Kirby's Epic Yarn uses its creative aesthetic to its full advantage, offering superb gameplay and undeniable charm.
Kirby's Epic Yarn begins with Kirby traversing Dream Land looking for food when he is confronted by a yarn-composed wizard named Yin-Yarn, who out of anger from Kirby eating his favorite "metamato," sucks him into a magical sock. After awakening in the new world, Patch Land, Kirby finds himself composed of yarn and unable to use his inhaling abilities (since the air goes right through him). However, Kirby is able to save an endangered prince named Prince Fluff, who tells of Yin-Yarn's thievery of the Magic Yarn, the threads that hold Patch Land together. Kirby and Prince Fluff team up to stop Yin-Yarn and save Patch Land. Along the way, familiar Kirby characters make appearances, some as friends, others as enemies. The storybook atmosphere of the game is omnipresent; it's charming in the finest sense. Though some may scoff at the light-hearted atmosphere, Kirby's Epic Yarn is fun for the whole family. It can feel saccharine at times, but the jokes never feel too cheesy and the writing never too sweet.
The first thing that I and many other gamers noticed with Kirby's Epic Yarn when it was first shown to the public as a trailer was the game's art design. Everything in Kirby's new world of Patch Land is composed of yarn and fabric, creating a world that feels like a tapestry come to life. Kirby's own body is made of a pink yarn outline with other characters and enemies composed of similar textures. Echoing the paper design of the famed Paper Mario series, Kirby's Epic Yarn uses the yarn and fabric aesthetic to create a beautifully charming game. Kirby's yarn form allows the pink puffball to transform into other objects like a tank, car, or submarine, each one with buttery-smooth animations that capture the creativity and flexibility of yarn. How Kirby and his crew change shapes so fluidly is one thing, but when Kirby earns certain power-ups or uses certain environmental objects, the game truly feels captivating in its visual charm. The sound design is light-hearted, with Kirby and crew sounding off frequently with uplifting quips and undeniably lighthearted level themes. Even the narrator who tells of Kirby's story is encouraging, bringing out the world like a benevolent figure reading a fairy tale book to a gathered group of people. The aesthetic and presentation of Kirby's Epic Yarn is, without question, one of the most creative designs on any console, oozing charm from every pore and delivering a happy and encouraging environment that's sure to make even the grumpiest curmudgeon crack a smile.
Using the Wii Remote alone and on its side, players control Kirby similarly to a classic NES platformer. Kirby can move, jump, and use his yarn weapon with quick button taps, none of which use motion controls. Kirby can also string up enemies to use as weapons or use the yarn to interact with environmental objects like buttons, zippers, and tabs. Kirby doesn't possess a huge number of abilities, but the environment offers plenty of clever ways to get around stages. Swinging like a pendulum from buttons or ripping off fabric to reveal hidden objects are just a few of the many inventive and aesthetically pleasing ways for Kirby to explore. With each new challenge comes a plethora of game mechanics. For example, Kirby will frequently transform into other objects like a dolphin, surfing penguin, or train to get around, each one having unique skills and controls. The boss fights in particular are stellar creations, always offering diverse gameplay mechanics and fountains of slick action sequences. Despite a low basic ability count, Kirby's Epic Yarn will always pleasantly surprise the player with creative ways to get around each level.
Unlike another Wii platformer released this year, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn isn't a particularly difficult game. Anytime Kirby is attacked, falls into a bottomless pit, or suffers from an environmental hazard, he loses a share of the collectible beads earned throughout the stage instead of falling to his doom. There literally is no way to die in Kirby's Epic Yarn. This can make the game easy to progress through, but losing the beads is a fierce penalty, especially for gamers looking for high scores, completion tasks, or a collectible-based challenge. I frequently considered losing valuable beads to be serious punishment, concerning me enough to convince me to start a stage over again. Those looking for an all-out challenge won't find much in Kirby's Epic Yarn, but those who embrace creativity and laid-back design won't be disappointed in Kirby's latest escapade.
For players just getting into gaming or looking for a dynamic duality, Kirby's Epic Yarn lets two players explore the levels with a solid co-op component. With two players exploring as Kirby and Prince Fluff, the cooperative element is balanced and great fun. Even if you're a lone wolf, Kirby's Epic Yarn offers multiple reasons to revisit Patch Land. Though the main storyline is rather short, unlockable stages and challenges are plentiful. Earning items in the stages lets Kirby design a house for him, which also lets visitors from the game offer some side-challenges in other levels. Though it doesn't have a huge longevity, charm empowers Kirby's Epic Yarn, making it one of the best Wii games released in 2010.
Pros
+ Stunning graphic aesthetic is deeply integrated into the gameplay
+ Solid level design takes full advantage of the graphics
+ Great amount of replay value in hidden items and unlockable worlds
+ Cleverly constructed boss fights
Cons
- You technically can't die
- Main storyline is a bit short
Kirby's Epic Yarn is a seamless (pardon the pun) integration of graphics and gameplay, always taking advantage of its aesthetic in ingenious ways. Every piece of the game is thorough and inventive, taking chances and presenting an inviting storybook world that people of all ages will enjoy. Yes, it's easy and rather short, but there wasn't a moment in playing this game where I wasn't in a state of hypnotic bliss. Its pastel-colored environments and uniquely designed boss fights kept me smiling. The cooperative component and great amount of treasures to find give Kirby's Epic Yarn a surprisingly high amount of staying power. It's taken a long time for Kirby to return to the home console platformer world, but Good Feel has made a game that epitomizes the very name of their development house. This is a feel-good game, a game that will keep you smiling ear to ear and one that any Wii owner with a heart should play.