Kirby's Epic Yarn

Kirby's Epic Yarn is a new Kirby installment for the Wii. It is the first Kirby platformer to hit a home console since the Nintendo 64's Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It was first uncovered at E3 on June 15, 2010. Inspired by a commericial for Kirby's Adventure from almost two decades ago, the game's overall design is vastly different from Kirby's other appearances. The animation style is meant to look like everything is a yarn outline with minor details such as facial features. The layout of the worlds and levels is scrapbook-like with simple pieces of fabric such as cloth and felt. Many of the enemies are also made up cloth, felt, and pipe cleaners. Kirby also appears to have new abilities such as turning into a giant Kirby-like tank, swinging across gaps, and grabbing enemies with a strand of yarn. Beads are hidden throughout the levels for players to collect, along with other hidden items concealed in Treasure Chests, with every level having three chests.

Another key feature in the game is that Kirby has lost the ability to inhale, as the air goes right through his new body. Instead, Kirby can create a whip-like object using yarn that he uses to wrap around enemies. The enemy will turn into a ball of yarn which Kirby can carry and throw at other enemies to defeat them or grab items. Kirby can also use this ability to pull down scenery such as walls to progress or scrunch up the scenery to make gaps shorter so that he can jump across them (as he can no longer puff up and float). There is also a multiplayer feature, which allows the second player to control Prince Fluff, the prince of Patch Land, who is similar in appearance to Kirby.

Of note is that this game is the first game since Kirby's Avalanche, which is dubiously canon, to feature Kirby speaking during cutscenes, making it the first main series game to do so and possibly the first canonical game.

Plot
A sorcerer named Yin-Yarn is running amok in Dream Land, turning everything, citizens included, into yarn. Kirby is walking by a bush, and notices a tomato sitting on top of it. He starts to inhale it to eat it, but Yin-Yarn appears and starts to introduce himself. Kirby angers him by trying to eat the tomato, and after he finally gets it, Yin-Yarn sucks him up into the sock around his neck. Kirby finds himself in a strange land where everything is made of yarn. Before he can explore, a monster appears chasing a yarn boy. Kirby tries to inhale the monster, but the air goes right through his body. Unsure of what to do but still wanting to help, Kirby suddenly transforms into a car and drives off with the yarn boy. It turns out that Yin-Yarn's tomato was a Metamato, and this strange tomato has given him the power to transfom into a variety of different things.

Later on, once Kirby has gotten a better handle on his new body's abilities, a monster tries to eat Prince Fluff. Kirby defeats the monster and obtains a piece of yarn that allows him to stitch Patch Castle to Grass Land. As it turns out, Yin-Yarn split Patch Land into seven parts. Kirby and Prince Fluff set off and after defeating Fangora, the Magic Yarn stitches Grass Land to Hot Land. Kirby's stomach starts growling, so he searches for food in a tree. Suddenly, the tree starts to shake, and Kirby tries to hang on as long as he can. When he looks, it's Prince Fluff shaking the tree. Prince Fluff says that this is the way to get food in Patch Land. Prince Fluff shakes several apples out of the tree, and Kirby as well. Kirby gets angry and chases Prince Fluff, so long that he forgot that he was hungry. After defeating Hot Wings, Kirby and Prince Fluff find the Magic Yarn that stitches Hot Land to Treat Land. Meanwhile, back in Dream Land, the Waddle Dees are working for King Dedede inside the castle. King Dedede notices that one of his Waddle Dees is made out of yarn. Dedede ignores it, and Yin- Yarn is shown behind a box, sewing more yarn Waddle Dees with his needles. After defeating Squashini, Kirby and Fluff find the Magic Yarn that stitches Treat Land to Water Land. Along their journey, they come upon a breathtaking, mountain-sized cake! Kirby tries to contain himself, but fails and jumps into the cake. Prince Fluff declares a cake-eating contest and starts eating as well. However, they don't balance their eating, and the cake collapses with them inside. Prince Fluff pops out and can't eat any more cake. Kirby pops out with the cherry in his mouth and eats it, winning the contest. After they defeat Capamari, the Magic Yarn stitches Water Land to Snow Land. Back in Dream Land, Yin-Yarn's Waddle Dee impostors capture the real Waddle Dees and corner Dedede. Before he can defend himself, they attack and tie him up. Yin-Yarn comes out and sucks Dedede into Patch Land. During the boss fight with him, he sees Kirby and starts to run over, but a puppeteer's device comes in from out of nowhere and knocks him unconcious, then takes control of his body. When he is defeated, he returns to normal and gives Kirby the Magic Yarn, which stitches Snow Land to Space Land. Meanwhile, back in Dream Land, the Battleship Halberd is roaming the skies. Meta Knight notices some changes in Dream Land's landscape. Suddenly, Yin-Yarn crashes onto the deck and sucks him into Patch Land. When Kirby and Prince Fluff fight him, his eyes will flash between yellow and purple as he struggles to fight off Yin-Yarn's possession. A red panel with Yin-Yarn's face on it feeds him four different colored swords that Kirby must unravel. Once Kirby defeats him, he is freed from his possession and disappears into his cape. It is implied he loses conciousness after the battle. Kirby and Fluff get the last piece of Magic Yarn, and Patch Land is fully stitched back together. They head back to Patch Castle to celebrate, but their celebration is interrupted when Meta Knight wakes up. He apologizes for attacking them and explains what is happening in Dream Land. Kirby is upset that Yin-Yarn is taking over, but Fluff pulls out the other sock in the pair that Yin-Yarn stole from. He, Kirby, Meta Knight, and Dedede return to Dream Land to confront Yin-Yarn. After finally defeating Yin-Yarn, Prince Fluff returns to Patch Land, but leaves the sock for Kirby to come visit whenever he wants. After the credits roll, Kirby is shown in a field asleep with the sock in his hands, dreaming of his new friends in Patch Land.

