ninten·do·ness [nin-ten-doe-nis] – noun
1. the quality or state of being a Nintendo first-party product.
2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
3. true innovation in the face of ancient genre mechanisms.

One of Kirby's many forms - the big-ass tank.

Of all of Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii showings, it’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn which comes trundling out of leftfield to say boo with an almost overwhelming amount of the above attribute. Of course, there have been a number of 2D platformers appearing over the last year or two, each lighting a fire under what, by all rights, should be a completely stale genre. But, none have impressed us in quite the same way as our extensive hands-on time with Kirby did just yesterday.

For those of you not up to speed with Kirby’s latest outing, stylistically, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Everything in this game’s is made from either woolen thread, or layered patches of various textiles, from Aran knit, to denim, fuzzy felt, canvas, corduroy. If you can wear it, it probably makes up some part of a level somewhere.

Now what’s interesting in terms of this concept – after all, half the objects in LittleBigPlanet are textured thusly – is that this approach is not one applied purely to the aesthetic, but instead from concept upward has wormed its way into every single aspect of the gameplay.

What? Yes. Exactly.

We have no fobbing idea what Kirby is. He used to resemble a spacehopper, but now he looks like the product of an incarcerated madman with nothing in his cell to amuse himself with besides a ball of wool his cat sneaked in inside a special cat-mounted pie. Since he's made from a lengthy piece of woolen twine, however, this allows him a huge variety of actions.

For one, he can extend his stringy bits into a kind of whip, which performs multiple actions: It can latch onto things for swinging purposes, strike enemies, lift friends, or tug at various parts of the scenery. This latter action sees him unzip zips, or pull away felt patches to reveal doors, all of which is envisioned in such a believable way, the player is pretty much fooled into thinking that this textile world is solid.

It’s a classic case of Nintendo thinking; if Kirby is to stay inside the realm of a mere two dimensions, the set of rules which needs to be established for the game's world should compliment its nature. Textiles are 2D, so rather than feel old-hat, the whole experience makes cognitive sense throughout. It’s all somehow plausible.

Which has allowed Nintendo to go nuts.

For example, there are various points where pacing in the game dictates that Kirby just being the product of the aforementioned cat-pie prison delivery service is simply not enough and the need arises to change it up a little. At those times, Kirby comes across woolly sketches which provide him the blueprint to change his from into something else. And so players find themselves racing through the next part of the level in a Kirby-shaped racing car, or a giant Kirbalised tank, or a flying saucer (UFK?).

And since each level is made up of what is apparently layered textiles, Nintendo has also taken full advantage in allowing the Kirbster to burrow beneath some of them, the effect reminiscent of a rat running beneath a sheet. Having now played a vast amount more than the mere touch we had at E3, it took us hours to get the smiles off our faces. Kirby’s Epic Yarn is looking to set a brand new standard for the genre. It's THAT good.