Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn Review

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn

Release: January 1, 1970
Publisher:
Developer:
Genre: Switch Reviews
PEGI:
Comments:

 

Comment

The Nintendo 3DS, long thought dead by critics of the platform, continues to amaze the video game world with continued – albeit slowing – sales and new experiences. Enter Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, a remake of the Nintendo Wii game of a similar name, which brings to 2019 the same charm the original had in spades. Does it hold up game play wise all these years later? Let’s dive in!

An Odd Choice

My first thought on Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn was curiosity over why this wasn’t on Nintendo Switch as opposed to Nintendo 3DS. Probably because of epic touch screen game play elements right? Wrong. With so little reason to have this on the Nintendo 3DS – outside perhaps keeping the device alive for a bit longer, pushing a few thousand more sales – the one thing that will boggle the minds of almost everyone is just that: I want to play this cute, yarn-like Kirby experience on my HD TV. So while that is ultimately a fairly big disappointment, it doesn’t change my opinion on the game too much.

What we have here is one of the most relaxing and charming Kirby games ever made, and if you haven’t had the opportunity to play Kirby’s Epic Yarn on the Nintendo Wii, and you own a Nintendo 3DS, there is no reason to not take this extra epic adventure for a spin!

Through your adventure, players will complete levels by getting from start to finish. It’s as simple as that. For those looking to 100 percent the game, you’ll be on the look out for furniture and other items you can use to decorate your own apartment, as well as the apartments of others, as well as musical CDs which unlock music from each level. Finally, for those that collect enough beads, one gold medal per level can be yours, and with those beads you can purchase even more items for your apartment!

Game for Kids? A Game for All!

From the aesthetics, to the story, to the overall difficulty of the game, it is fairly obvious that this Kirby adventure is tailored for a younger, more basic audience. There really isn’t much that will blow you away, outside of the incredible charm. Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is chalked full of interesting locations, interesting suits to change into – my personal favourite being the sword – and simple, yet intuitive, puzzles to solve.

Most levels will have an arcade like ‘mini-game’ embedded near the end of the experience, having you play as a UFO that can suck up enemies and beads, and use shock attacks, or having you play as a large tank blowing up flying enemies as they come at you. These sections get a bit more difficult as they are often side scrolling and you are likely to lose a few beads, but ultimately it’s just an added fun experience that is great for all ages.

Increasing the Fun…or the Anger

One cannot truly 100 percent Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn without beating each level on Devilish Mode. In Devilish Mode, Kirby is given a health bar and is chased around the level by baddies attempting to bomb him, shoot him with arrows, and much more. Beating a level with full health will net you extra furniture items for your health, only available via this mode.

While the original Epic Yarn title was lacking this difficulty, the addition of Devilish Mode into the 3DS port makes it a worthwhile play for a second time. Getting through the levels was still fairly easy – more challenging than on normal mode, but still easy; getting through the level with full health, however, was definitely difficult, and completely worth my time and effort.

Other Modes

There are other game modes within Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn and while these didn’t hold much interest with me, my kids definitely enjoyed the change of pace from the original adventure. These all new mini games to the 3DS version of the game includes series favourites like King Dedede and Meta Knight! Both are similar in terms of moving from left to right to complete a level, while earning a score rank when complete. With Meta Knight, you will slash through levels attempting to destroy enemies and earn points, while King Dedede will have you playing an ‘endless runner’ style game where you are against the clock and a moving screen, attempting to jump, dive, and bash through obstacles in order to earn points towards your final score!

There are also other mini-games within the main adventure that re-purpose some levels, finding the correct furniture for apartment clients, and more. They are fun little side experiences to the main game, and while they don’t add a ton of value to the overall experience, I have an appreciation for them being included!

And of course, like all good Nintendo titles, there is amiibo support! Scanning in Kirby allows you to summon larger yarn balls whenever you want, while Meta Knight gives you a larger sword to swing around. They make the game much easier, so if you are looking for a challenge, avoid at all costs!

Conclusion

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn isn’t likely to blow you away, but if you are looking to extend the life of your Nintendo 3DS for a bit longer, this game will definitely do that. While I’m still confused on the platform choice for this title, I’m glad to see that instead of just doing a 1 for 1 remake of the original, Nintendo has gone and added new modes and mini games that make the experience feel familiar, yet still fresh.