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GoNintendo Review - Yoshi's Woolly World

by rawmeatcowboy
12 October 2015
GN Version 5.0

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is one of Nintendo's greatest platformers. Some say that it's one of Nintendo's best games ever, and I'd be hard-pressed to ignore that statement. The title certainly deserves a spot in the pantheon of fantastic Nintendo software. Yoshi's Island was the first REAL platforming outing where Yoshi was the star, but the title seemed to signify to fans that more greatness was on the way. I mean, it's not crazy to think that Nintendo would create a follow-up that would be equally worthy of praise. That's usually how Nintendo's sequels work out!

Oddly enough, it seems Nintendo and their buddy developers have had trouble pinning down that certain magic that made Yoshi's Island so fantastic. Yoshi has seen a number of platforming sequels over the years, but there hasn't really been anything that belongs in the upper echelon of titles. Yoshi's Story was definitely an enjoyable title and deserving of kind words, but it didn't quite live up to Yoshi's Island. After that, we saw some further sequels/spin-offs that were of mixed quality. Some games stood up as nice tributes and enjoyable outings, others seemed to tarnish the brand. In that mix, there wasn't really a game that felt like the next iteration of what Yoshi's Island set out to do.

All these years and titles later, we have been graced with Yoshi's Woolly World. Right off the bat, the visuals caught the attention of many a Nintendo fan. Following in-step with Kirby's Epic Yarn, Yoshi's Woolly World was no doubt a feast for the eyes when first revealed. Once again, we all got hope that Yoshi's design and gameplay would be given the same wonderful treatment that the visuals were getting. Could this title end up being a real successor to Yoshi's Island? At the very least, could it stand toe-to-toe gameplay-wise with the SNES outing? After pouring in an extensive amount of time, I'm very happy to say that Yoshi's Woolly World hits the mark when so many other titles fell a tad short or missed the target completely.

When you take a look at what Yoshi's Woolly World REALLY is and boil it down to the basics, it is very clearly a love-letter to Yoshi's Island. You may not have a baby Mario on your back, but everything else feels closely married to the SNES title. There have certainly been other Yoshi games that were inspired by Yoshi's Island, but none of them really felt like they were on-par with the original. With Yoshi's Woolly World, you can tell right off the bat that you're playing a game that has had a ton of care and thought put into it. This is the kind of treatment Yoshi should have gotten with the very first follow-up to Yoshi's Island. This is the type of expertly-crafted platforming experience we've come to expect from Nintendo.

If you've played any number of Yoshi games over the years, you should know what to expect from the mechanics of Yoshi's Woolly World. You'll spend your time running around, flutter-jumping and gobbling up enemies. You can then turn those swallowed enemies into ammo that Yoshi hurls at other enemies/obstacles with his arm. You may be used to Yoshi turning bad guys into eggs, but this time around he transforms them into yarn balls. It's an aesthetic change only, as the gameplay of eating/tossing ammo remains exactly the same.

Almost all of Yoshi's Island's mechanics are present in Yoshi's Woolly World, but what does the game do as far as new content? That's where the yarn mechanic comes into play. It's not just an element that's used visually. With the world around you being made out of yarn and other fabrics, there's all sorts of new ways to interact with your surroundings. Sometimes you'll happen upon platforms that look like an empty frame. If you try to jump on them, you'll fall right through. You have to toss a yarn ball at them to fill them out, making a solid platform to interact with.

There's also other elements spread throughout levels that take advantage of the yarn visuals. You'll sometimes spot pieces of yarn that are sticking out of platforms, tied in tiny bows. This is your cue to use Yoshi's tongue and latch onto the bows and give them a yank. Doing so will unravel portions of the level to show you hidden secrets. If you plan on collecting all the goodies every level hides, finding these bows is crucial. The same goes for walls that can be pushed aside to access other hidden content. With the levels made out of all kinds of squishy materials, you'll have to push up against walls in various instances to find secret paths just waiting for you to explore.

As I said, there's plenty of reason to do that exploring. Yoshi's Woolly World is jam-packed with hidden goodies to find. As with almost all Yoshi games, the hidden daises return, with 5 in each level hiding from you. There's also the goal of beating each level while maintaining full health. On top of that, there's two other collectibles to hunt down. Each level is full of gems that can be cashed in later, but 20 of those gems hide new Miiverse stamps. That's right, there's 20 stamps hidden in every single level. If that's not enough, there's also 5 yarn spools waiting to be collected. Doing that will grant you access to a new Yoshi design that you can change to on the world map.

Thankfully, all this item-hunting never becomes a chore. This has a lot to do with how much fun the levels are to play. These are the type of levels I've always expected in a Yoshi's Island follow-up, but never really got. These levels are pure joy to hop around in. They almost all use the yarn graphics in unique and interesting ways, but it's almost important to mention that the level design itself is engaging. You may be visiting typical platforming locations like forests, castles, fiery landscapes and more, but it's the actual platforming elements that makes them feel fresh and new. For me, there's nothing quite like the exploration and adventuring of a finely crafted platforming game. It's one of those things you just 'feel' when its right, and Yoshi's Woolly World feels right.

Perhaps you'll find that portions of Yoshi's Woolly World don't feel right for your level of gameplay, though. That shouldn't be a worry at all, as this is where those gems come into handy. You can use your collected gems to buy badges that'll help you in the game. There are all sorts of badges to purchase, with more becoming available the further you make it into the game. You can even grab yourself a badge that helps you find all the hidden goodies, so no need to frustrate yourself in hunt of all collectibles if you don't want to. These badges are here to help you make Yoshi's Woolly World the kind of experience you want it to be, and I can really appreciate that.

Taking things a step further, Yoshi's Woolly World lets you turn on/off something called Mellow Mode. This is basically the next evolution of the Super Guide feature that has appeared in some Mario games. If things are just too tough for you, be it a boss or a platforming section, you can turn on Mellow Mode at any time and have a much easier experience. Mellow Mode pretty much takes away any challenge the level offers by letting Yoshi fly up/out/away from any troubles. Again, this is available at any time you want, so it can be turned on/off at your will. It's a great feature for those that need it, but it's never something you're forced to use.

As for me, I wanted to spend as much time in levels as I could. That was partly due to the amount of collectibles hidden, but also related to the game's soundtrack. Mr. Tezuka has famously stated that he wanted to make sure Yoshi's Woolly World had a lot of soundtrack variety, so he took it upon himself to learn guitar. I'm not sure what songs he worked on in the final game, but I can tell you that the overall soundtrack is fantastic. It just fits in with the yarn setting so well. There are so many catchy, fun and heartwarming tunes crammed in here that I'm already convinced I need an official soundtrack release. I found myself equally excited to visit a new level for the new music as well as the gameplay!

Yoshi's Woolly World is the real deal. This is the Yoshi follow-up we've been waiting for since Yoshi's Island. It has oodles of care and attention to detail poured into it. The platforming feels spot-on. The levels are a joy to explore. The overall package is unabashedly Yoshi, and I find that to be a very good thing. It may have taken Nintendo a very long time to find that special something with Yoshi again, but Yoshi's Woolly World was worth the wait. Every aspect of the game I sunk my teeth into made me realize that Yoshi's Woolly World is just too cute to resist.