Kirby's Epic Yarn is a 2010 platform game created by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is part of the Kirby series and was released in October 2010 in Japan and North America, and in February 2011 in Australia and Europe. This game is the first Kirby title on a home video game console since 2003's Kirby Air Ride for the GameCube, and the first home console Kirby game since 2000's Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for the Nintendo 64.
In the game, Kirby is turned into yarn and sent to Patch Land, a world made entirely of fabric. He helps Prince Fluff by collecting seven pieces of magic yarn to repair Patch Land and stop the villain, Yin Yarn. The game uses a unique craft-based visual style, with characters and environments made entirely of yarn, fabric, and other craft materials. Unlike most Kirby games, Kirby cannot inhale or fly. Instead, he can transform into objects like a parachute, car, submarine, tank, or steam train to move and solve challenges.
Kirby's Epic Yarn was the third game developed by Good-Feel and Nintendo. The idea for the game came from Madoka Yamauchi, who imagined a "world of yarn" as a video game. The game was first called "Keito no Fluff," featuring Prince Fluff as the main character, but Kirby became the star instead. The game's graphics were made using digital images of real fabrics placed over polygon shapes. The music was composed by Tomoya Tomita.
Before its release, Kirby's Epic Yarn won awards at E3 2010, including Game of the Show from GameSpot. It received positive reviews when released, earning an Editor's Choice award from IGN and ranking #95 in their "Top 100 Modern Games." As of April 2011, the game sold 1.59 million copies worldwide. It was later re-released digitally on the Wii U eShop in Europe and Australia in 2015, North America in 2016, and Japan in 2016. A version for the Nintendo 3DS, called Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, was released on March 7, 2019. This was the last game Nintendo released for the 3DS.
Gameplay
Kirby's Epic Yarn is a side-scrolling platformer game played mainly with the Wii Remote held sideways. The player controls Kirby, who has been changed into a character made of yarn. Because of this, Kirby cannot inhale enemies or fly, unlike most other Kirby games. Instead, Kirby’s abilities focus on transforming into different yarn-based objects. For example, while in the air, Kirby can turn into a small parachute to fall more slowly, or into a heavy weight to smash down and crush enemies. On the ground, Kirby can become an automobile to move faster, and underwater, he becomes a submarine. Some areas let Kirby transform into special objects, such as a giant missile-launching tank, a fire truck, or a steam train that moves along tracks drawn with the Wii Remote’s pointer. Kirby’s main attack is a “yarn-whip” ability, which lets him grab enemies and objects, wind them into small yarn balls, and throw them. He can also use his whip to activate mechanisms like zips and pulleys or swing on buttons. A second player can join the game as Prince Fluff, who plays the same way as Kirby and helps control transformations.
Each stage has collectible items, mostly different colored beads that Kirby can gather. Completing levels gives Kirby one of four medals (wood, bronze, silver, or gold) based on how many beads were collected. Kirby does not have health or extra lives and cannot die in levels, but he loses some beads when damaged or falls into bottomless pits. Beads can be used to buy furniture and wallpaper for Kirby’s apartment, which the player can customize. Extra furniture and music tracks can be unlocked by finding treasure chests hidden in levels. Decorating other apartments with specific items can attract new tenants, unlocking bonus challenges like time trials.
Levels are completed by reaching the end and ringing a bell. Completing a level gives the player a patch, which is placed on the map to unlock the next stage. Beating a boss level with a gold medal earns a hidden patch, unlocking additional levels at the end of a world.
The game uses a unique visual style inspired by knitted yarn, cloth, and textiles. The gameplay connects with this style by letting Kirby interact with the environment, such as pulling on buttons, zips, or loose threads, and spinning yarn balls to reveal hidden areas or change the shape of the terrain.
