Jump to content
passwords have all been force reset. please recover password to reset ×
MFGamers

Yoshi's Woolly World


HandsomeDead
 Share

Recommended Posts

Impressions for 2015's most adorbs* game.

Although Woolly World comes from the same developer as Kirby's Epic Yarn this is very much a Yoshi game. It has five daisies to collect per level, there is an equivalent to the hidden red coins, in some levels you have to do some mild puzzle platforming to get a key that follows you round and you have that Yoshi jump where he wills himself a little higher. All the Yoshi abilities are here that you will recognise instantly if you've played one of the Yoshi's Story games before. But there is no Baby Mario this time.

It plays a little cosier than the other games, fittingly enough. It's not so much about being an obstacle course and being challenging to make your way through. It's more about exploring and uncovering secret little areas, even more so than the previous games. You have more to look for, for one. There are loads of jewels to collect, but they are used as a currency to equip badges that make the game easier; they give you abilities that make you ammune to falling down pits and stuff. I don't use them, of course; I'm a hardcore Yoshi player.

You also have five bundles of yard to collect that unlock new patterns for Yoshi. There is one for each level so there are a lot of patterns on top of the Amiibo ones.

So it's a game that you mostly relax too, poking around and playing with some fairly robust and known mechanics. Trinkets are really well hidden so you can't just drag yourself through it, it does require your attention if you want to get everything. If you get all the daisies per world it unlocks a secret level in that world and I still haven't managed to do that on the first world. I'm over half way through the second I'm not on track to get it for this world either. Stuff is pretty well hidden.

So what we have is a game that is a little formulaic but still engages with some charm and good old smart design. It's a B tier Nintendo game, basically. Nothing more, nothing less.

*I'm not apologising for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't disagree with the above, but a b tier Nintendo game does nothing for me. It reminds me of the Kirby 3ds game, the Mario rpg games, it's just a bit dull.

It's not badly made, it's not without some challenge, and for once it isn't heavy on the tutorials, but it was a bit of a chore playing through the first world.

Shame really, I was looking forward to it as an antidote to Witcher's grimness

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I won't get round to playing my copy for at least another week or so I wouldn't of thought, quite tempted to sell it anyway due to the mediocre reviews and impressions, not exactly got my very excited to play it, but I may still give it a go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't put too much stock in the reviews. I wouldn't say it's mediocre, I'd say it's probably the best game in the Yoshi series since The original Yoshi's Island on the SNES. It depends what your feeling is on that game.

And also, these reviewers are also claiming Arkham Knight is top rank stuff when it really isn't, so there is that, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never played the SNES Yoshi's Island, I think I played Yoshi's Island DS or something when the DS first launched but that was the only one I've ever played, and I wasn't a particularly big fan of it, I'll give Woolly World a go I guess, I might as well.

I know you can't always trust reviews but the reviews haven't exactly got me hyped for the game if that makes sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fox%20Yoshi_zpsfax4zp9x.jpg

My opinion is similar to the 3DS outing (Yoshi's New Island), it's good fun but it's the same fun. Despite a wooly make over not a great deal has changed. It's not to say I don't like it, it's just not exciting me. I'm only halfway through the 1st world though, shit may change.

Goodness fuck it looks lovely though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Played about 6 hours of this over the last couple of days, upto World 3, Level 6 or so.

Even though I've spent quite a bit of time with the game, I'm still not really sure what to make of it really. It's charming, adorable and cute in equal measure, but, probably not as charming, adorable or cute as I was expecting. The levels are much more innovative and engaging than I thought they'd be with some genuine Nintendo ingenuity that keeps the gameplay feeling fresh from level to level and world to world.

The levels feel very well designed, every now and again you'll enter a level and there'll be a new gameplay mechanic that hasn't been explained, that you'll just have to suss out on your own, I like that, and other times Yoshi will transform into various things (Umbrella, Motorbike) half way through a level and it'll have a bonus-stage type vibe to it, the levels I probably detest most are the ones where they just dump you in and you're tasked with finding 4 keys through various rooms/pipes/blue doors etc. these don't tend to flow as well as the continuously flowing stages. I mean all these levels could, arguably, of been done by a talented Indie dev, what's in YWW isn't that far off something like Thomas is Alone, but the music, the charm and the intricate level design all combine to give a uniquely Nintendo feel, just don't expect the actual gameplay (aside from new mechanics introduced at times) to be that innovative in itself, because, even though I haven't played many Yoshi games myself, I understand the way Yoshi controls to be largely unchanged from all of his previous outings.

