How does a woolly Yoshi Amiibo stand up? It's something that Eurogamer's Wesley Yin-Poole likes to ask me when he thinks he is being funny. The truth, of course, is that there is more than wool to the little toys - a structure hidden beneath the surface. Yoshi's Woolly World, the game that those toys work with, is similar. Its exterior hides something else as well, although the answer to what lies beneath is a little more complicated.
If Woolly World looks somewhat familiar then you're probably thinking of the similarly charming Wii platformer Kirby's Epic Yarn. Indeed, the two share a developer in frequent Nintendo collaborator Good-Feel (who also worked on Wario Land: The Shake Dimension).
Like Epic Yarn, Woolly World's levels feel like they have been stitched together like tapestry, each area a patchwork of fibres, zips, pockets and buttons that players can interact with and romp over, marvelling at how surfaces and objects unspool and untie themselves at a touch (or lick) of Yoshi's tongue.
Much of the gameplay is centred around you exploring this aspect by picking your way through side-scrolling levels often by unpicking the very levels themselves. And even if your path is clear, the world is so full of collectibles and secrets that it's easy to get stuck in an area you already know your way out of, simply trying to figure out how to reach something in plain sight.
Feb 13, 2017 When Yoshi’s Woolly World came out on Wii U in 2015, its well-hidden collectibles seemed at odds with its often breezy platforming-most of the challenge was in finding its secrets, so opting to. Oct 12, 2015 Yoshi's Woolly World is cute. Everything about the game is designed to make players coo “Aww” as they bounce through the 50ish joyful stages on their way to the conclusion. Jun 22, 2015 Watch out for Mega Yoshi’s tail swipe, if only T-Rex’s looked that cute, right? But if you were one of the fans who believed Yoshi’s Woolly World would be a pushover – myself included – we were sorely incorrect. In terms of difficulty, Good-Feel has balanced the game wonderfully.
Amiibo support
Nintendo's upcoming range of woolly Amiibo are currently being made (hand knitted by a team of lovely old grannies, I can only assume) to launch alongside the main game. Tap one onto the GamePad and players will get a second on-screen character similar to the double cherry item in Super Mario 3D World. It remains to be seen how other Amiibo might be supported.
Woolly World's first group of levels even plays similar to Epic Yarn, Yoshi maneuvering his way past knitted obstacles and crocheted creatures, which you can either jump on to defeat or gobble up to earn wool for your collection (more on that later). But the game is at its best when it is at its most surprising - when it suddenly switches Yoshi's standard platforming sections for more inspired moments. In Good-Feel's earlier game, Kirby could transform into a car, parachute or submarine. In Woolly World, Yoshi can rearrange his stitching in a similar manner, to knit himself into a free floating umbrella or other items. But such breaks only offer brief excursions from the platforming norm.
And it is in this platforming norm that the game begins to show its true colours. By mid-way through the game's second world, its difficulty has ramped up noticeably. Underneath Woolly World's woven exterior, it turns out, lies a surprisingly demanding platformer - one that quickly tasks you with mastering Yoshi's finicky floaty jumps and combining it with other necessities. Pretty soon you'll be gobbling up enemies while in mid-air, firing them back at opponents, aiming just right to get that item you need to progress.
In my playthrough of the first three worlds I tried to record as complete a run as possible, but doing so was hampered by the fact that any collectibles you have picked up in a specific section are reset when you lose a life. That would be fair enough if checkpoints did not feel so sparse that often large sections or earlier stages of a puzzle need to be repeated when I had fallen only at the final hurdle.
This is especially a problem when backtracking is needed as well - more often than not, in order to pick up more of the woollen projectiles that Yoshi carries around with him. You can hold around a half dozen of these wool balls at any one time, which bob along behind you like a line of bouncing ducklings. But they run out fast, and you constantly need a good supply to spit out and aim at the environment, knit platforms in specific places, knock down flying enemies, trigger secrets and dismantle traps.
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Maintaining this stock of wool can sometimes be a challenge, although more can be created by gobbling up enemies and, er, doing whatever Yoshi does to eject them out again. You can also get more wool at a small number of sewing baskets dotted around a level. But this resource is too easy to run out of, and the baskets you need are often a ways back from where they are needed. It means that you can can come to areas where if you fail a shot and have gobbled up all the enemies around, trekking backwards is then required.
But the sections where I was really left bemused was when the way forward was hidden behind scenery without any obvious clue where to look, and only by trial and error did I find the main path. Such hidden areas are fine for secrets or collectibles, but when jumping against random walls is needed to finish a level, something isn't quite right.
It's easy to focus on these things but harder to explain why they aren't as damning as they may sound. Back to that exterior, then - the disarmingly good-looking world that Nintendo and Good-feel have woven for you to explore. Wrapped in that coating, the game is still a joy to play - even if you might find yourself giving up on all the collectible-grabbing to get to the end of levels faster. Seemingly in preparation for such criticisms Nintendo has added a 'Mellow Mode' where Yoshi has wings, and can float through levels making the whole experience a great deal easier.