Plot
While walking through Dream Land, Kirby finds a tomato on a bush and decides to eat it. Yin-Yarn, an evil sorcerer who had hidden the tomato (later revealed to be a Metamato), appears when Kirby tries to swallow the Metamato. Yin-Yarn uses magic to send Kirby to Patch Land, a world made entirely of fabric, through a sock attached to Kirby’s neck. In Patch Land, Kirby’s body turns into yarn, which stops him from using his usual ability to inhale or fly. Instead, the magic of the Metamato gives Kirby the power to change forms. He uses this ability to rescue a boy made of yarn who resembles Kirby. The boy, named Prince Fluff, explains that Yin-Yarn has broken Patch Land into pieces, which were once held together by magic yarn. After defeating a monster, Kirby and Prince Fluff find the first piece of the magic yarn and decide to collect all seven pieces to restore Patch Land.
At the same time, Yin-Yarn captures King Dedede and attacks Meta Knight, controlling them to take over Dream Land while Kirby is away. Kirby and Prince Fluff must fight King Dedede and Meta Knight after they attack them in Patch Land. When Kirby and Prince Fluff gather all seven pieces of the Magic Yarn and repair Patch Land, Meta Knight, no longer under Yin-Yarn’s control, apologizes for attacking them earlier and tells Kirby that Yin-Yarn is changing Dream Land into fabric. Prince Fluff uses a second sock, now fully restored by the magic yarn, to teleport Kirby, himself, Meta Knight, and King Dedede back to Dream Land, which is now made of yarn. With Meta Knight’s help, Kirby and Prince Fluff fight Yin-Yarn, break his spell, and return Dream Land and everyone to normal. Prince Fluff says goodbye, explaining that he can visit Patch Land anytime using Yin-Yarn’s magic sock.
Development
Kirby's Epic Yarn was created by Good-Feel, and it was the third game they made with Nintendo. Before this, they worked on Wario Land: Shake It and Looksley's Line Up. The idea for a "world of yarn" came from Madoka Yamauchi, a manager at Good-Feel. The game's mechanics were inspired by experiments with real fabric. The game was first called Fluff's Epic Yarn, with Prince Fluff as the main character. Good-Feel later felt the project was not as appealing as they hoped. In 2009, Nintendo suggested changing the game to be part of the Kirby series. Good-Feel agreed, and Prince Fluff became Kirby's partner in the final version. At least three months were spent designing Kirby's movements and appearance. The development was managed by HAL Laboratory's character team and Warpstar, Inc., a company formed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory to handle Kirby-related projects. To create realistic fabric textures, artists used digital photos of cloth and applied them to 3D shapes.
The game's music was mostly composed by Tomoya Tomita. Other musicians, including Tadashi Ikegami, Jun Ishikawa, and Hirokazu Ando, added music toward the end of the game. Because the story had a fairy-tale style, Tomita focused on piano music. He studied piano techniques before composing, as he was not familiar with playing it. The original story involved a shy prince searching for his mother, and Tomita wanted the music to feel soft and sad. However, the game became more traditional than planned, so he added richer musical arrangements and included orchestral pieces.
HAL Laboratory's sound team had only one month to create their part of the soundtrack. They were inspired by Tomita's work and tried to match its style. Ando used real instruments like the ukulele and melodica. Ishikawa wanted to surprise players with the final boss theme, so he used electronic music to contrast Tomita's acoustic style.
Kirby's Epic Yarn was first shown at Nintendo's E3 2010 press conference and released that autumn. A newer version called Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn was announced in September 2018 and released in March 2019 for the Nintendo 3DS. It was the last game for the 3DS published by Nintendo. This version added new abilities, a Devilish Mode, and extra games. It also supported Amiibo, allowing players to use Kirby-related figures to unlock new hats and powers. Additional music was added by Good-Feel composers Akihiro Juichiya and Soshiro Hokka.
Reception
Kirby's Epic Yarn was well-received when it was first introduced. It won many awards after its appearance at E3 2010, including the Game of the Show award from GameSpot and the G4 television show Reviews on the Run. GameSpot also nominated it for Best Wii Game and Best Platformer and awarded it for Best Graphics and Artistic Design. The game received the Best Overall Game award from Nintendo Life. It also won the Best Graphics award from GameTrailers, beating games like Crysis 2, Killzone 3, and Gears of War 3. GameTrailers also named it Best Platformer. It was called Best Wii Game by 1UP.com, Nintendo World Report, and Kotaku, and received the Best Character Design award from Kotaku.
