With Metroid: Other M on store shelves (and currently playing on my Wii), Nintendo has shifted its focus to the next major release in its Fall lineup with Kirby’s Epic Yarn. After skipping over the GameCube, Kirby makes his first console platformer appearance since Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. You remember that one right? Yeah, me neither. Kirby’s Epic Yarn looks like it is going to be a lot more memorable.
The graphical presentation of the game follows the title as the entire world looks like it was stitched together with fabric and yarn. Even Kirby is made out of yarn, which also adds into the game play. Kirby is able to transform into a number of different items including a UFO, a car, a tank and a dolphin, depending on the situation. Kirby is also able to interact with the environments by using a piece of yarn like a lasso to swing on buttons, pull strings to change the landscape, and pull on zippers to reveal hidden areas.
This highly stylized game reminds me quite a bit of Little Big Planet, in both look and game play style. While the Wii might not be able to stand up to the graphical capabilities of the PS3, Kirby’s Epic Yarn puts up a damn good fight to keep up with a fantastic art style and new play styles. If it can still be mentioned in the same sentence of Little Big Planet when it is released on October 17th, there is no doubt that Nintendo will have another first party classic on its hands.
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