Yoshi's Woolly World for the Nintendo Wii U released on October 16th in North America, which is when I picked up my copy (specifically the amiibo bundle - because damn that Yarn Yoshi is cute). After several weeks of playing the game and completing everything it has to offer, I am ready to write down my thoughts! So...here goes nothing.
If you have ever played a Yoshi game, you mostly know what to expect here. It's a 2D platformer that utilizes Yoshi's ability to suck up enemies and projectiles, turning them into eggs (well, in this game they are yarn balls). You can then aim them back at enemies in order to wreck their entire existence, which believe me, is as satisfying as it sounds. Additionally, there are transformations, which are par for the course when it comes to Yoshi games. During particular segments of levels, you turn into one of the following: Umbrella Yoshi, Mega Yoshi, Moto Yoshi, Mole Yoshi, Sky Pop Yoshi and, last but certainly not least, Mermaid Yoshi. All of these feel very unique and spice up the levels quite a bit, though some are definitely more fun than the rest (Moto Yoshi is forever my fave).
There are a ton of collectibles in this game. From stamp patches (which essentially function as the game's red coins, with 20 in each level), to yarn bundles (which collecting all 5 in a specific level will net you a new costume), to smiley flowers (collecting all in a world unlocks that world's special level), this game is not short on things to collect. If you are a completionist, this is a game for you. If you're not a completionist, you can ignore all of these things and beat the game normally. Albeit, that certainly lowers the difficulty quite a bit, but there are several segments that will test you regardless.
The boss-fights, without spoiling anything, are creative (for the most part). Some bosses are repeated with only an increase in difficulty, but most of the time I found myself fighting new foes, some being throwbacks while others are brand new to this game. I will say that I found the final boss to be a bit on the easy side...up until the Boss Tent (which you unlock once you complete the game, and offers a more challenging version of each boss). Then it becomes a slight struggle (but still doable).
If I had to find one criticism of this game's gameplay, it would be that at times the control can feel a bit archaic. Which makes sense since it's essentially a Yoshi's Island successor, which launched on the SNES. The aiming mechanic, while charming, can result in more than a few deaths if you aren't careful. There were also several times that I wished Yoshi would be able to move faster, but for the most part his speed was just fine.
Admittedly, I spent most of my time playing this game in co-op with my friend. And it didn't suck. It was actually quite fun, and resulted in a lot of laughs. The game finds a comfortable balance between the frustration and rage of the New Super Mario Bros. games, and the relaxation of Kirby's Epic Yarn. Since, yes, you can die quite easily in this game (and if you're playing with two people, trust me, you will die, if only for accidental reasons). The only thing about this that I found disappointing was the lack of online. It would've been lovely to be able to have some sort of online multiplayer mode, but unfortunately that's not the case here.
In terms of visual appeal, this game is one of the best on Wii U. Good Feel absolutely nailed the yarn aesthetic, and everything in the game looks like something you'd find in a craft store. From the knitted enemies, to the curtain backgrounds, to the assembled platforms, this game oozes style and personality. I mean come on, the ground even squishes under Yoshi's feet. How adorable is that?
There is also quite a bit of variation in level concepts/designs. One minute you'll be on a magic carpet ride, the next you'll be fending off knitted spiders on webs, and later you'd find yourself running from a giant, cardboard Bullet Bill. It's wild, and the feeling of 'I've already done this before' never comes up, which makes replaying these levels very tolerable when trying to collect everything.
In terms of total playtime, I clocked in about 69 hours into Yoshi's Woolly World (no, that was not intentional. Pure coincidence, I swear). This was after collecting everything, beating the secret levels, beating the boss tent, completing the Scrapbook Theater, etc. This makes it my most-played platformer on the Wii U (even more than Super Mario 3D World, surprisingly). I'd absolutely say it's brimming with content, and I felt quite satisfied when I had put it away.
While an online mode would've increased replayability, and I would've appreciated it, I don't feel as if it's a crux to the game's value as a whole. It still feels worth its price, and whether or not you're looking to collect everything as I did, there is enough to experience in the game to feel good about (see what I did there?).
To put it simply, the music in this game is nothing short of incredible. Not only does it feel like classic Yoshi, but it somehow manages to feel modern with its constant changes. Some levels are typical Yoshi fare (which sounds better than ever), while others consist of hard rock, country-western influences, spoopy tunes and songs that could easily be transferred into a Disney movie. The OST in this game is just heavenly.
While other games that support amiibo integration can be quite intrusive, Yoshi's Woolly World provides an optional yet worthwhile incentive. Whenever you scan up to 45 different amiibo, you unlock a new themed Yoshi. For example, scanning Mario would give you a Mario Yoshi, scanning Samus would unlock a Samus Yoshi, etc.
"But what if I scan a normal Yoshi amiibo?" Good question! That will unlock regular Yoshi, which is pretty neat (and humorously out of place in this game).
"But what if I scan a Yarn Yoshi?" Another good question. You're on a roll. Scanning a Yarn Yoshi amiibo will allow you to become Mega Yoshi at any point in a level. Admittedly, even with owning one of these, I never did this in a level, but I imagine it works just as a normal Mega Yoshi does.
Overall, the amiibo content is nice to have and doesn't feel like a hinderence to the game, which is definitely a good thing.
Yoshi's Woolly World is my favorite 2D platformer on the Wii U. That may be controversial, but it's the truth. I had a blast with this game, and enjoyed it the whole way through (even with all the rage that comes with 100% completion). This is a game that I feel any fan of platformers, and especially Yoshi platormers, should experience.
TL;DR
+Simplistic and enjoyable gameplay
+Stunning graphics and notable style
+Enjoyable co-op
+Non-intrusive amiibo support
+Diverse and catchy tunes
-Lack of online functionality
-Slight control hiccups
Overall Score: 9/10
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