Quilty Square
In the game, there is an area called Quilty Square. Here, the player can access Kirby's Pad and decorate it with items found throughout the adventure. But beyond just setting up furniture, the player could also choose to upholster it with unlocked fabrics with a surprising amount of customization, such as changing the angle and size at which it is applied. As shown in a Japanese trailer of the game, Kirby can also purchase furniture from what seems to be a shopkeeper. Both Kirby and Prince Fluff can venture through the house with their choice of furniture and fabric. There are also what seems to be neighbors in Patch Land. Kirby can also help Dom Woole manage his appartments. Kirby helps Dom Woole by assisting with furnishing his apartments using the different patches collected in the levels in Patch Land. Once an apartment is fully furnished, a friend occupies the appartment. Kirby can play different games with his neighbors. This is what Zeke, Beadrix, Carrie, Buster, and Mara are for. Zeke plays a hide-and-seek game with Kirby. Beadrix plays a bead collecting game with Kirby. Carrie plays a game where Kirby must help Carrie get to her chair somewhere within a given level. Buster plays a game where Kirby must defeat a certain number of enemies. Mara races against Kirby.

Characters

 * Kirby
 * Prince Fluff
 * Yin-Yarn
 * King Dedede
 * Meta Knight
 * Dom Woole
 * Angie
 * Zeke
 * Beadrix
 * Carrie
 * Chaise Woole
 * Buster
 * Loomis Woole
 * Mara
 * Mega Yin-Yarn

Transformations
Kirby's inhaling ability has been rendered useless and he has lost the ability to fly, but he has a variety of forms he can transform into.

Regular Forms
These forms do not require a power up.
 * Car - Double-tap left or right on the Wii Remote's Control Pad. This form allows Kirby to travel faster, as well as making him jump higher and farther.
 * Pendulum - Press the 1 button to latch onto a button. This form allows Kirby to reach higher places and new areas.
 * Parachute - While falling down, hold the 2 button to have Kirby turn into a parachute. This form allows him to slowly fall down.
 * 2 Ton Kirby - While Kirby is in the air, the player must press down on the D-Pad. This form allows Kirby to break bricks that he normally couldn't break.
 * Sleigh- Kirby can become this form on a certain level in place of a car. It can slide up and down ramps at high speeds as well as skate over water when Kirby has enough speed built up.
 * Submarine- Kirby becomes this when he enters water.
 * Strength- Kirby can unzip zippers and move heavy objects.
 * Snake - Kirby can slide through small gaps.

Special Forms
Kirby can become these forms after getting a Metamortex. Some of these forms combine the two players, with the one who grabbed the Metamortex becoming the actual form and the other player serving a support role, while a few forms have Kirby and Prince Fluff transforming separately.
 * Dolphin - To get some serious speed in the water, Kirby can become this. It can also jump through hoops, swim up waterfalls and bounce beads on its nose.
 * Tankbot - Kirby becomes a large robotic tank. It can hover, has light-up eyes, and can shoot Missiles. When there are 2 players it has a boxing glove as well, which is controlled by whichever player did not grab the power-up.
 * Off-Roader - allows Kirby to travel faster and break through blocks.
 * Saucer - Kirby is in a UFO that is able to abduct enemies. When enough enemies are abducted, he can blast out an attack destroying everything on screen.
 * Spin Boarder - Kirby can surf and jump while doing so. He can grab a pair of wings for a short time that increase his jump height.
 * Digger - Kirby can dig sections of the ground that look like cotton. It can also destroy crystals in front of doorways, allowing him to enter
 * Fire Engine - Kirby can put out fire enemies and fires when he is in this form.
 * Rocket - Kirby can destroy enemies by shooting stars at them and fly around in rocket form in a similar manner to Space Invaders.
 * Train - Kirby can travel on train tracks that lead him to new areas. The tracks are drawn by the player.
 * Star Shooter - Virtually identical to its appearance in Kirby Super Star and Ultra, it flies and fires star shots sideways.

