Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World Review

Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World – A Review by Jose Vega

Product provided for this review by Nintendo.

In 2015, a little game called Yoshi’s Woolly World came out on the Wii U. It was a nice game that was fun for both kids and adults, following in the same way as Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Two years later, Nintendo decides to port this title over to the Nintendo 3DS and call it Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World. Despite being similar, the question is if the game has something that can stand out from its Wii U counterpart. The answer is yes.

Let’s start with the story and it’s straightforward. Life on Cract Island is peaceful until Kamek comes in and decides to turn all the Yarn Yoshis into wonder wool. Only a green and red Yarn Yoshi survived, despite their best efforts in trying to stop Kamek. So now the two remaining Yoshis must travel to stop Kamek and save their friends. It’s a pretty simple story and a good introduction for players to get into the game.

If you’ve played any of the Yoshi games, you will feel right at home here. You play as a Yoshi, traveling through six worlds each consisting of 8-9 stages. Yoshi can run, jump, ground/hammer pound and toss yarn balls at enemies. He can also absorb enemies and spit them out to form yarn balls. Collectibles are abounding in each stage such as Wonder Wool, pencil coins, hearts and Smiley Flowers. Wonder Wool is for acquiring new Yoshis and flowers help unlock an additional “S” stage at the end. Getting 100% completion requires you to find everything and the game does allow you to explore, which is good. The game also has badges where depending on the amount of beads can add a bit of advantage for Yoshi. They range from having all big yarn balls to helping you find hidden stuff. It’s really cool. The controls are spot on and you have the option to customize them to your liking. If you plan on going for 100%, it can take you roughly 10-15 hours.

The worlds all follow a traditional pattern like grasslands, desert, skies, etc. but it’s all done pretty well and you can tell too. With the idea of yarn gives the game the opportunity to express itself. Design wise, it is exactly as the Wii U version. Nintendo should be commended for pulling off a port like this. I was surprised because the 3DS handheld can be quite limited but Nintendo has always provided games that push the potential of their systems to their limits. This is no exception. Also the game runs a solid 30fps on regular 3DS/2DS and 60fps on New 3DS handhelds. Both handhelds run the game fine so no matter what you play, it is good all the same.

But despite this, there are several things that this game has over the Wii U counterpart. For starters there is no co-op at all. A minor nitpick but the game is just as fun. Also, Amiibo functionality is aplenty here but expanded further giving Yoshi access to even more designs. The Poochy amiibo released for the game can also be used here to help bring Poochy to the game so you can use it to help find hidden goodies. Speaking of Poochy, this game also includes a Gold Rush mode, exclusive to the 3DS version, where you can ride Poochy along and collect beads. Using the Poochy amiibo turns it into a time attack mode as well. This game also has the option to switch between Classic and Mellow Mode. Think of Mellow Mode as easy mode with Yoshi gaining wings and his yarn balls are replaced with Poochy-Pups. They are exclusive to the 3DS version as they can help you find hidden items and plus they don’t go away. After throwing one, they come back. If you feel the game can be difficult at times, Mellow Mode is the mode and the game doesn’t punish you for using it. Plus you can change modes at anytime.

I couldn’t find anything wrong with the game. The game’s pretty solid, the music is relaxing and nice to listen to and it offers plenty for your money’s worth. So yeah, the game is good. Very good with a high amount of replay value to boot.

Overall Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World took the Wii U version and added a few things that help make it stand out. It is the same but with more Amiibo functionality, the option to change modes on the fly and some additional modes make the game feel different and satisfying. If you were unable to try this when it came out for the Wii U, then this is a definite guarantee. I recommend this game. Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is worth your money.

I give Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World a 9 out of 10. This game earns my personal Seal of Approval. Worth every penny.