Kirby's Epic Yarn for Wii: Controls, Co-op and Reviews
Playable today Yes The disc plays on the Wii and in Wii Mode on the Wii U, where a Sensor Bar is needed for the pointer-drawn train tracks.
Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a 2010 Wii platformer set in a world made of fabric, developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo. Metacritic prints a score of 86 out of 100.
Overview
Kirby bites into a tomato that turns out to be a Metamato held by the sorcerer Yin-Yarn, who banishes him to Patch Land. There his body becomes yarn, and he meets Prince Fluff, whose realm has been split into pieces held together by seven strands of magic yarn. Kirby sets out to collect them, while Yin-Yarn takes control of King Dedede and Meta Knight back in Dream Land.
Wikipedia calls it the first Kirby game on a home console since Kirby Air Ride on GameCube in 2003, and the first home-console platformer in the series since Kirby 64 in 2000. It began as a separate project called Keito no Fluff, built by Good-Feel around an idea from planning manager Madoka Yamauchi. In summer 2009 Nintendo suggested turning it into a Kirby title, which the studio resisted at first and then accepted.
How it plays
The remote is held sideways. Because Kirby is yarn, he can neither inhale enemies nor fly, so the moves are transformations: a parachute in the air, a weight that slams downward, a car on the ground, a submarine in water. Special stages give a tank, a fire truck, and a steam train that runs over tracks drawn with the Wii Remote’s pointer. His whip pulls zips, buttons and pulleys.
A second player takes Prince Fluff, who plays the same way and helps with transformations. The look comes from photographs of fabric textured onto polygons, according to Wikipedia, and the graphics change the terrain when you pull a thread.
Release and credits
Japan received the game on 14 October 2010, North America on 17 October, Australia on 24 February 2011 and Europe on 25 February. Metacritic gives an E rating. HAL Laboratory’s character team and Warpstar, Inc. oversaw the Kirby side of development. A 3DS version, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, followed in March 2019 as the final Nintendo-published 3DS game.
Reception
At 86 out of 100 from 70 reviews, Metacritic ranks it as the best-rated Kirby game, according to Wikipedia. IGN gave it an Editor’s Choice award and Kotaku praised it as a game designed for constant smiling. Famitsu scored 36 out of 40. Game Informer called the art one of the best looks on the Wii.
The common complaint was ease. GameTrailers disliked that Kirby cannot die, and GameSpot said the story levels were way too easy, though it felt the graphics and fun compensated. Before launch the game had already won Game of the Show at E3 2010 from GameSpot.
Can you still play it?
A Wii disc, so a Wii or a Wii U in Wii Mode is enough. Wii Mode needs a Sensor Bar for most software, and the train stages in this game use the pointer. Match the disc’s region to the console.
The game was sold on disc, so the Wii Shop Channel closure in January 2019 has no effect.
Frequently asked questions
Who made Kirby's Epic Yarn?
Good-Feel developed it and Nintendo published it, per Wikipedia. It was the studio's third game made with Nintendo, after Wario Land: Shake It and Looksley's Line Up, and HAL Laboratory's character team oversaw the Kirby side.
Can Kirby inhale or fly in Kirby's Epic Yarn?
No. Once he is turned into yarn he loses both abilities. He instead transforms into objects such as a parachute, a car, a submarine, a tank and a steam train, and uses a yarn whip to grab enemies.
Is Kirby's Epic Yarn two-player?
Yes. A second person plays Prince Fluff, who handles like Kirby and helps control transformations. The game is played mainly with the Wii Remote held sideways.
What did Metacritic give Kirby's Epic Yarn?
Metacritic prints 86 out of 100 from 70 critic reviews. Wikipedia says that makes it the highest-rated Kirby game there, and notes Famitsu's 36 out of 40 and IGN's Editor's Choice award.