Kirby's Epic Yarn

Here it is, my first-ever request. Hope you like it.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is the 10th Platform title in Nintendo's series starring Kirby, the hero
of Dreamland.

I don't have any references to back it up, but I don't think "Epic" and "Yarn"
ever went into the same sentence in history, let alone a video game title. Does
the game back up its claim of awesome, or is it merely false advertising? Let's
find out.

Storyline - 3/5

The storyline to the game is pretty decent, if a little cut-and paste. Then
again, given the overall feel for the game, maybe that's what they were going
for.

While out on a stroll, Kirby sees what looks like his favorite food on top of a
bush, and starts to inhale it in typical Kirby fashion. But no sooner was done
than it is revealed that it was a magic Metamato that belonged to a sorcerer
named Yin-Yarn. Kirby is subsequently sucked into a sock dangling around the
sorcerer's neck (Yes, a sock.), and is transported to a world named Patch Land.

Soon after arriving in Patch Land, Kirby discovers that his body was now made out
of yarn, and that the magic Metamato he ingested gave him the ability to
transform into several different forms.

After a while, Kirby sees a blue boy being chased by a yarn monster. After
transforming into a car and saving the boy, named Fluff, it is revealed that he
is the prince of Patch Land, and on a journey to recover pieces of magic yarn to
stitch back together his realm, which had been broken into several pieces by none
other than Yin-Yarn the Sorcerer himself.

Being the stand-up guy he is, Kirby decides to use his newfound power to help
Prince Fluff repair his world, paving the way for a brand-new adventure.

Graphics - 5/5

The first thing you'll notice about Kirby's Epic Yarn is that the art style is...
Different. Everything is made out of yarn and other such fabrics.
However, different doesn't necessarily always mean bad, as everything comes
together in a beautiful tapestry of colors and animations. (See what I did there?
Fabrics? Tapestry? ... IT'S A PUN!)

The way all the fabrics, buttons, and beads all weave together, it's like a
unicorn vomited a rainbow all over some pre-schooler's arts & crafts project. The
end result is a visually stunning masterpiece, with nothing feeling out of place
or unusual, despite everything being made out of cloth.

Animation is extremely smooth, from the transformations, to the attacks, to the
cute little dances that Kirby and Prince Fluff perform every time you finish a
stage, so nothing feels jumpy or jerky.

Another thing to note is the subtle things. Facial expressions on Kirby or Prince
Fluff suggest they're having fun, and also the expressions on the bad guys as you
counter their attacks or use them as platforms ("Get the @#$% off my balloons,
you pink jerk!"). You may also notice little things like little string
butterflies flying around flowers made of felt cloth, or fish made out of beads
in the watery areas. The ambience creates just as much of a visual impact as the
actual action does.

Audio - 5/5

The music for Kirby's Epic Yarn was done by Tomoya Tomita, who some of you may
know as the Sound Producer and Director of the Castlevania game for the Nintendo
64 back in 1999. Even though it was subpar gameplay-wise, it had some of the best
music the N64 had to offer.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is no different. The soundtrack for the game, despite being the
polar opposite of Castlevania, is no less riveting and inspirational, if more
upbeat and cheerful. There were several times I found myself bobbing up and down
keeping with the beat of the music.

Voicework is kept to a minimum, but you still have the familiarity of Kirby's
squeaks, yells, and battle cries. The only real voice acting comes from the
game's extremely well-done narration, which sounds reminiscent of the narrator
from the old Curious George stories.

All in all, the music and sound effects are a pleasing part of the game, and only
adds to the immersion into an otherwise unbelievable story.

Gameplay - 4/5

Here it is, the meat and bones of any good game.

The controls for the game are pretty familiar to anyone who's played an
action/platformer for the NES. You hold the Wii remote sideways, like a regular
NES controller. Use the D-Pad for movement, the 2 button for jumping, and the 1
button for attacks. Pretty simple.

The controls are very tight and responsive, with no apparent lag between pressing
the button and the action being performed on screen. Together with the smooth
animation, controlling the game is very simple and enjoyable, even for someone
who's never played a video game before.

Due to Kirby's transformation into yarn form, his traditional attack method of
swallowing enemies whole and copying their abilities no longer works. Instead,
he's given a yarn whip in which he can either unravel enemies, pulling them into
a single length of string to fade from existence (Insert Dr. Indiana Kirby joke
here), or he can roll them up into a ball, with which he can use to either attack
other enemies, or destroy obstacles.

In some stages, Kirby can transform into different vehicles as well, all with
their own control schemes. In one stage, he transforms into a tank, where you can
fire missiles at will, with destructive effects. In another stage, you turn into
a flying saucer that allows you to use a tractor beam to suck up items and
enemies (Insert yarn probe joke here). Each transformation is even more
thoughtful and fun than the last, sometimes provoking replays of stages just so
you get to play with the vehicle again.

If you have a second Wii Remote, a friend can join in for cooperative play, with
Player 1 playing as Kirby, and Player 2 playing as Prince Fluff. The controls are
identical for both characters, so no one player has an advantage over the other.
Co-op definitely makes things a bit easier and a lot more fun.

My one and only complaint about the gameplay is the lack of control options. An
option to use the Nunchuk, Classic Controller, or Gamecube Controller would have
been an excellent addition to cater to an individual gamer's playing style. It
would have also made co-op more accessible for people who don't have an extra Wii
remote, but an extra Gamecube controller laying around.

And that's all for the main part, here's the breakdown.

Score

Storyline - 3/5 Clichéd Collect-the-artifacts-to-save-my-world storyline,
although it's told in a way never seen before.

Grahics - 5/5 Very unique art style that comes together beautifully, with some of
the smoothest animations ever seen in such a stylized game.

Audio - 5/5 Music direction very well done by Tomoya Tomita, with Kirby's
familiar sound effects and excellent Narration.

Gameplay - 4/5 Rock-solid controls, extremely responsive, although the lack of
control options kinda hurts a bit.

Total - 17/20

Yup, it's epic alright. Kirby's Epic Yarn is a fine addition to the library of
anyone who enjoys Platformers, family-friendly games, or even simply fans who
love the most adorable little pink bastard ever.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Constructive Criticism? Don't know about a game
and want me to tell you if it's worth your hard-earned $60? Send an e-mail to
grifsgamereviews(at)gmail(dot)com. There's also a donation button if you feel
like spreading some holiday cheer. And by "holiday", I mean "financial".

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great holiday!

Look forward to my next review!