GameRevolution editor Nick Tan praised Kirby's Epic Yarn, saying it completely redesigned the character Kirby, unlike other games. He compared its graphics to Yoshi's Story, calling it a "ball of whimsy" and a "certified winner" at E3. Siliconera editor Jenni said she was excited to play the game after seeing its trailer, noting it looked great on her HDTV. GamesRadar editor Brett Elston called it the "cutest, most charming game" for the Wii, saying it was a relief to see something new in the series, as recent titles like Kirby Air Ride and Kirby: Squeak Squad were seen as unoriginal.
The Escapist editor Steve Butts was not interested in Kirby's Epic Yarn at first, but after playing it, he said it was the strongest title in Nintendo's E3 lineup, praising its visuals and gameplay. He noted the game felt somewhat easy.
According to Metacritic, Kirby's Epic Yarn received "generally favorable" reviews and is the highest-rated Kirby game. IGN gave it an Editor's Choice award, calling it "an amazing looking game that embraces traditional platforming designs in fresh new ways." GameTrailers praised its presentation and imaginative gameplay but criticized the lack of a way to die. GameSpot said the story levels were too easy but praised the graphics and fun. Kotaku gave it an Editor's Choice award, calling it "a game designed for constant smiling." Nintendo World Report said it was "fun, inventive, and outrageously imaginative," even if it was not difficult.
1UP.com praised the game's creative levels and visuals. Game Informer called its artistic style "one of the best-looking games on the Wii" and noted it was easy for new players but challenging for experienced ones. Japanese magazine Famitsu gave it a score of 36 out of 40, saying the game used its yarn world creatively and was fun for all players. Nintendo Power praised its concept, gameplay, and graphics. Edge gave it a score of 8 out of 10, saying it looked like a work of art but had levels that felt less fresh.
The Escapist gave it a 5-star rating, calling it a game that makes players feel good. It also called it challenging and clever, with good co-operative play and a great soundtrack. The A.V. Club gave it a B+ and joked that adults might need it instead of medicine. The Daily Telegraph gave it 8 out of 10, saying it was a fun way to spend time. The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5, saying teenage boys might dislike it but it was impressive for kids.
Critics praised the soundtrack, calling it "tranquil," "sugary sweet," and "jazzy." Some said the music was too slow, but the Melody Town level was highlighted for its audio-visual quality. The narration had mixed reactions, with some calling it like a father reading a bedtime story and others saying it was "cheesy" or "creepy."
Kirby's Epic Yarn won GameSpy's 2010 Platforming Game of the Year and Giant Bomb's 2010 Best Looking Game award. It was a runner-up for Nintendo World Report's 2010 Wii Game of the Year. It was nominated for the Innovation award at the 2011 Game Developers Choice Awards and for Family Game of the Year, Art Direction, and Gameplay Engineering at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. IGN ranked it #95 in its Top 100 Modern Games in 2011.
The game was the second-highest-selling game from October 11 to October 17, selling 92,280 copies. By March 2011, it had sold 1.59 million copies worldwide, reaching 1.85 million copies sold globally.
The Nintendo 3DS version, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, received positive reviews with a Metacritic score of 79. It sold 10,000 copies in its first week in Japan but had slow sales due to its release near the end of the handheld's lifespan. Some criticized the game for adding copy abilities in levels not designed for them, while others praised its charm and style.
Spiritual successor
In January 2013, during a Nintendo Direct broadcast, Nintendo introduced a new game called Yoshi's Woolly World. This game, which looks similar to previous titles, was released for the Wii U in 2015 and later for the 3DS in 2017. The game features Yoshi as the main character and includes support for amiibo figures. The company Good-Feel worked on the game again for its development.