POSTED 6/2/11


KIRBY'S EPIC YARN

Nintendo
Wii

Addiction’s bad, m’kay? Here’s everybody’s favourite pink glob of – uhhhh - Kirbyness going along his merry way until that desperate urge for a tomato hit gets him in a whole wild and literally woolly mess.

Yep, one chomp of a nasty sorcerer’s magic ‘metamato’ and say “bye-bye Dream Land” and “hiya Patch Land”. Not only has Kirby transformed into a piece of yarn – a decidedly handy one that can morph into cars, tankity-tanks, flying saucers and more - the entire world appears to have escaped from a mad craft nut’s (or our Mum’s) sewing kit. Think a traditional 2D platformer that’s somewhat reminiscent of LitteBigPlanet’s bric-a-brac vibe, with zips and folds that can reveal previously hidden bits and clothes-type buttons that allow you to reach otherwise unreachable spots.

When we say traditional 2D platformer, we mean it (man). Numerous ’80s memories emerged as Kirby’s Epic Yarn repeatedly enveloped us in a wicked just-one-more-level fugue. There’s a lot of seemingly forgotten classic Wonder Boy going on – even down to levels where you’re rolling and just have to go with the flow - with snippets of everything from Bubble Bobble to Galaga to Moon Patrol chucked into the mix at times.

When not busy appeasing an alarmingly needy landlord, you’re tasked with helping Patch Land’s Prince Fluff stitch his world’s continents back together, after that nasty tomato-bearing sorcerer done torned it up. Various luscious lands share a common objective – platforming and collecting stuff. Rather than being time-pressured or brain-busting, there’s a more chilled vibe throughout the 50 levels. It’s ideal for younger audiences, but challenging enough to keep older gamers engrossed – depending upon cutesy tolerance. Two can play at once, too.

Stuff tomatoes, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is infinitely more addictive. Now, just one more level, m’kay?

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