Who would have ever thought that yarn could be this cute? The whimsical story in Epic Yarn is told as if it were a children's storybook, but the plot elements don't matter one bit. The only thing you need to know is that Kirby has been whisked away from his happy home in Dream Land to a mysterious world called Patch Land, where creatures are composed of threads of yarn and the backgrounds look like finely detailed pieces of cloth. Charming touches abound in this unique world, giving the amorphous protagonist oodles of personality. Kirby doesn't let his overwhelming cuteness get in the way of his heroic pursuits, but that's not from lack of trying. From the way he wiggles his little arm to keep balance to the little scowl that adorns his face when confronting a mean ol' boss, Kirby doesn't shy away from being himself. The world is just as appealing and makes full use of its fabric construction. Scenery folds together when you yank a loose thread, electrical dangers turn into benign platforms by pulling them taut, and enemies unravel into nothing when you give them a sharp tug. It's a pleasure just to stare at this adorable game.
But don't worry that Kirby is all looks. The gameplay and visuals mesh seamlessly together, taking full advantage of this storybook world to create interesting scenarios. There are 50 levels in Epic Yarn, which includes a few boss fights and secret worlds, and a good variety of situations ensures you're always experiencing something new. You may have to leap across springy mushrooms in one level, ride aquatic dinosaurs in the next, and swing across treacherous pits in a third. Kirby makes good use of his limited move set to keep you invested. Your core abilities include performing modest leaps and rolling foes into tight balls of yarn before tossing them, but you also have transformative powers that you can take advantage of at any time. You can change into a parachute to glide to a far away platform or morph into a submarine, complete with a tiny propeller, when you dive underwater. Double tapping in either direction lets Kirby take the form of a car, which is much faster than his usual plodding self, but the controls are not always reliable here. There are times when Kirby changes unexpectedly or stays in his pink blob form even when you're trying to dash. Other control issues crop up when trying to grab onto enemies in crowded situations, but these are both small blemishes. The usually spot-on controls rarely get in the way of your enjoyment.
Although Kirby's quick transformations help add to the game's charm and make navigation much easier, there are large sections of levels that are played in an entirely different form. Unlike previous Kirby games where you could inhale your enemies and steal their powers at any time, the big transformations in Epic Yarn occur in predestinated areas, but that doesn't limit their thrill one bit. Some of them, such as the UFO and fire truck, let you interact with the environment in unique ways. The UFO can use its tractor beam at any time to suck up blocks and enemies, and being able to hover opens up the level design in creative ways. The fire truck may be stationed on the ground, but you can spray water on fire dangers and enemies alike, which is a good change from the core action. The most exhilarating of all transformations occurs when you become a space ship. This changes Epic Yarn into a fast-paced shoot-'em-up, and winding your way through an enemy's bullets while retaliating in kind is tons of fun. The one dud is when you become a train. This is a call back to on the DS but isn't nearly as interesting. You paint tracks by pointing at the screen with the Wii Remote, but the train doesn't always ride on what you put down, and you can drop unceremoniously to the ground just by nudging a corner. But even with one missed opportunity, the transformations are a great complement to the core action.
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