The last Kirby console game was released back in 2003. Even though Kirby has been away for a while, he is back with charm, polish and a unique style in a solid, distinctive game that Kirby pulls off handily, “Kirby’s Epic Yarn.”

There is not much to follow story-wise, but what is there is simple and to the point: The evil Yin-Yarn wants to take over DreamLand and sucks Kirby into a magic sock after Kirby unwittingly eats Yin-Yarns “metamato.” While he is inside, he befriends Prince Fluff, and the two of them set off to stitch Patch Land back together so that Kirby can stop Yin-Yarn’s plans.

The first thing you will notice about “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” is its art style. As the name suggests, everything in the game is made from yarn. The game is presented as a story book and is read to the player by a narrator.

Since Kirby is made from yarn, he loses his traditional eating ability; however, after eating the “metamato” he can transform into different objects or use his own yarn to interact with things.

Kirby can un-zip the background to get to different parts of the stage, or he can pull tabs off the environment to reveal new objects. He can also unravel enemies or roll them into balls to use as projectiles.

At its roots, “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” is a platforming game. The player will have to direct Kirby or Prince Fluff from one end of the stage to another while avoiding enemies, collecting items, and interacting with the environment.

Kirby cannot die during his adventure. This sounds like it would make the game too easy; however, the penalty of losing beads (the game’s collectible currency) is as painful as losing a life, and Kirby loses beads anytime he falls in a hole or is hit by an environmental hazards. Avoiding dangers becomes more difficult as the game progresses.

Beads are important to collect if the player wants a good rating at the end of each stage. The player can receive bronze, silver or gold metals on normal stages, and picking up lots of beads during boss fights opens new stages.

Kirby collects beads as he moves through each stage. Beads are found along the basic path Kirby travels, but they are also hidden in the environment. Kirby can then use the beads and items he finds in stages to renovate and expand on his apartment in Patch Land.

The items found in stages can also be used in other tenants’ rooms. Doing so will give Kirby new playmates who open optional mini-games in stages Kirby has already beaten.

Kirby can also transform into various vehicles and animals throughout the game to make his job of moving through areas easier.

Kirby has a large variety of transformations he can make, and each of the transformations control differently adding welcome variety to the game play.

“Kirby’s Epic Yarn” supports co-op, where a second player can control Prince Fluff who has the same abilities as Kirby. They can work together to solve puzzles that would be more difficult if Kirby were alone. The players have to be alert though since Kirby and Prince Fluff share a bead pool, and if one of them gets hurt, they both loose beads.

One minor complaint I have is that the Wii-Remote is the only controller that works. Since the bulk of the game is played by holding the Wii-Remote sideways, I would have preferred it if the Classic controller or GameCube controllers were at least available as options since the Wii-Remote’s design is not conducive to extended play.

Whether it is the squeak of an enemy tripping and falling, or the unique unlock sequence for each stage, “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” always has something new to offer to the player. “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” is a one-of-a-kind game that gamers of any background should experience.

“Kirby’s Epic Yarn”

4/4 Stars

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Price: $49.99

ESRB: E (for Everyone)