ep·ic: heroic; majestic; impressively great
Let's get one thing straight: there is nothing epic about yarn. Look at that cover art. This game is clearly for babies. I'll admit I really enjoyed myself while playing Kirby's Epic Yarn, but in that secret shame sort of way. Let's just say if my wife walked in on my playing this, I would quickly switch the TV to something infinitely less embarrassing. Horse on Man pornography would work, for instance.
To avoid being redundant for this review, please mentally add "for babies" at the end of every sentence. For instance: if I write "This game is pretty good." You should read that as "This game is pretty good for babies." Ready?
...story...
The story in Kirby's Epic Yarn
is perfect. Essentially an evil, yarn-based wizard turns everything in
Kirby's world into yarn, and now it's up to Kirby and his new friend PRINCE FLUFF to
knit everything back to it's normal state and unravel the wizard's
plans - it's just a riveting story. The tale plays out in cutscenes
between levels where a father-reading-a-bedtime-story voice narrates.
The characters are bright, colorful and really stimulate the senses.
Overall, it's not terribly deep, but it fits the art style nicely and
makes the game really enjoyable.
 | ||
| Prince Fluff is just an amazing character. |
...gameplay...
I think the "babies" joke has run its course, don't you? Let's stop that here. Don't want to beat a dead baby.
While the story segments are highly insulting to what little masculinity resides within my body, the gameplay is undeniably fun for adults - even if they won't admit it. The design choice of making an entire game's world and characters out of yarn isn't just an unique aesthetic - it's integral to the game itself.
Enemies unravel, the patchwork scenery can be manipulated with zippers, pullstrings, buttons and cloth. The first few levels are guaranteed to surprise and delight you as each new way of interacting with the environment is revealed. Nintendo managed to capture that elusive "magic feeling" that we all used to get when playing video games back in the 80s and 90s. However, about halfway through it feels like they ran out of ideas and the initial charm wears off to the point where you're just playing a platformer - still an expertly designed platformer, only it's missing that indescribable magic.
Actually beating the game may be the easiest achievement of this generation since there is actually no way to die. Instead the game encourages you to collect as many gems as possible on each level. Getting hit by enemy attacks or falling into a pit will cost you gems - collect and keep enough gems on each level and you're awarded with a gold medal - proving that you're a badass yarn master to your one friend who would be mildly impressed by that.
This approach to the difficulty works well for the target demographic - older gamers attracted to the game "because it's Kirby" will enjoy the challenge of gold medaling every level, while stupid little babies will get to enjoy the story without frustrating deaths. Couple that with 2-player co-op and you have a perfect father-son game day on your hands.
Bosses provide an interesting and unique approach to this as well. Each world contains about 8 levels - but you're given access to the boss after beating 3 or 4 of them. The remaining levels must be unlocked by scoring and keeping enough gems during the boss fight, encouraging perfect, no-hit victories. No easy feat.
Rounding out the gameplay is the dozen or so transformations scattered throughout the game. Every few levels, these powerups turn Kirby into a train, a UFO, a surfing penguin and even a screen filling, missile shooting mega Kirby. Since his trademark swallow and copy ability was given the boot this time around, these transformations allow players to still get that old-school Kirby feeling.
While the story segments are highly insulting to what little masculinity resides within my body, the gameplay is undeniably fun for adults - even if they won't admit it. The design choice of making an entire game's world and characters out of yarn isn't just an unique aesthetic - it's integral to the game itself.
Enemies unravel, the patchwork scenery can be manipulated with zippers, pullstrings, buttons and cloth. The first few levels are guaranteed to surprise and delight you as each new way of interacting with the environment is revealed. Nintendo managed to capture that elusive "magic feeling" that we all used to get when playing video games back in the 80s and 90s. However, about halfway through it feels like they ran out of ideas and the initial charm wears off to the point where you're just playing a platformer - still an expertly designed platformer, only it's missing that indescribable magic.
Actually beating the game may be the easiest achievement of this generation since there is actually no way to die. Instead the game encourages you to collect as many gems as possible on each level. Getting hit by enemy attacks or falling into a pit will cost you gems - collect and keep enough gems on each level and you're awarded with a gold medal - proving that you're a badass yarn master to your one friend who would be mildly impressed by that.
This approach to the difficulty works well for the target demographic - older gamers attracted to the game "because it's Kirby" will enjoy the challenge of gold medaling every level, while stupid little babies will get to enjoy the story without frustrating deaths. Couple that with 2-player co-op and you have a perfect father-son game day on your hands.
 |
| Gold medal. Every level. |
Bosses provide an interesting and unique approach to this as well. Each world contains about 8 levels - but you're given access to the boss after beating 3 or 4 of them. The remaining levels must be unlocked by scoring and keeping enough gems during the boss fight, encouraging perfect, no-hit victories. No easy feat.
Rounding out the gameplay is the dozen or so transformations scattered throughout the game. Every few levels, these powerups turn Kirby into a train, a UFO, a surfing penguin and even a screen filling, missile shooting mega Kirby. Since his trademark swallow and copy ability was given the boot this time around, these transformations allow players to still get that old-school Kirby feeling.
 |
| YarnTank. |
...presentation...
Two things are immediately apparent when you look at Epic Yarn:
1) This is an imaginative, beautiful and elegantly integrated art style that pops off the screen with bright, rich colors.
2) It's for babies.
It's
a real shame that the aesthetics just make it scream "I'm for ages 5
and under!" because there is a really excellent game here. The
music is appropriately cheerful, the sound effects fit perfectly and
the graphics work well within the confines of the Wii's technical
limitations to create something that is really beautiful. For babies.
I agree with you Brandon, this game looks like it is for babies...which is why it still sits in my gaming drawer, untouched. When I have played (with my wife!), I have loved the game play mechanics. The cover art kills the game though. Maybe I just need to add some guns or something to it?
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