Kirby’s finally back on a console and his adventures have changed drastically. Check out the stitchin’ good time you’ll have when you get your hands on the game.
Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Developer: Good Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Q3
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
When I got the controller in my hands to play Kirby’s Epic Yarn, I wasn’t sure what to expect considering the new art style and unique gameplay that I saw in the video. The results surprised me even though I’ve loved Kirby games in the past, mostly due to how extremely easy it is to pick up and play.
When I played the demo, it was cooperative with another player. I got to control Kirby, while the other individual was in charge of the blue friend wearing a crown of sorts. Immediately I noticed a few differences between a traditional Kirby game and Epic Yarn.
For one, Kirby doesn’t vacuum up enemies, instead he uses a whip on approaching baddies. Since there was no vacuum, there was also no puff and float around ability. It was slightly disappointing not to be able to do that, but upon retrospect, yarn isn’t exactly a floating material. Due to the fact that Kirby doesn’t devour enemies, he has several built-in abilities such as an umbrella to float down from the sky and a car mode where he can zip along the screen at a much faster pace. These abilities are also shared with Kirby’s friend.
When it comes to the cooperative aspect, I was reminded vaguely of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, due to the fact that I seemed to be hindering my partner, instead of empowering them. For that, I put the blame squarely on my whip ability, which when used on your partner, grabs them and puts them above your head, ready to be launched at enemies.
The level we played seemed basic, but then again it was most likely one of the very first in the game. Basic platforming elements were there, but the shining point is the usage of the cloth material. There are points that players must use their whip to pull down material from the sky to gain items. Also of note are certain obstacles that can be traversed by grabbing a special point and gathering the material, which bunches and makes you able to continue onward.
My favorite aspect, however, was the giant Kirby-bot that took up quite a bit of real estate on the screen. I was able to control the treads and pew pew missiles from the mouth, while my partner was able to knock enemies out silly by using the giant punching extending arm with boxing glove.
This is definitely a solid Kirby game so far and I can’t wait to see what the finish product is going to present.