It's much harder than I was expecting, I mean sure you can't die as such, but you can go through a long-ass section collecting flowers, gems, keys, pieces of Wool, stamps etc. and die and have to go back to a checkpoint ages ago and do it all again, from the reviews and opinions I'd read I was under the impression I'd just breeze through the entire game with no stress at all, but it hasn't been that way for me, I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed far more times than I'd imagined, maybe it's just me, I don't know, I'm not very good at 2D Platformers, I remember giving up after I finished World 2 of Super Mario Bros. U because I just found it pad-throwingly annoying to play, I essentially rage quit that game and never went back, 2D Platformers just have a way of annoying me like no other genre of game can, and YWW is no exception. The bosses have been ridiculously easy though so far, the reviews were right about that.

Despite all the relative positivity I've posted above though, I just couldn't shake the general feel of malaise during my first 6 hours with the game, it has some of the Nintendo innovation and ingenuity sure, but it does feel like this could be just another Indie 2D Platformer you'd find on Steam at other times, it doesn't feel special. But, whatever it's doing has definitely kept me engaged and I've lost all track of time whilst playing it so it's definitely doing something right.

Will hopefully play some more later today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just got to the last world (6). It does have some nice ideas for the individual levels. Each level having its own kinda gimmick is something the series has always done but it is more pronounced and obvious in this game. It makes it feel less subtle, but it can freshen things up as you go through it.

The problem with that is not all the level's gimmicks are as fun as each other so as the game progresses you come across more that just aren't as good.

But I guess I agree with Blakey when it comes to comparing the design to that of one of the better indie devs. I guess that's where Woolly World is in terms of pure design, but then there is a polish and attention to detail here that you don't find in those games. Like, on the ice levels your feet turn into ice skates and when you turn around after going a certain speed, Yoshi does a little 540 spin which just adds that little bit of fun to something.

The game's difficulty is an odd one. It is easy compared to other Nintendo platformers on the Wii U. Compared to Super Luigi U and Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze it is a total cake walk, but then I think it is just coming to the genre at a different angle. There are awkward bits that'll catch you out, for sure, but it is an easier game. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, though. Like I said in the OP, the fun comes more from finding secrets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was talking to Spatular about this last night. I think the collectables are the worst thing about it, but also where the challenge comes from. The thought of trudging back through to find the 2 flowers I missed, which I didn't even see first time round, so that I can do the same on the next few levels to eventually unlock another world, it's not worth it. The game isn't good enough, it's not fun enough that more of it is a reward

but it is fairly inventive, you've got to give it that

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe going through a level again and again to try and get something you just can't see isn't the best, but when you do have that first play through and you do figure out a tricky collectible I think that is a satisfying bit of gameplay. That's more what I'm referring to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thought of trudging back through to find the 2 flowers I missed, which I didn't even see first time round, so that I can do the same on the next few levels to eventually unlock another world, it's not worth it.

I was under the impression that all the flowers and stuff were optional and you can complete the game without bothering with that stuff, is that wrong? Every World I've unlocked so far (to my knowledge) has been unlocked as soon as I've finished the final boss fight of the previous world, flowers, pieces of wool etc. don't seem to come into the equation, but I may be wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

started playing this yesterday, it's alright, nice enough, but i've only done the first world, so hoping i get into it more as it goes on. it looks and sounds lovely but currently i prefer the amiibo to the game though so that's not a great situation to be in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's an extra stage in each world that you need all the flowers within that world to unlock

At least I assume they're extra stages, I haven't managed to get all the flowers yet

Ahh right ok, I get it now, cheers for the info.

Upto World 6 now, so not got much longer to go, found World 5, Level 8 the most infuriating of all so far, took me about 30 minutes to do that level alone, completely lost my head and it had me absolutely raging at times :lol: took 4 attempts to defeat the boss because what little form I have abandoned me for some reason, I'll put it down to tiredness :lol: but yeah, not much longer to go now, should have it finished by this time tomorrow.

Used my Wii U Pro controller for the first time today, had my Wii U since 2 weeks after launch and it's the first time I've used it :lol: was quite nice to use, not enough weight to it though and the button placement took a bit of getting used to, but it's cool, I like it and will probably use it if I ever get around to finally playing DKCR:TF and Bayonetta.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Got this today,played the first level,very nice start. Haven't played a Yoshi game since the original on the SNES. But I loved that, so I've a good feeling about this.

Scanned some of my Amiibos which unlock new Yoshi patterns. The Bowser one is ace. As is the Metroid one ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...