Nintendo's little pink puffball Kirby hasn't starred in his own console game since the Nintendo64.  Unless you count Kirby Air Ride for the GameCube, but most people try and forget that game, right?

Epic Yarn is  finds Kirby going about his business in Dream Land as usual until he is suddenly interrupted by an evil sorcerer named Yin-Yarn, who is, unsurprisingly, made out of yarn.  Yin-Yarn sucks Kirby into a sock, and Kirby finds himself in an unfamiliar world called Patch Land, where everything is made out of yarn and fabric.  Moreover, Kirby discovers that his ability to swallow enemies by sucking them into his mouth no longer works because of his new form.

This sounds a bit childish, and it is.  This is a game for kids of all ages, though some of the levels can get frustrating.  Kirby's Epic Yarn is a traditional 2D platformer, and despite the earlier claim of childish-ness, the game can be quite fun.  You can even get a second player into the fray, who will control Kirby's companion Prince Fluff, who is blue to Kirby's pink, making it easier to differentiate between the two of them.

It is simple to control, using the Wiimote like a normal controller.  Kirby can go left and right with the directional pad, and the 1 and 2 buttons are attack and jump respectively.  Kirby can interact with his environment, unraveling objects and changing the layout of the level with a quick yank on a spare bit of yarn.

There are even three collectibles per level you need to keep your eye out for.  In Quilty Square, there is a hotel run by one of the inhabitants of Patch Land.  The more collectibles you track down, the higher the hotel grows.  Each room is inhabited by a people that play little mini-games with Kirby.

This game looks a bit different from other Kirby games, but this isn't a bad thing.  It looks good, and the developer got some cool effects into the game, considering the Wii's limited graphical capability when compared to the 360 and the PS3.

All in all, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a fun little tale, though far from being as epic as the title suggests.  It's a game that kids could play with their parents, or with one another via the co-op option.  Older gamers will, however, find it ultimately an easy game to beat and complete.  Give this game a rental before buying.

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Kirby's Epic Yarn Wii