Yoshi's Woolly World
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Visually charming adventure lacks depth, replayability.
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Yoshi's Woolly World
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What’s It About?
Nintendo's beloved dinosaur hero is back again in YOSHI'S WOOLLY WORLD, with handcrafted stages created out of yarn, buttons, and fabric. Yoshi goes on an epic journey to save his friends from Kamek, the evil Magikoopa. The platformer has Yoshi running, jumping, and combating enemies along the way, be it by stomping, chomping, or firing yarn (and other objects) to knock enemies off the screen. As with many platformers, there are other obstacles to avoid, some of which require some thought to bypass safely. Along with multiple secrets and collectibles to find and some puzzles to solve, two people can play in cooperative ("co-op") mode to discover many of the game's hidden goodies. Speaking of multiplayer, both Yoshi also can team up to perform moves together, such as one Yoshi turning into a ball off yarn, who can then be tossed by the other Yoshi to land on a hard-to-reach area. A competitive option exists, too, to see which Yoshi can rack up the most points at the end of each stage. Yoshi's Woolly World also supports optional amiibo characters that can be purchased with or without this game.
Is It Any Good?
Yoshi's Woolly World is great for young or novice players. It's simple to pick up, thanks to accessible controls and gameplay, and charming to look at with its yarn-inspired graphics, and parents will like the fact there isn't any controversial content. But seasoned players might find the platforming and puzzles too easy or unoriginal in design. Despite some boss battles and unlockable levels that can put your reflexes to the test (six S-rank courses) and lots of collectibles to look for, the gameplay isn't that great. Once you strip away the adorable visuals, it's a basic platformer without many new tricks.
Sure, the competitive and cooperative elements are a nice touch for gamers to play with or against one another on the same television -- one using the Wii U GamePad and the other a Wii Remote -- but it still doesn't have the depth and replayability of other Nintendo platformers, such as the recently released Super Mario Maker. That said, Yoshi's Woolly World does offer a cute dog sidekick named Poochy you can summon by redeeming earned gems, and he'll help you sniff out collectibles. This is one of those games that likely will be worth picking up once the price drops. At $50, it's tough to endorse unless you're a die-hard Nintendo fan, a platformer nut, or simply itching for new content for your Wii U console.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about consumerism. Are there too many amiibo-supported games? Do kids really like this action-figure integration? Are parents OK with buying more than just the game?
Families also can discuss the concept of cooperation. Why do people cooperate with one another? Can you think of a task that can be achieved through cooperation that would be far more difficult to achieve on your own?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo Wii U
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Nintendo of America
- Release date: October 14, 2015
- Genre: Arcade
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Cartoon Violence
- Last updated: July 26, 2021
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