Review of: Epic Yarn

Reviewer:        Amy Pistone

Title:               Epic Yarn

System:           Wii

Genre:             Platformer

            Yarn used to be something only grannies loved, but Kirby has managed to bring the stringy fluff to a new level – stardom. Epic Yarn is a true gem of the Wii, combining elements both old and new to create something truly innovative. This game takes the sidescrolling style of previous games, a character we all know and love, a new concept, and amazing graphics to yield a truly “epic” game. While the style is certainly “cute”, this game has substance in its variety of gameplay styles – one minute you’ll be racing and in the next you’ll be a spaceship. The game has its flaws, but Epic Yarn is sure to be an acclaimed game for years to come – a little more than a week after its release, Yarn has already been top-ranked on some video game lists.

            Epic Yarn’s story is somewhat simple in a childish yet charming way. It is told like a storybook, narrated by a charismatic man accompanied by vivid pictures. Dream Land is being attacked by the evil Yin-Yarn, who is changing everything in sight into yarn creations. Kirby is sucked into Yin-Yarn’s yarn paradise, Patch Land. Upon arrival, Kirby realizes he has been turned into yarn! In order to be turned back into his natural form, he must save Patch Land by defeating the bosses in each world to get the pieces of the “magic yarn”. These pieces bring each world together to restore Patch Land to its former glory. The story lacks a real substance but to the game’s credit, the simplicity complements the frivolous style of Epic Yarn.

            Gameplay is Epic Yarn’s strong point as each level is clearly unique. Sidescrollers have a tendency to become repetitive with each level being composed of jumping in differently styled themes (IE: snow), but Kirby has a renaissance man quality to him as each level combines different tactics to suit the theme, such as jumping on a snowball to reach platforms or hopping from bubble to bubble like a dolphin. Beyond the depths of the levels is a customization quality – you can collect items for your room, named “Kirby’s Pad”. This addition is somewhat useless as well as overwhelmingly infantile, yet it does add some fun if you want to take a break from actual levels. A major flaw of this customization feature is the lack of versatility. Many items are unlockable to furnish your room, but there is no way to rotate or change the size of the furniture. The lack of flexibility with this furniture makes true customization hard, but the feature could at least be fun for young children.

            Graphics are a strong point for Epic Yarn. Everything within the game is crafted out of warm and fuzzy materials, mostly yarn and felt. Each part of Patch Land is in fact a “patch”, with them being stitched together. The graphics have an overall cuteness to it that just jumps out of the screen. Some levels are overwhelmingly bright and colorful, but others appear dark and even somewhat creepy. Still, this is a Kirby game, so all graphics are done in ways that would make any player go “awwww” rather than “eek”. The greatest part of the graphics is the dimension they bring. It would have been easy for the characters and scenery feel flat, but with proper shading and placement, the levels are brought to life. A minor concern of mine is that pieces of Epic Yarn bear a striking resemblance to Paper Mario/Super Paper Mario, but this is most likely coincidence.

Overall, Epic Yarn is a cute game that could have ended up being just another “fluff” piece, but the game designers created it with substance. There are plenty of hours of versatile gameplay within Kirby’s universe, with levels that are strangely addicting. Low points for the game are the storyline and the customization feature. The graphics are superbly done and add another dimension to the scene. This game is a must-have for any Wii fan, so make sure to pick it up as soon as you can.

Grade:            A-. Minor flaws within this game detract from the Epic-ness of it (IE: storyline).