In his first adventure on a major household console since 2003, Kirby's Epic Yarn finds our hero attempting to save Patch Land from the evil sorcerer Yin Yarn, who has stolen the seven strands of magic yarn that had been holding each section of that world together. It is while he's taking a stroll in Dream Land that Kirby ends up getting transported to the patchwork world, after eating what looks like a regular tomato that he has found laying on the ground. The tomato ends up being a magic 'metamato,' which allows Yin Yarn to send Kirby to the unknown world of Patch Land through a magic sock. Once there, Kirby is told about the disarray that the world is in after he meets a young prince by the name of Prince Fluff, and agrees to help Fluff save his world by returning the seven pieces of magical yarn to their respective seams.
The reason as to why the title of this game is Kirby's Epic Yarn is because of the game's visual style, as well as a reference to the stolen pieces of magic yarn that hold Patch Land together. When Kirby is transported to this new world, the entire look of the game (and its characters) changes to resemble an arts and crafts creation. Kirby, Prince Fluff and their enemies are all made out of colourful yarn outlines, and the world is a colourful array of felt, buttons, yarn and other arts and crafts materials. This unique approach to a visual style for a video game is one of the most creative things I've ever seen in a video game. Whoever came up with the idea is a genius because the look of the game (and the unique gameplay elements that come with the world's unique design,) really set the game apart from its competition. In terms of visual design and quality, this is one of the best Wii games I've ever seen in action. It looks beautiful and animates very well.
The basic control scheme is incredibly easy to use, as with most Nintendo platformers in the past. Players hold the Wiimote sideways like an old Nintendo controller and use the direction pad to move Kirby along the environments, as well as buttons 1 and 2 to control Kirby's jumps and abilities. It's a very simple and refined control scheme, but it works incredibly well, just as it has for years. Jumping is precise and the basic control scheme felt natural.
However, the developers also added several motion controlled elements to the control scheme that are sometimes more frustrating than fun. At times, Kirby will be able to transform into a variety of different things (including a train, a UFO and a surfboard) and, a lot of the time, these new transformations require players to either tilt the Wiimote or point it at the screen to control Kirby in his new form(s.) It works well for the surfboard in particular, but the motion controls make it incredibly difficult to control the train (where you have to make a continuous track for the train to follow in order to get through environments,) as well as a couple of the other new forms. It's unfortunate that there isn't a way to just use the direction pad for at least some of these segments because the motion controls can lead to a lot of frustration and may turn some people off from continuing on with the game.
As I mentioned previously, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a traditional Nintendo platforming game, however it includes some unique twists and changes. Although you're still jumping from platform to platform, avoiding or attacking enemies you meet along the way, Kirby also has some new abilities that are specific to the Patch Land environment's design. In his new yarn form, Kirby is able to throw out a strand of yarn to unravel enemies and to allow him to swing from buttons or pull squished together pieces of felt back to their original size, in order to unveil new sections of the environment. There is no learning curve attached to these abilities, allowing anyone to be able to play the game without feeling swamped by not having played video games in the past. This is especially true, considering the fact that Kirby can't die. Instead, you will lose collectible beads and gems that you have collected when you get hit, like in Sonic the Hedgehog with its rings.
The game offers co-operative gameplay, as a second player can play as Prince Fluff, Kirby's new friend. This allows players to work together to solve puzzles, find hidden collectibles and defeat enemies, as they progress through the core campaign. Prince Fluff has the same abilities as Kirby and is a great companion, as he's able to complement Kirby well. The addition of Prince Fluff allows Kirby to reach new heights and areas, as the two characters are able to stand on-top of one another. Prince Fluff is also able to help out with puzzles and control separate parts of the vehicle(s) that Kirby transforms into.
Each of the different worlds that Kirby must travel through and complete is unique in its design, various stages and colour palette. These varying environments include a world covered in ice and snow, a volcano-inspired lava world, an underwater world (complete with its own unique vehicles that Kirby can transform into,) and a traditional daytime world. All of the different worlds have their own unique gameplay mechanics and environmental hazards and designs that keep the game fresh. The game's visual design and colour palette also never becomes stale and it's these different designs that add to the game's charm. Each world has its own creative boss as well - some of which require unique mechanics to defeat, whereas the mechanics in other boss battles are somewhat basic and feel archaic. Once Kirby defeats a boss, he earns one of the stolen pieces of magical yarn and is able to use it to tie together his current world and the next one, to help him progress towards his ultimate goal.
The game's story is narrated and shown as a storybook that appeals to a younger crowd, but don't let that sway you from giving it a chance. The narrator's voice can be annoying, but he does a good job telling the story to a younger audience. In addition to this voice work, Kirby's Epic Yarn also features a good soundtrack, as well as many unique sound effects. The audio quality is quite good, meaning that it won't make you want to turn down the volume or listen to music while you play. The on-screen dialogue script has some charming and funny moments, and is pretty well-written overall.
Although the core game is only approximately 6-7 hours long, Kirby's Epic Yarn has a lot of replay value due to its scoring system, large amount of collectibles and its large assortment of mini games. As you progress through each mission, you will find tons of beads and gems spread throughout, as well as three hidden treasure chests. At the end of each level, you're scored based on the amount of beads you were able to collect. In addition, the items found inside the treasure chests can be used in the game's hub, where there is an apartment building missing all of its furnishing. Kirby is given his own apartment, which players can decorate as they see fit, but the other apartments must be decorated in a specific way in order to entice people to move in and offer mini games for you to complete. It's a relatively simple mechanic because each empty apartment has silhouettes denoting where each item is to go and it's very easy to match the silhouette with the collectible items in your inventory. Players will also be able to spend their collectible beads at one of the two stores in the hub, which sell carpet, drapes, accessories and furniture.
Kirby's Epic Yarn is an incredibly charming game that appeals to absolutely everyone - whether you're a seasoned gamer, a young child or an adult picking up a video game controller for the first time. Although it does have some challenging aspects, it does not feature a great difficulty level that would scare casual gamers off. It isn't often that you find a game like this that appeals to all types of gamers so well, without catering to one group. The old school challenge and collectible hunting is there for seasoned gamers, whereas the game's charming design, creative environments and (predominantly) simple control scheme will also appeal to the casual audience. The motion control segments may annoy some people, but they aren't game breaking by any means and are relatively short. Some of the level designs are phenomenal and the visual style is genius.
Whether you're 25, 60 or 8, I highly recommend giving this game a chance. This is one of those incredibly unique and creative games that only comes along on rare occasions. This is a game that deserves all of the attention it's been receiving because it's a gem. Despite its small flaws and traditional elements, it offers an excellent gaming experience for one or two players. Developer Hal Laboratory should be commended on their great work on this game.
Rating: 8.5/10
Kirby's Epic Yarn was released on October 17, 2010 for the Nintendo Wii.
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