Games back in the 80's and early 90's were all about 2D platforming, perfecting these types of games is what had everyone talking at the time. Games like Mario, Sonic, Earthworm Jim and much more contained us to our basement for hours every day. Then the 3D era of gaming came along and everyone's focus was shifted into a new direction. Lately we have seen a resurgence of what made us spend 90% of our childhood's in a basement, 2D platforming games.
2010 has already produced some spectacular 2D platforming games, some are new and fresh while others dive back into time and recapture the magic of past classic franchises. For me personally the three stand out games so far are Limbo, Super Meat Boy, and Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Sonic we all know and love and it's great to see him return to his former glory while Limbo and Meat Boy are new classics worthy of rivalling any of our old beloved franchises. Kirby is the latest to continue with this string of 2D platforming games and delivers yet another fantastic game.
Anyone who is a fan of Kirby knows that he enjoys sucking his enemies into his own body in order to use their unique ability's to his own advantage, in Epic Yarn you can't do this. This had many people sceptical before the games release but after you spend your first 5 minutes playing Epic Yarn you will instantly forget about what a Kirby game should be and enjoy what a fantastic Kirby game this is. Kirby must now wind enemies up into deadly balls of yarn and lob them at destructible walls and other bad guys. Kirby's Epic Yarn may feel different to other Kirby games due to this change however it doesn't effect the game in a negative way, it adds to the fun and charm of Kirby and now he is cuter than ever.
The gameplay in Kirby's Epic Yarn will immediately feel familiar to anyone who has played a 2D side scrolling platformer in the last 20 years. While the game retains a traditional feel to it, the game is enhanced even further by it's unique style and design. Kirby can pull on zippers to reach the next area of his journey or even tug on fabric to bring a ledge down to his level. When playing the game what amazed me most was when Kirby was able to jump behind the environment canvas and all i could see is a bulge in the fabric as he moved behind what my eyes could see. This was a simple feature added into the game but one of the most effective.
This game is beautiful and really puts the Nintendo Wii's strength upfront. The Wii might not be as impressive as the 360 or PS3 when it comes to it's graphical technology but the team behind Kirby's Epic Yarn, Good Feel, did an outstanding job creating a game which is just as visually pleasing as it is fun. The game looks like nothing we have ever seen before and feels more imaginative and creative than any game i have played in a long time. Kirby and his second player partner both move with fluent animation, this is made possible by the fact that they are essentially just a shape made out of some fluffy yarn. Environment's look phenomenal because they're photorealistic swatches of felt and fabric that move, flow, and wrinkle realistically when Kirby interacts with them.
The biggest difference between this Kirby game and others is the transformations, although you now don't get to select when you transform by sucking enemies into your body you still do get to change. In Epic Yarn Kirby has multiple opportunity's to transform into something which is not only fun but something that you will need such as a parachute to glide softly from high to low areas, or a Dolphin which can move with grace and fluidity. You can also transform into a fire truck and spray enemies with your water cannon, shooting blue threads which symbolise the water. Transforming into a car will allow you to move with faster pace and even a UFO which will give you the opportunity to destroy multiple enemies with a huge lightning bolt. One of the more impressive transformations is when you can play as a space ship on a classic shoot-em-up type level which has a nostalgic feel and reminds you of what games used to be all about. There is even a reference to an old NDS game, Kirby's Canvas Curse, which sees players transform into a train and paint a track which the train will follow, sometimes not with complete accuracy.
Kirby's Epic Yarn might not be for everyone though, the game is presented in a way which you could assume would be for a younger audience and the difficulty certainly hints in that direction as well. You can't die, yes that's right the game won't let you fail so if this is something you can't handle then you won't want to pick this game up. Experienced players might find this game far to easy when falling off a ledge or bumping into an enemies and not dying however it's really a game simply to be enjoyed for it's fun and charm. This game is not here to test you it just want's you to enjoy yourself and that is exactly what i did when playing through this short but marvellous game.
The way the game manages to appeal to both younger and older audiences is through it's vast amount of unlockables, including new levels hidden throughout the world. Players are rewarded for making it through each level without being damaged or being damaged as little as possible, so while you can't die there is still an incentive not to get hit or fall from ledges into the abyss. Players can also collect beads which act as the rings in a Sonic game or coins in a Mario game. Your goal will be to reach the end of each level and collect either a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal. If you fall from a ledge Kirby will loose a few beads from his purse which could effect what you are awarded at the end of the level. This is even more important during boss battles, on top of the gold status there is a "patch" that can be earned to open up a branching level path after the boss is defeated. This adds incentive to the player if he want's to experience all this game has to offer, don't let the bosses hit you and you will get rewarded for your efforts.The game also offers players the opportunity to dress up an apartment with everything they have unlocked and upload pictures of this to show friends however it's nothing worth taking any interest in and really just seems like something to make a short game seem slightly longer.
Kirby's Epic Yarn is a game which can capture anyone's attention for hours on end but the game doesn't have to be a solo experience, and shouldn't be. Epic Yarn is enhanced even more when played with a friend and provides one of the best co-op experiences on a 2D side scroller. When a friend joins you on your journey through this world stitched together they will take control of Prince Fluff. The contrast of Kirby's delicate fluffy pink and Prince Fluff's powder blue workers fantastic. When playing co-op the core game mechanics are the same but with a twist, when playing solo you might have to throw an enemy at a ledge to knock it down to your level but in co-op you will throw each other and work together to reach your goal. When a player is stuck he can reset his position to the same location as his friend with a simple tap of the A button. The only thing i didn't like was when a player falls both players are penalised, while this is great at getting players to work well together it also removes any competitive emotions from the game. This is just a small complaint in an otherwise almost perfect game.Kirby's Epic Yarn is a modern day realisation of what classic 2D platformers always strived to be, the game looks and feels phenomenal giving fans of classic side scrollers an amazing experience. You can even bring a friend along to share in the charm of this unique imaginative world which you would be foolish to miss out on.
Kirby's Epic Yarn is just as Epic as it's name suggests 9.5/10
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