Yoshi must save the other yarn Yoshi from spending the rest of their lives as piles of yarn. Lucky for our favorite dinosaur, he isn’t alone. Together with the help of another Yoshi and Poochy, Yoshi’ favorite dog, the trio goes on an adventure to rescue the world and Yoshi’ friends from the magic of Kamek.
I remember this adventure
As you might already know, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World isn’t a new game for Nintendo 3DS, it’s a port of Yoshi’s Woolly World that released on Wii U. This means you’ll play the same levels and travel to the same worlds as you did on Wii U. If you own the Wii U version, it’s still great to see the game running on your favorite portable. I’ve played both versions and I must say that I’m impressed by the way the game looks on the New Nintendo 3DS. It’s one of those New 3DS enhanced games, making it able to run it at an impressive 60fps. If you’re playing on a regular 3DS, this will be dropped to 30fps, but I haven’t seen that one in action yet.
The first thing you’ll notice while playing the game is that Nintendo really succeeded in porting the game to the Nintendo 3DS. on Wii U, Yoshi’s Woolly World is an incredibly bright and colorful game, filled with gorgeous graphics. The Nintendo 3DS version is still extremely colorful and happy but the graphics aren’t as detailed as the Wii U version, which makes sense! That being said, this new portable version does support the 3D effect and the game really looks good, even when you turn on the 3D effect.
Let’s welcome Poochy
So the game offers the same levels as its bigger brother but does this portable version also offers something new? Yes, it does. The biggest innovation is, of course, the introduction of Poochy, the loyal dog. If you complete the regular levels and are able to grab enough flowers, you’ll unlock the Poochy Dash mode. In here, you’ll enter a mode where Poochy will run from left to right automatically. It’s your job to avoid obstacles and enemies by timing your jumps precisely. The goal of the mode is to collect as many beads as possible and to rescue all the Poochy-pups that are trapped somewhere in the level.
Poochy Dash is a surprisingly fun mode that will offer a lot of fun for both those who are new to the game as the returning Wii U players. It feels like an alternative version of Super Mario Run so you’ll always want to come back to break some of your records. If you own the Poochy Amiibo, you can even scan that one to unlock the Time Attack mode in the Poochy Dash levels, adding, even more, challenges to the game!
Better Amiibo support
Another big addition to the portable version is increased Amiibo support. Unlike the Wii U version, this version supports the newer Amiibo figurines that released recently. If you scan an Amiibo, you can change the pattern of the Yarn Yoshi. Transforming him into a Yoshi version of Super Mario, Samus, Link and a lot more. Nintendo made sure this version supports the recently released Amiibo as well, so if you own a lot of those figurines, you’ll be able to give Yoshi a lot of great make-overs.
That’s not all, Nintendo is also releasing the incredibly cute Poochy Amiibo along with the game. This Amiibo can be used in multiple ways. First of all, you can use it in the regular levels, enabling Yoshi to clear that particular level while riding Poochy. This is an interesting technique since you can reach places that are hard to reach a little easier with the help of Poochy. If you play the game on Mellow mode (an easier mode specially meant for the younger gamers), you can make the small Poochy-pups appear by scanning the Poochy Amiibo. These Poochy-Pups function as Yoshi’s eggs, meaning you can throw them at enemies. Aside from that, they also point out hidden objects in the level, making it easier for the player to complete that level 100%. The third and final function of the Amiibo is enabling the Time Attack mode in the Poochy Dash levels. As you can see, spending your money on this Amiibo isn’t a waste at all!
Create your own pattern
The last thing that’s worth mentioning after spending some time with the game, is the ability to create your own patterns. It’s something fans been asking since the original Wii U version and this portable version finally makes it possible to create custom patterns for your Yoshi. If you own a Yarn Yoshi Amiibo, you can even save your pattern on that Yoshi, making it easier to use your favorite pattern in the regular levels.
Early conclusion:
Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is shaping up to be a great platform game for the Nintendo 3DS. It offers the same great experience as the Wii U version but adds the Poochy levels and better Amiibo support to the deal. It seems like Nintendo handled this port the right way and I can’t wait to explore the colorful world a little more. Stay tuned for our final verdict!
