Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn

I played the original Kirby's Epic Yarn on the Wii years ago, and thought it was boring and far too easy - even by Kirby standards. Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is a 3DS port that adds a new difficulty option called "Devilish Mode", along with new abilities for Kirby to use throughout the adventure. These additions are very welcome, but certainly feel like an afterthought - they don't fundamentally change the core experience, and Devilish Mode amounts to little more than an occasional nuisance chasing you through each level. There are also new King Dedede and Meta Knight modes, which are quirky and fun, although quite short. The levels are generally well designed, as one would expect from a Kirby game, and there is a myriad of collectibles to chase if you're the type to do so. The transformation sections are hit or miss - the tank and the fire truck are fun, but I found myself wondering why the train mode doesn't incorporate the touch pad when it's basically Kirby: Canvas Curse. At the end of the day, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is a competent platformer with some nice improvements over the original, but it still struggles to hold my attention for long stretches.

Play it for the:

• Love of Kirby (and yarn products)
• Myriad collectibles
• Added difficulty options

Reviewed on 2026-02-13

Getting the opportunity to play as yarn King Dedede isn't cheap.