Review for Poochi & Yoshi's Woolly World. Game for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, the video game was released on 26/06/2015 The version for 3DS came out on 03/02/2017
Everyone likes a warm woolen blanket in winter, to pull up in front of the TV while we watch our favorite series, and it is undeniable that seeing someone knitting while making a scarf, with the balls rolling and the cat playing, is a of the sweetest and most calming images that exist.
Who knows then that these were not some of the thoughts that flashed in the mind of Nintendo, Good-Feel and the team Dwarf when they laid the foundation for Yoshi's Woolly World. Combining one of the most popular supporting characters of the Super Mario saga, already the protagonist of numerous "spin offs" and faithful shoulder of our mustachioed plumber, with something tender, soft, warm and plump must have seemed a winning idea.
Many turned up their noses, relegating the title to a product for children before trying it, and then having to change their mind once they had the console pad in hand. The Wii U version was very successful, since even with soft and childish atmospheres, the gameplay proved to be the solid and tested one of the Yoshi and Mario saga.
Basically on the Nintendo platform he founded an empire, deserving the title of queen of this type of game. Today we return to review a port - even if defining it as such is perhaps a bit too simplistic - for Nintendo 3DS of that famous title: Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.
The thread of history
The Yoshis live peacefully on their Ball Island, playing and having fun all day without worries, at least until the evil wizard Kamek enters the scene disturbing the balance. The purpose of the adventure is not yet clear to us, but one thing is certain: the sorcerer, thanks to his evil magical powers, has transformed almost all the inhabitants of the island into balls of wool, unwinding the very fabric that made them up.
During the escape, however, absentmindedly, the bungling magician aboard his flying broom drops some balls of yarn, which “casually” slip into various locations scattered along the path that leads to the final castle. It will be up to the only Yoshi who escaped the transformation to retrieve all the balls along the way to recompose friends, defeat the final boss and save your world.
Friends and woolly supporting characters will be the useful help to Yoshi to complete this feat, which to be 100% completed, will require good dexterity and a lot of patience. The Amiibo here are really useful as well as choreographic, so we recommend that you keep all your precious allies at hand, especially that of Yoshi and the one coined for the occasion by Poochy, also available in combo with a 'limited edition of Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.
Immersive gameplay
From the practical point of view of the game we have already mentioned how the reality of the platform is something congenial and tested at Nintendo: the numerous spin offs have always convinced and conquered the players, to the point of making the Yoshi brand a must where our friend dinosauro is the protagonist of his adventures, while still remaining a valid supporting actor for the mustachioed plumber over time.
Yoshi's ability to engulf the enemy turning into eggs to be thrown on occasion to hit other opponents or reach inaccessible areas finds a new and effective meaning in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. In fact, in this title the woolly lizard with a long tongue will be able to grab one end of the thread that constitutes the enemies to unwind them until they swallow them, and then transform them into balls of different color and size according to the target acquired.
The wool thus obtained can be used not only as a projectile to hit distant targets, but also to build platforms and particular objects in specific points, indicated with transparent structures in the various levels: aiming and shooting the ball, the wool will wrap around the guide creating plans support, objects and ladders useful to get to unknown and otherwise inaccessible places.
The title is not based on a “limited number of lives” or “time to expire” style: in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World the main goals are relaxation and absolute completeness. Each scenario has 5 flowers and five balls of yarn to be found in order to be completed, as well as two bonuses: recovering all the jewels and reaching the finish line with all lives to the maximum.
The level thus completed will give the player, in addition to the pleasure of having released a Yoshi themed with the level, new textures for the lizard friend and a new level to play in the Poochy section. To find and complete all the levels you will need to interact with the game world in absolutely unconventional ways: some sections can be unrolled, others pushed, others hit, and there are many secrets to be discovered.
Unconventional wool
By the way, Yoshi's and Poochy's Amiibo can really help you in this regard. For example, if you bring them closer to the player, (or to the lower screen if you are using a New Nintendo 3DS), you will get in the case of Yoshi an ally on the screen who will help you in the most excited sections, while with Poochy you will have a faithful dog who will follow you and it will jump whenever you get close to an undiscovered secret.
All other Amiibo are still compatible with the title even if in practice they only offer themed colors for your Yoshi. Pleasant but not essential for the game itself.
But if you think that's all you are wrong, Nintendo certainly would not have created a new platform without having included all the interesting features typical of the other episodes and spin offs: in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World we will find patterns in which we will guide a giant version of Yoshi aimed at total destruction, or we will embody a two-wheeled motorized version of the green dinosaur on woolly paths aimed at pure speed and total acrobatics. Two interesting features able to break with the classic development of Nintendo platformers, however always far from being monotonous. There is of course more, but we don't want to reveal too much about this splendid title that sees Yoshi able to make truly surprising transformations.
To complete the title we also find a place to customize Yoshi with different colors and textures. Once our friend has been drawn, using one of the freed Yoshis or once we have obtained a themed coloring from our Amiibo, we can use the created version directly in the game. Will also It is possible to save in your dinosaur's Amiibo the coloring that has conquered you the most, customizing your figurine in a completely new and original way.
Finally, there is an additional mode in which we will take on the woolly shoes of Poochy to carry out a gold rush or in search of specific objectives, to be conquered to get the maximum score: un feature that adds meat to the fire and that increases the already interesting longevity of the title.
The technical aspect of knitted wool
Nothing to say about the solidity of the gameplay and its pleasantness, both in terms of animations and in terms of backdrops. Perhaps sadly, with a small screen, it's difficult to enjoy the nuances the team adopted in developing and designing an entire world with wool. An effort of this magnitude is certainly best appreciated on the TV screen in the Wii U version.
The 3D gets along well and holds up convincingly in every situation of the game; of course we can only evaluate the version with improved 3D of the New Nintendo 3DS XL which is the peripheral on which we tested the title in question. Nintendo soundtracks have always been successful and appropriate to the game context and also in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World they are no exception, optimally surrounding the whole adventure.
During the adventure it is possible to come across more 30 movies and different artworks made in stop motion by the Dwarf studio: small pearls that define works of art certainly cannot be said to be wrong. A worthy completion for a compelling and multifaceted title like Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World is a work of art, a warm wool blanket that fascinates and satisfies the hearts and souls of all ages. Despite the tender and cuddly appearance, it reveals impeccable gameplay and capable of entertaining - with interesting features such as the use of Amiibo - a solid 3D and with a platform architecture rich in nuances like only Nintendo can do. Right from the start you will be asked if you want to play in relax mode: know that you will not be faced with a simplified version, but an adventure full of added components, jumping Poochy, angelic wings and much more. Another hit for Nintendo!
► Poochi & Yoshi's Woolly World is a game for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, the video game was released on 26/06/2015 The version for 3DS came out on 03/02/2017
