In a world created by fabric we find our favorite dinosaur. No time to help Mario and save the princess, it’s time to save the other Yoshi brothers and sisters! Yoshi is ready for the new adventure on Wii U and it’s without a doubt one of the best looking games on the console. Although a great looking game is fun, it’s no guarantee to make a great game. Is Wooly World good? Time to find out!
That Kamek, you simply can’t trust him
Our story starts on an idyllic island in the middle of a handmade ocean. Everything you see is created with wool and other fabrics. The Yoshi live a very peaceful and relaxed life on the island until Kamek appears. The evil wizard, known from other Mario and Yoshi games, transforms all the dinosaurs into yarn. All but two who managed to escape from the evil powers of the wizard. It’s up to those two brave Yoshi to save their world and free the others from their lives as yarn. Time for the adventure to start!
Let’s go on an adventure
Before you can really start your new adventure, the game let’s you decide on how you want to play it. Do you want to play in the Classic or Mellow mode? This Mellow mode is aimed for a younger audience to make it easier to advance in the levels. Yoshi will get wings in Mellow mode so a lot of the obstacles are far easier to pass. Aside of the wings, Mellow mode also gives you hints on where to find hidden items. Ironically, this Mellow mode can make some levels harder to complete thanks to the wings. The freedom of the wings isn’t good in every level so younger gamers will need your help from time to time.
Join Yoshi on this big adventure
More experienced gamers will go for the Classic mode of course. This is the typical mode where you need to guide Yoshi towards the end of the level by jumping on platforms and defeating enemies. Yoshi still has his adorable flutter-jump as well as the ability to swallow and transform his enemies into eggs (balls made of wool this time). Yoshi can throw these balls on enemies to take them out or he can throw them on certain objects in the level to reveal hidden paths. It’s a mechanic we all know from older Yoshi games but thanks to the wool we get some innovation. You can create new platforms by throwing your wool on metal structures in the levels for example. Or the wool can paralyze the enemy so you can take him out with a well-placed jump.
Collect everything
The big difference between a Yoshi platformer and a Mario platformer aren’t the eggs however, it’s the pacing. In Mario games you need to reach the finish before the time runs out but in Yoshi you get all the time you need to reach the finish. This means there’s more room for exploration and that’s exactly the way the game is meant to be played. Each level is filed with collectibles. The most important ones are the yarns. If you manage to collect every piece of yarn, you’ll unlock a special pattern for your Yoshi. This pattern can later be used to play as a ‘new Yoshi’. Aside of the yarn you can still collect the Flowers and Heart Points but there’s also room for stamps and a lot of beads. These beads unlock an interesting new way of playing. Collecting everything and finding every hidden door or path is what makes this game so addictive and different from other platform games.
Gain special badges
By completing levels, Yoshi can unlock special badges that can be activated before you enter a new level. A badge can only be activated if you spend the right amount of beads. Badges are really helpful since they’ll give Yoshi some advantages during the level. Some badges make him invincible against fire while others prevent him from falling down and dying. The badges are optional and you’re never forced to use them but they’re an interesting mechanic! Using a badge in a certain level can really change the way of playing it. It can make things easier or more challenging for you. We’re glad to see this kind of innovation in the game!
A gorgeous Woolly World
The big star of the game however, is the graphics. Nintendo made sure that every detail made sense and that everything you see could have been made by handwork. Unlike Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Wooly World really goes all out with the fabric theme. Every level introduces a new way of playing with wool. Fold the landscape to reveal hidden items; cover platforms with wool to make them accessible, trap enemies in your web of wool and be ready to face very original enemies. Did you know that simply using a scarf created one of the enemies?
Aside of the design, most levels are extremely fun to play and offer some very innovating mechanics. Our personal favorite level featured a purple roll that you needed to unwind in order to advance. You never knew what to expect next and it was pure brilliance. Of course, not every level is as original or innovating as that one but most of the levels really are fun to play. Thanks to the cheerful atmosphere and possible the best Nintendo soundtrack lately, you’ll enjoy your time in this gorgeous Wooly World for sure!
Be ready for the bosses
A Yoshi platformer wouldn’t be a true platformer if you hadn’t got boss fights. Each world features two bosses to fight, the last one being more difficult. All the bosses we faced had a lot of interesting mechanics and tactics to defeat. Nintendo put a lot of time in creating these battles. Every boss desires another approach and tactic to take down. Thanks to the design, defeating them really demanded innovating solutions. You had to strip away wool for example in order to reach the weak spot. It’s interesting to see what kind of impact this universe made of fabric had on boss battles. Aside of some levels, those battles are the best thing the game has to offer.
Invite a friend over to play
Yoshi’s Wooly World also offers a great co-op mode. Every level can be played in co-op (if you select the option before you start). Playing with another player also opens new strategies. By throwing each other around you can easily access some of the harder places to reach. Playing with an extra Yoshi also means you got a lot of extra eggs to use. Defeating enemies is a lot easier with two but that doesn’t mean that the co-op is easier.
You’ll really need to work together as a team in order to reach the finish. It’s fun to throw each other from the edge but that won’t get you anywhere. A nice detail is that the patterns can also be activated in co-op so you can walk around as two fashionable Yoshi’s.
The second player can also pick the controls he/she likes best. The game can be controlled using the GamePad, Wii Remote, Wii Remote/Nunchuk and Wii U Controller Pro. We liked playing with the Pro Controller best since the GamePad didn’t add that much to the game but that’s really up to you to decide!
Amiibo
The last thing that’s worth mentioning is the ability to activate almost every Amiibo you own. They don’t add that much but it’s a cool extra. What they do is add an extra pattern for Yoshi, based on the Amiibo character you’re scanning of course. Personally, we didn’t like the human characters on Yoshi that much. Amiibo’s such as the Splatoon Squid, Samus or King Dedede all look good while Shulk or Robin look rather strange. It doesn’t add much to the gameplay but it’s a nice bonus for Amiibo collectors. Be warned that Pokémon Amiibo isn’t supported however!
Yoshi’s Woolly World is by far the cutest platformer that ever released on a Nintendo console but looks aren’t everything. Behind the gorgeous looks you’ll find a great game full of great levels and innovating boss fights. The game is more than a good looking cute game, it offers a different approach on the platform genre and is possibly one of the best on Wii U. It’s nice to finally play something different than Mario platformers. If you’re looking for a different platformer, look no further! Yoshi will quickly become your new best friend!
