Décor entièrement en laine de Yoshi's Woolly World, avec le logo du jeu

Yoshi's Woolly World: a whole world made of wool

1342 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

GameYoshiGood-Feel

Every single pixel replaced by wool, felt and fabric. Developed by Good-Feel and released in Europe on 26 June 2015 on Wii U, Yoshi's Woolly World turns eggs into balls of yarn. This guide covers the plot of Kamek and Baby Bowser unravelling the herd, the kinship with the studio's own Kirby, co-op play, the amiibo and the 3DS remake with Poochy.

Yoshi's Woolly World is a platform game released on Wii U, a title that was left in English in Europe. Made by Good-Feel, it drops the green dinosaur into a world stitched entirely by hand.

Wool, felt and fabric replace every pixel: this is surely the cuddliest Yoshi ever made, and the direct spiritual successor to Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Contents

A hand-stitched world on Wii U

Released in Europe on 26 June 2015, Yoshi's Woolly World is exclusive to Wii U. Australia got it the day before, on 25 June 2015, while Japan had to wait until 16 July 2015 and North America until 16 October 2015.

The concept boils down to one word: textile. Every element on screen is made of wool, felt and fabric, from the cotton clouds to the knitted platforms. This art direction hits the mark and earns the game a reputation as the cutest platformer on the console.

Development was entrusted to Good-Feel, backed by Nintendo. The adventure spans six worlds of nine levels each, that is 54 stages in total (eight compulsory levels plus one special course per world).

A Yoshi's Woolly World level made entirely of wool, felt and buttons
The whole set is made of textiles: wool, felt, buttons and zips.

Kamek, Baby Bowser and the unravelled herd

It all starts when Kamek, the Magikoopa, flies over the Yoshi island and turns almost every inhabitant into Wonder Wools (Wonder Wools). His goal: to hand his master the material for a brand-new castle.

That master is Baby Bowser, who plans to hoard enough yarn to raise his fortress. Only two Yoshi escape the spell and set out to free the others.

The quest therefore consists of rebuilding the herd: every level hides five Wonder Wools which, once gathered, bring a companion back to life. A simple narrative thread, but one perfectly in tune with the game's theme.

Dozens of woolly Yoshi of every colour piled up
The full herd: Kamek turns the Yoshi into balls of yarn that you have to recover one by one.

From eggs to balls of yarn

The big change affects Yoshi's signature weapon. No more eggs: here, swallowing an enemy turns it into a ball of yarn to throw at targets, mechanisms or the secrets tucked into the scenery.

These balls of yarn are used above all to rebuild the environment. The wool is no longer mere decoration: it becomes both ammunition and building material.

  • Fill a gap to knit a bridge or a platform.
  • Reveal hidden clouds and objects invisible to the naked eye.
  • Trigger switches placed out of reach.

Yoshi keeps his classic moves — flutter jump, grabbing tongue, ground pound — and also gains fabric transformations for the length of certain sections, an unabashed nod to Kirby's own metamorphoses.

Woolly Yoshi holding a big ball of orange yarn
Eggs become balls of yarn: you throw them to knit the missing platforms.

Following Kirby's thread: the Good-Feel touch

Good-Feel is no newcomer to the handmade look. The studio had already delivered Kirby's Epic Yarn (Kirby's Epic Yarn) in 2010, and Woolly World is its spiritual successor.

You find the very same philosophy: a stitched universe where the material dictates the rules. Pulling, unravelling, sewing back up… the wool governs the gameplay exactly as the yarn does in Kirby, transposed this time to Yoshi's world.

That know-how would spread further: Good-Feel later carried the idea over to Yoshi's Crafted World on Switch, this time in cardboard, paper and salvaged craft materials.

Co-op, amiibo and the Poochy 3DS remake

With two players, the game takes on a special flavour. One Yoshi can swallow his partner and spit him back out, or keep him in his mouth to turn him into a woolly egg to throw — ideal for reaching a distant platform.

On the figurine side, the game was one of the first to make use of amiibo: the Yarn Yoshi amiibo unlocks Double Yoshi mode, while other figures dress the hero in patterns inspired by Nintendo icons.

Finally, the adventure also got a revamped version on Nintendo 3DS, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, released on 3 February 2017 in Europe (19 January in Japan). It adds levels devoted to the dog Poochy and stop-motion short films.

Artwork of Poochy and his puppies in the 3DS version of Yoshi's Woolly World
Poochy takes top billing on 3DS, with his puppies lending a paw to players in a hurry.

An accessible platformer for collectors

Beneath its childlike looks, Woolly World caters to two audiences. The classic mode keeps some genuinely demanding stages for secret hunters, with plenty of passages tucked away behind the wool.

For beginners, the Mellow Mode (Mellow Mode) gives Yoshi a pair of wings so he can fly freely and clear obstacles without pressure. A precious option for family sessions or for playing with young children.

Every level is also swarming with collectibles: five Wonder Wools, Smiley Flowers, beads and stamps to hunt down. Reason enough to gladly replay the stages to flush out every last one and complete the game 100 %.

A Yoshi's Woolly World level with a door and items to collect
Every level hides its balls of yarn and its flowers: that is where the game turns demanding.

Yoshi's Woolly World at a glance

Title Yoshi's Woolly World
Developer Good-Feel (with Nintendo)
Publisher Nintendo
Platform Wii U
European release 26 June 2015
Genre Platformer (jump'n'run)
Structure 6 worlds, 54 levels
3DS version Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (2017)

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FAQ

  • Which console was Yoshi's Woolly World released on?
    On Wii U, where it remained an exclusive. A revamped version, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, later came out on Nintendo 3DS in 2017.
  • Who developed the game?
    The Japanese studio Good-Feel, backed by Nintendo. It is the same team that made Kirby's Epic Yarn in 2010.
  • Why is everything made of wool?
    Kamek turned the Yoshi and their world into yarn on Baby Bowser's behalf. Scenery, enemies and eggs are therefore made of wool, felt and fabric.
  • Can two people play together?
    Yes, in two-player co-op. One Yoshi can even swallow his partner to turn him into a woolly egg to throw.
  • What is the European release date?
    26 June 2015 on Wii U. Australia got it the day before, Japan on 16 July and North America on 16 October 2015.

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