Like Super Mario Maker before it, Yoshi’s Wooly World has just made the jump from the Wii U to the Nintendo 3DS. If you enjoyed it in its original console iteration, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much of its woolen majesty has been perfectly captured in this smaller, more portable package. And if you missed its Wii U debut? Well, you’ll definitely want to get in on all this platforming cuteness.
Must Love Dogs
Just like its big brother, Poochy & Yoshi’s Wooly World is a beautifully textured gameplay experience featuring everyone’s favorite leaping (not to mention shapeshifting) dinosaur in a world of felt and buttons and the occasional loose thread. This time around, though, Poochy the dog is along for the ride.
You can take control of the plush pooch himself in a timed course-running mini-game (Poochy Dash, accessible via a hut in the Yoshi village), but its’ much more likely you’ll instead elect to enjoy the added bonus of his Poochy Pups is this version’s more casual Mellow Mode.
Despite its cuteness, Yoshi’s Wooly World wasn’t above challenging the player, and the same can be said for Poochy & Yoshi. However, while the Wii U original’s Mellow Mode helped smooth out the learning curve by giving Yoshi Wings, this 3DS iteration provides help in the form of the Poochy Pups as an all-around character buff. They can act as your yarn ball projectiles, pull those mysterious hanging threads, and even sniff out hard-to-find secrets.
Doggone Good Dress-Up
Also more streamlined for this handheld version is the game’s amiibo functionality. In addition to unlocking new skins by reclaiming the yarn components of Yoshi’s abducted countrymen, you can also quickly scan in a handy amiibo by tapping the appropriate icon in the touchscreen during practically any game level.
The special amiibo hut in the game’s hub world then retains all these scanned-in amiibo color schemes, and it lets you easily swap between those skins anytime you’re willing to travel back to home base. Even the number of amiibo supported was a pleasant surprise. Of our expansive 50-ish figure collection, the only major players not able to give yarn Yoshi the vanity treatment seemed to be those from the Pokémon franchise.
Pretty Deep
One of my favorite aspects of Yoshi’s Wooly World was its picture-perfect visual design. This organic, textured aesthetic took what was already a more than competent action-platformer to the all-important next level.
Thankfully, these visual elements arrive on the 3DS with only a slight drop in overall clarity. This, however, is more than made up for by the system’s trademark use of 3D visual effects. This depth of field adds a new dimension—no pun intended—to the game’s graphics and make things seem ever more like a psychedelic trip through your grandma’s quilt collection.
Sights, Sounds, and Silliness
I guess it all comes down to this: Poochy & Yoshi’s Wooly World is just as fun (and, if it’s something you’re into, challenging) as the original Yoshi’s Wooly World. The added bonus of being able to take it with you is a definite perk, as is the even more casual Mellow Mode.
There’s plenty of solid gameplay to amuse players of all skill levels, and the Scrapbook Theater—another village location that showcases enemy profiles, level music, and unlockable video shorts—provides ample additional opportunities to enjoy the all the beauty of this Wooly World.
Whether this is the first time you’ve tried to rescue your fuzzy friends and family from Kamek’s clutches or you’re making a return trip on your 3DS, Poochy & Yoshi’s Wooly World is as easy to love as its plush characters and patchwork backgrounds would lead you to believe.
Review materials provided by: Nintendo of America
