Yoshi’s Woolly World was a title we reviewed two years ago (Ed: That long??), and rated it one of the best games we’d ever played. Nintendo apparently agreed, because, given the limited install base of the Wii U, they’ve remade the game for Nintendo 3DS, while adding in a whole bunch of new content that the Wii U gamers don’t get. Let’s get our knitting needles out as we review Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World.
If you haven’t read our review of the original game, then do so now, because I’m going to be discussing the differences between the two versions here. The story is identical, as are the major game mechanics and levels. The biggest change in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is that the game has received a significant graphical downgrade, which is still understandable given that the Wii U is a graphical powerhouse compared to the Nintendo 3DS.
If that were the only change, then that would be about the end of the review, but there’s much more packed into the 3DS version of the game. For starters, there is the new Yoshi designer area, where you can paint a Yoshi with any design you like. The stamp beads from the Wii U game return as pencil beads, and collecting 150 of them earns you patterns that you can use as templates for designs.
Then there is the Yoshi theater, which unlocks cute stop-motion Yoshi and Poochy videos every day. To give you a taste of what these vids are like, here’s one for you to watch. Beware the cute overload.
In the Wii U version, at the end of each stage was a ring of beads interspersed with up to five of the flowers that you can collect in each level. Jump through the ring at the right time to nab a flower, and a bonus stage starts. In Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, collecting the flower gives you an opportunity at Poochy Gold Rush, a runner-style minigame where you have to use Poochy to collect all the beads that Lakitu drops. Each Gold Rush course can also be played on its own without the Gold Rush bit, in which case you’re given missions to complete, such as popping a number of balloons or collecting more than a given number of beads. It’s great fun, but I wanted more of this than the game had to offer.
The levels selection area is laid out on a linear path instead of the free-roaming scheme used in the Wii U version. I can’t applaud one over the other because they both work to achieve the same thing in different ways. One interesting side-effect of the graphical downgrade is that the levels actually load a lot faster than the Wii U version, on the order of multiple seconds.
Like the Wii U version, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World supports amiibo. A new Poochy amiibo allows you to call on Poochy any time you want. It also unlocks unique designs for Poochy. The game still support the yarn Yoshi as a double Yoshi, as well as most of the other amiibo for designs. The second Yoshi is a godsend in the 3DS version given the lack of multiplayer.
One last change is to the game’s mellow mode. Not only does Yoshi get his wings, three cute Poochy pups will be assisting, sniffing out secrets and helping you take out enemies. The cute is overwhelming.
If you haven’t played Yoshi’s Woolly World, then this game is going to be a complete treat for you. If it weren’t for the lower graphical detail, this would be a more than perfect game. Newcomers to Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World absolutely have to play this gem of a game. Wii U owners who already own it, however? You guys can safely give this one a skip.
