No one can for sure whether this game would've existed without Little Big Planet, but this game feels like it took one design element of LBP and expanded it to its own thing.

    Everything in the game is made to look like some kind of cloth related material. There's yarn, wads of cotton, denim, buttons, muslin and any other cloth type you can think of. The design is so successful that it doesn't feel like the game would even look that much better in HD, it really looks like it's some mad craft project brought to life. Looking at it I know that it's a mix of 2D and 3D sprites and models, but I can't help but look at it and wonder how the hell they made this game. Everything behaves like it looks like it should if somehow you could give cloth life. There's a very well thought out world logic that means things like fire leave little scorch marks that look like the real thing.  

    There are lots of interactive things in the levels. You'll find a lot of buttons that you'll use to swing from, or pull to cinch platforms toward you and also tons of tags with red tabs which can be pulled away to reveal secrets. Another ability Kirby has gained is the ability to change into a number of vehicles from cars to tanks, ATVs and more I don't want to spoil. Certain vehicles have additional controls when playing with two players. The tank for example has one player controlling missiles and movement, and the second player controls the giant boxing glove arm which can be separately articulated and used to kill enemies.  

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    I played through the game in multiplayer, but I can tell that the game is designed so a second player isn't required to reach certain items. Still, multiplayer makes it easier to reach certain platforms since you can stack on top of each other, or ball the other player up and throw them either to move them or use them as a weapon (also it's just fun to do if you're fighting over who gets to rip the tags off). There are some crutches for two-player mode like a little yarn angel that can be used to bring one player to the other if they're stuck. While being carried that player is invulnerable to damage and can clip through platforms. It's all well designed and really a lot of fun to play.    

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    As a game, Epic Yarn isn't difficult, but it really depends on how you play it. You can't die at all because if you fall off a bottomless pit, the yarn angel carries you back to safe ground. If you're injured by spikes or fire you lose beads you've collected, but once you're out of beads any injury doesn't matter at all. The challenge comes from saving up as many beads as possible per level because if you receive gold medals for all the levels in a world you'll unlock additional levels. Each level also has three treasures which take the form of furniture you use to decorate yours and other apartments in the Patchland.   

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    So yes, you can't die, but you're missing the point if you're trying to blow through this game as fast as you can. You're really meant to go through this game to pull every button, tab and interactive bit you find. In fact, you'll find it difficult to resist the urge like an itch that desperately needs to be scratched. I'm pretty sure the TV is beaming pleasure rays directly to my brain every time I pull a button. The boss battles aren't terribly complex as they follow a 3-hits Nintendo formula, but the designs are great and it's really satisfying to pull their weak point button to watch hundreds of beads pour out of them.   

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    Words like "charming" and "inventive" get tossed around a lot, but it's hard to avoid using those adjectives when describing Epic Yarn. I will concede that "Epic" is overused and strikes me as lazy marketing jargon, and not quite appropriate to the tone of this game. There's very little in this game that feels repetitive as every new world and level has something new and exciting to explore. Right up until the very end they'll be introducing new mechanics that change up the gameplay. Just when you think you've run out of "AWWWWW's" they'll make you do it all over again.   

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    The term "girlfriend mode" is used very pejoratively in video games nowadays, but this is a great game to play with your girlfriend whether they're hardcore or casual. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was called the divorce game, but Kirby's Epic Yarn lets you collaborate and also have a playful rivalry as you ball up the other player and throw them around.

    Whether you have kids or not, Kirby's Epic Yarn should not be missed. Its very low impact and low point of entry is a pleasant break from all the tense cover based shooters. This game deserves a place on the short list of Wii games worth having because like the other games it concentrates on just being pure and simple fun. Little Big Planet influences aside, Epic Yarn is a wonderful breath of fresh air while other games are looking for ways to put new spins on cover-based shooters. 

       

    Other reviews for Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

      A long Awaited Return!!! 0

      Dawwww, swinging on a flower petal!   My uncle got an early copy of this game and as a result of that it lead me and him playing the entire game together, me as Prince Fluff and let me tell you, this is one of the most entertaining, cute, adorable, fun, addicting I have played in years, I thought I was getting sick of gaming and needed a break from it, so I have toned down the amount of gaming I had done, who knows, everyone needs a breather. This game reminded me why I play games in the first ...

      9 out of 12 found this review helpful.

      Very inventive, cute, and fun 0

      Kirby, Nintendo’s lovable pink puffball, stars in a game unlike any of his usual adventures in Kirby’s Epic Yarn. His trademarked ability to inhale enemies and steal their powers disappears when an evil magician transforms him into a string of yarn. It turns out this affliction isn’t without it’s perks, and Kirby is quick to take advantage during his stay in Patch Land.A second player can join Kirby for some cooperative fun as the newcomer Prince Fluff. You won’t need to worry about health, live...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

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