Kirby’s appetite gets him in trouble once again as he accidentally inhales the evil sorcerer Yin-Yarn instead of a Metamato. What does this mean for Kirby? Well, he gets turned into yarn and is transported to Patch Land where he must help Prince Fluff stitch his kingdom back together. What does this mean for you? A fun adventure with classic platform elements “interwoven” with new gameplay mechanics!

Kirby games have always been simple platformers with cutesy graphics, simple two button control schemes, and a happy soundtrack. Nintendo didn’t decide to give Kirby a complete makeover for his first adventure on a console since the Nintendo 64. Instead, they simply changed how you control Kirby in the game and how the world responds to him. Having been turned into yarn, Kirby can no longer inhale or puff infinitely in the air. He can no longer copy enemy abilities, jab, or slide. Kirby’s Epic Yarn is still a Kirby game, but it feels different because it no longer is set in Dreamland.

The seven colorful worlds of Patch Land and its inhabitants are entirely made up of yarn, string, and buttons. As yarn, Kirby can whip out a part of himself to grab enemies and turn them into clumps of yarn that he can use as weapons. He also uses his whipping ability to swing from button ledges and to pull off patches to reveal hidden rooms or items. Although he can’t absorb powers from enemies anymore, Kirby can glide like a parasol, squish enemies as a stone, and dash into them as car whenever he wants. There are many moments in the game that require Kirby to physically unzip part of a mountain or pull down a section of a castle wall to move forward. The game cleverly integrates these landscape transformations allowing you even to navigate behind pieces of a background. As you control Kirby behind these walls, the fabric will bulge up showing you where Kirby is. It’s these small details that make the game fun and exploratory.

While the ultimate goal is to get from one end of a stage to the other, there are many collectibles along the way that open up more worlds for you to explore. The main “currency” in the game is beads which you’ll find scattered in each level similar to rings in a Sonic game. If Kirby gets hit by an enemy, he will lose some of his beads and you’ll have to get them back before they disappear. Completing a level with lots of beads gets you gold medals which in turn get you patches that open up special stages. There are also three patches in each level for you to collect that can be used to decorate Kirby’s apartment – a sandbox diversion from the main adventure – or other tenant’s apartments that open up their own set of missions. Each world also has an awesome boss battle that when completed flawlessly will score you a medal. While the game itself may be easy for more mature gamers, collecting every patch and getting all gold medals is a more challenging task.

A second player can join in as well and control Prince Fluff with the same abilities as Kirby. The game is even more fun this way as you can throw each other around, jump on one another to reach a higher platform, or simply help each other collect as many beads possible. When Kirby or Prince Fluff falls into a hole, he loses some beads but then is carried back to safety. You’ll never die. This aspect makes the game very easy for a young player who just wants to beat the game. But, if you’re a perfectionist and want to get every collectible, try not to get hurt as you will lose your beads.

The music in the game is very typical of a Kirby game and matches its whimsical setting. Depending on the stage, you might hear anything from gentle arias to exotic drums. The game also has a narrator that is heard at the start of the game and then continues after each world is cleared. The only human voice in the game, the narrator becomes the storyteller, perhaps reading you a bedtime story that lulls you into Kirby’s innocence and his magical adventures.

Verdict: Kirby’s Epic Yarn is fun. If you’re looking for a game with a long play time, award winning story or next gen graphics, look elsewhere. Like Kirby himself, Kirby games have always been pure and innocent. They will put a smile on your face. The gameplay is fun and simple, the stages and boss battles are cleverly designed, and tricky collectibles are enough to satisfy perfectionists. The deciding question is, can you really resist Kirby’s cuteness?