Some folks lament the loss of first-party Nintendo development as the thing that powers the Yoshi franchise, but it’s a trend we all need to accept. That’s easy for me to say; I adored Yoshi’s New Island, a game for which many harbored a strong and passionate dislike. I’d venture to say that if the new game were, by some feat of time travel, swapped with the old one back in 1995, most players would find a lot more to love. But that’s a discussion for another day.
Much like 3DS’s recent Arzest reimagining, Yoshi is also getting outside help on Wii U, only this time it’s from Good Feel — the folks who spun out Kirby’s Epic Yarn. That game was pretty to look at on Wii, but it also suffered from some typical Wii shortcomings. 480p resolution, an overall skew toward young players (via a general lack of challenge), and a sweet but short playtime all hampered what was otherwise a job well done by the Good Feel folks over in Tokyo. Proximity to Nintendo’s premier EAD group must be rubbing off, because not only is Yoshi’s Woolly World one of Wii U’s most gorgeous new titles, but my time with the game at E3 proved both hectic and a blast to play. Especially when I was joined by an additional Yoshi-loving show-goer for co-op.
While Kirby’s endeavor into a tactile visual style forced yarny gameplay mechanics on you at every turn, Yoshi’s approach is a bit more reserved; much of its Woolly namesake is designated to looks and visual frills alone. I’m entirely fine with this, and in fact, I almost prefer it. The skeuomorphic textures wrapping every last bit of Woolly World’s levels look impeccably lifelike, the effect drawing up emotions I haven’t felt since I first saw the original LittleBigPlanet running on a then-cutting edge PlayStation 3. I simply couldn’t wrap my mind around graphics looking so real, and though Woolly World stops short of melting my brains simply because I’m older and less easily enchanted, it does look darn elegant and delightful. Watching the quivering fibers of Yoshi’s yarny torso or the give of an enormous cloth platform as the player walks across it are effects Nintendo has been itching to deploy since the original Wii released, and now it finally can.
As for how the game plays, well, it’s a bit of a hybrid actually — a mix between Yoshi’s Story and your standard Yoshi’s Island. Though some will shudder at mention of the former, it takes only the good things — camera positioning, animation style, level structure — and leaves the rest of that game on the cutting-room floor. There’s no fruit collecting or needless running back and forth, mechanics Woolly World has instead replaced with a highly entertaining two-player co-op mode. I had the chance to try this, and like most Nintendo platformers, it makes the experience markedly more fun.
Additionally, adding a second Yoshi allows for extra teamwork and strategy; players can pelt each other with yarn eggs to provide a boost for hard-to-reach items, or even eat one another and turn the other player into an actual yarn egg himself. The player can then be thrown to high platforms, or simply used when no regular eggs are available. The series’ signature egg blocks are scattered throughout levels, but even so, running back to one is not always desirable or even possible. Player eggs make for an amusing substitute.
In the spirit of the game’s laniferous art style, I noticed a plethora of quirks that add little to gameplay but make for charming visual surprises, and the more of these Good Feel can sneak in the better. If you run for an extended period, the wool comprising Yoshi’s body will realign his legs into rolling wheels, while taking damage or slamming into things at high speed triggers a slight unraveling effect. Trailers for the game show large bosses comprised of various everyday materials, and while many of Nintendo’s games have a tendency to look better in real-life motion than in screenshots and videos, Woolly World looks just lovely on YouTube. Be sure to check out the above video.
Yoshi’s Woolly World isn’t reinventing platforming or even Yoshi, and lovers of the original Island may very well continue to resent that. Still, it’s an important piece of Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii U strategy, and in tandem with the likes of Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and newcomer Splatoon, should provide a lush backing for the Zeldas, Smash Bros., and Mario Kart 8s of the world. If such a game can provide frenetic co-op fun and look unusually handsome while doing it, it leaves — at least to me — very little else to complain about. Still not impressed? Then I suggest you start petitioning EAD to re-recruit Yoshi for their next game.