Just like its knitted Amiibo companions, Yoshi's Woolly World offers a charming exterior that covers a solid structure and plenty of technology - but there's more to the game than its soft and cutesy looks. Its difficulty may be loved by some, although niggling gameplay issues cause the attraction of its levels to slightly unravel.
Yoshi's Woolly World Review
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: We’ve romped our way through Woolly World on the Nintendo 3DS and fallen in love with a bunch of yarn Yoshis, who have just as much personality as the fleshy version. Here’s our full Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for 3DS review.
Everyone loves Yoshi, cute dogs and yarn, so Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World is bound to delight gamers of all ages. This side-scrolling platformer for Nintendo’s 3DS offers a unique graphical styling, to help freshen up one of the oldest game genres – not to mention bags of content and secrets to unlock. Here’s our full Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World review for 3DS.
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: What’s this all about then?
Woolly World’s story makes about as much sense as Donald Trump’s political strategies, but with a lot less menace. Essentially there’s a wizard who’s turned a bunch of woolly Yoshis into balls of yarn, for whatever nefarious purposes, and now it’s up to our hero to retrieve all of the yarn and knit his mates back together.
Frankly, it’s the kind of plot that requires liberal use of certain class A drugs to comprehend, and in the end who cares. You play these games because they’re fun, not for the captivating storyline or the inspirational character arcs.
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: Gameplay and difficulty levels
Gameplay is as solid as you’d expect from Nintendo. Woolly World is a simple side-scroller at heart, although Yoshi differs from Mario in that he can hover indefinitely if you hold down the jump button. And as well as jumping on enemies’ heads, you can hurl balls of wool at them to despatch them.
At set points you’ll even automatically transform into a special powered-up Yoshi, similar to Kirby’s souped-up forms in Planet Robobot. From a super-speedy biker Yoshi to a Godzilla-sized Mega Yoshi, these short but thrilling segments add another dose of welcome variety.
Woolly World’s difficulty level is quite low, provided you don’t rush things. Finding all of the hidden treasures is where the true difficulty lies, although taking on the boss creatures is also fun. They pop up every four levels and each boasts his or her own attack sequences and weak points, as you’d expect.
Yoshi's Woolly World Amazon
If you’re struggling to complete a level or find all of its secrets, don’t get too depressed. You can stick Woolly World on casual mode at any time, which gives you constant access to some of Poochy’s helpful pups. These little balls of delight can sniff out hidden items for you, whenever you can’t be bothered to do it yourself.
And even if you find yourself seriously struggling, even on casual mode (highly unlikely), you can employ the help of one of your power badges. These are basically cheat codes which are unlocked by completing levels, and they offer a helping hand in many ways; be it making you immune to certain damage, or giving you big balls (don’t ask). Of course, you can’t constantly rely on these, as they cost virtual cash to use.
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Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: Game length
The game is split into six worlds, each with its own distinctive look and feel. Fans of Nintendo platform era know what to expect: desert world, lava world and so on. Each world offers eight levels of platforming shenanigans, giving 48 levels in total (not including bonus stages). Thank god we paid attention in maths class.
These levels are a good size too. If you spend some time hunting down the secret collectibles, you can expect each one to take roughly ten minutes to complete.
Completists be warned: you’ll have your work cut out to hit 100 percent on Woolly World. In each stage, Yoshi can collect up to five smiley flower heads, five balls of yarn and 20 special coins. You’ll have to explore carefully and use your wits to max out every level, but the rewards are solid.
For instance, collect all of the flower heads in a world and Yoshi gets a bonus stage to play. Find all five balls of yarn in a level and one of the kidnapped Yoshis will be resurrected, unlocking them as a playable character (the only difference being appearance sadly).
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: Presentation and 3D effects
Yoshi and Poochy’s Woolly World offers some truly unique presentation, thanks to the yarn-based theme of the game. Every character and indeed the world itself is stitched together, giving them fantastic texture. Every World is a colourful delight and individual levels are pleasingly distinctive.
As for the 3D element, Woolly World does a great job of popping out the visuals to make the world feel even more immersive. Thankfully it’s still perfectly possible to play in 2D if the 3D makes you feel a bit iffy, or you own a 2DS. You only miss out on the striking depth.
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: Bonus content and comparison to the Wii U version
In addition to the main game, Woolly World also offers plenty of engrossing bonus content, which wasn’t found on the Wii U version of the game.
For instance, head to the Poochy Hut and you can race through courses as Yoshi’s pet dog, who is otherwise criminally underused. These stages are great fun, with set objectives to complete in each one for maximum financial rewards. And although the controls are simple – just tap to jump – you’ll want to replay them over and over to grab every last gem.
You can also watch a series of stomach-achingly cute stop-motion videos starring Yoshi and Poochy, and then answer basic observation questions to unlock more virtual cash (used to enable the power badges in the standard single-player levels).
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Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World 3DS review: Verdict
Basically, you get a lot for your money in Woolly World and none of it is filler. Every single level is a delight, offering dozens of secrets to hunt down, while difficulty levels are perfect for a younger audience. And with extras like the Poochy Hut races to master, you’ll be gaming for many, many hours before you find and see everything on offer.
You can grab Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World from Friday February 3, for £35.