Controls
The game is played with the Wii Remote held sideways.


 * Directional Pad (D-Pad): Move
 * + Button: View pause screen
 * - Button: View controls for current form
 * 1 Button: Use yarn whip
 * 2 Button: Jump
 * A Button: Call Angie
 * B Button: U-Turn when in Train Form

Returning Enemies

 * Scarfy
 * Flamer
 * Waddle Dee (regular, parasol, balloon, spear-wielding, bow and arrow wielding, missile-throwing, snowball-throwing, and dune buggy-driving)
 * Waddle Doo
 * Bomber
 * Bronto Burt
 * Blippers
 * Chilly
 * Gordo
 * Grizzo
 * Shotzo
 * Big Waddle Dee

New Enemies

 * Dropso
 * Ooki
 * Uniclod
 * Cyclod
 * Buttonfly
 * Buttonbee
 * Bow Waddle Dee
 * Balloon Waddle Dee
 * Dandan
 * Sulkworm
 * Candlemander
 * Swadclod
 * Sneak Sack
 * Rolling Clod
 * Truck Monster
 * Calderon
 * Magmotamus
 * Emba
 * Battins
 * Slobba
 * Snip-Snap
 * Shelby
 * Embird
 * Soldier
 * Sword Soldier
 * Spear Soldier
 * Cannon Soldier
 * Whistle Soldier
 * Sea Jelly
 * Stogue
 * Sawgill
 * Bobber Clod
 * Jelly Jr.
 * Anemonee
 * Buttonbug
 * Danglerfish
 * Amprey
 * Octopea
 * Mariner
 * Sword Mariner
 * Spear Mariner
 * Cannon Mariner
 * Whistle Mariner
 * Cutfish
 * Freezo
 * Space Jelly
 * Orbitfly
 * Spore Jelly
 * Twiggy Woods
 * Boingers
 * Lil’ Krackos
 * Soochers

Mini Bosses

 * Wicked Willows
 * Blast Mariner
 * Space Kracko
 * Whispy Woods
 * Kracko
 * Combo Cannon
 * Reactor

Bosses

 * Fangora
 * Hot Wings
 * Squashini
 * Capamari
 * King Dedede (Brainwashed)
 * Meta Knight (Brainwashed)
 * Yin-Yarn
 * Mega Yin-Yarn

Levels
Certain areas can only be accesed by obtaining their corresponding Area Patch.


 * Grass Land
 * Fountain Gardens
 * Flower Fields
 * Rainbow Falls
 * Big-Bean Vine
 * Fangora Boss Battle
 * Mole Hole
 * Weird Woods
 * Hot Land
 * Pyramid Sands
 * Lava Landing
 * Cool Cave
 * Dino Jungle
 * Hot Wings Boss Battle
 * Temper Temple
 * Dusk Dunes
 * Treat Land
 * Toy Tracks
 * Mushroom Run
 * Sweets Park
 * Melody Town
 * Squashini Boss Battle
 * Cocoa Station
 * Dark Manor
 * Water Land
 * Splash Beach
 * Blub-Blub Ocean
 * Secret Island
 * Deep-Dive Deep
 * Capamari Boss Battle
 * Boom Boatyard
 * Fossil Reef
 * Snow Land
 * Snowy Fields
 * Cozy Cabin
 * Mt. Slide
 * Frosty Wheel
 * King Dedede Boss Battle
 * Frigid Fjords
 * Evergreen Lift
 * Space Land
 * Future City
 * Tube Town
 * Mysteruious UFO
 * Stellar Way
 * Meta Knight Boss Battle
 * Moon Base
 * Outer Rings
 * Dream Land
 * Whispy's Woods
 * Tempest Towers
 * Cloud Palace
 * Castle Dedede
 * Yin-Yarn Boss Battle
 * Meta Melon Isle
 * Battleship Halberd

Reception
1up.com named Kirby's Epic Yarn the best game of E3 for Wii and GameSpot named it both the best Wii game and best game overall at E3. GameTrailers.com awarded it the best graphics of E3 for 2010.

Trivia

 * Kirby's Epic Yarn appears to show similarities to Yoshi's Story. The main style of the games appear to have crafting materials for graphics in many of the early levels and Epic Yarn and Yoshi's Story are the first games of their respective series to go onto the current generation console.
 * This will be the first game since Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards that Kirby's voice will be heard on a current generation console outside of the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * The plot appears to follow a similar premise to that of Kirby: Canvas Curse, with Kirby being transfigured by the villain into another form, which changes the way he is controlled. Using Kirby's Train form is similar to the way Canvas Curse is played.
 * Meta Knight's mask does not fall off when defeated.
 * This is the first Kirby game to have a narration as well as captions.