Nintendo has a reputation of taking some creative risks with its biggest first-party franchises. Whether it's the F.L.U.D.D. mechanic in Super Mario Sunshine or the introduction of Wolf Link in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Nintendo has proved time and time again that it isn't afraid to go in bold new directions with some of its most sacred names. One such name that has consistently gotten in on Nintendo's experimentation is the Kirby franchise, and there are few games that have been more unique for the pink puffball than Kirby's Epic Yarn on the Nintendo Wii.
Kirby's Epic Yarn combined a cutesy art style with innovative new gameplay mechanics to make one of the most inspired titles in the character's long history. It's a shame, then, that the only way to go back to this revival for the Kirby franchise is if gamers held on to their Wii, or own a New Nintendo 3DS and grabbed Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn at the end of the console's lifecycle. For a game that has been so influential to the Kirby franchise and Nintendo's recent craft-related titles, a greater remaster seems to be in order, and the Switch has consistently proven to be an excellent place to revisit some of Nintendo's biggest titles from years past.
Giving Kirby The Wii Remaster Treatment On Switch
The past couple of years have seen Nintendo finally dive into remastering some of its biggest titles on the Nintendo Wii. Super Mario Galaxy in Super Mario 3D All-Stars proved to be a rather clean remaster of the landmark Wii title, and this year's The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD released to mostly positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Giving Kirby's Epic Yarn a full remaster on the Switch would continue this tradition of celebrating one of Nintendo's most unique consoles, while ensuring that Kirby gets equal representation among Nintendo's other heavy hitters.
Supporting Kirby's Future
The Kirby franchise has always been a bit of an odd one compared to some of Nintendo's other first party offerings. While it's never been as dormant as Star Fox or F-Zero, it also hasn't gotten the same support as Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda. Kirby's Epic Yarn actually serves as a great example of this, as it was the franchise's first major home console release in almost ten years when it made its debut. The franchise did get some more games on the Wii U, and Kirby Star Allies has been the tentpole release on the Switch so far, but there's been an overall lack of ambition until very recently.
The announcement of Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a big surprise for fans of the hero of Dream Land, and early footage from the game looks promising. The 3D gameplay and colorful style of the game brings to mind the creativity of Epic Yarn, and once Forgotten Land releases, remastering Epic Yarn could be a great way of keeping Kirby at the forefront of Nintendo's properties. While Mario and Zelda may be the big money makers, fans have proven before that many of them will support a franchise resurgence if Nintendo is willing to do the same.
There are no known plans to bring Kirby's Epic Yarn back in any capacity any time soon, but it's hard to doubt just how good of an opportunity it could be. The game was a landmark title for both the Wii and the Kirby franchise, and representing that legacy on the Switch could please a lot of fans. Hopefully, if Kirby and the Forgotten Land lives up to expectations, fans could revisit the past adventures of Nintendo's most adorable mascot sometime in the future.