Yoshi's Woolly World

In achieving borderline perfection in gameplay, sound design and possibly the most charming, captivating artstyle of the 16-bit generation, Yoshi's Island is easily one of the greatest games ever made, although you'd hardly know it from its successors. When considering Yoshi's Story's dubious quality and "made-for-kids" identity, the forgotten gimmicks of Yoshi Touch & Go, and how the awfully lethargic efforts by Artoon/Arzest are best not spoken about, it was more than a little frustrating Nintendo couldn't figure out how to forge a proper sequel.

Note the past tense: it's been over two years since Yoshi's Woolly World first graced our Wii Us courtesy of Kirby's Epic Yarn developer Good-Feel and I can still scarcely believe its success. Not that I didn't think it wouldn't be a worthy spiritual successor to their Kirby effort, of course, but that it actually achieves throwing distance within Yoshi's Island's glory is a testament to Good-Feel's talent as a developer. Yes, to say Yoshi's Woolly World is superior to Yoshi's Island would be silly, but it is the first Yoshi sequel to understand what it means to take that step: Yoshi's saddle does not need Baby Mario glued 24/7, but it does not need any babyish concessions ala Yoshi's Story to stand out as an individual entry. 

An Interview with Game Composer Tomoya Tomita (Hey Poor Player)

Article Here

Finally...FINALLY!!! After two months of drafting, asking, translating and waiting upon waiting for clearance, my interview with game composer Tomoya Tomita is finally up!!! I can't believe it!!

Again, I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! To reiterate, this was not a case of my typical procrastination: it was on-track to arrive by the end of January when Tomita-san suddenly informed us he needed clearance from Nintendo, and unfortunately that was going to take some time. But now, it's finally here: my very first interview with a Nintendo developer! A former one, but who cares?!?

I can't be happier enough with his answers; in fact, I highly recommend you pay attention to his Kirby's Epic Yarn answers, as there's some never-before-seen info regarding the game's development! And by the way, a certain accepted fan theory regarding Smash Bros. and Wario may not be the case after all...

As stated in the interview, this would not have been possible without my translator buddy Masked Man (Matt). I already told you this on Twitter, but you are truly "the man."

And of course, to Tomita-san himself....ありがとうございます！！！

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 45 ~Knitty Knotty Windmill Hill~ (Yoshi's Woolly World)

Origin: Yoshi's Woolly World

Plays In: Knitty Knotty Windmill Hill/Wobbly Mobile Jaunt
Status: Original Composition
Composed By: Tomoya Tomita

It only makes sense this installment of Biweekly Music Wednesday! would feature a song by Tomita-san, right? I figured it should be a song from a series I haven't visited much.

Much of the music in Yoshi's Woolly World evokes to me an image of summer hayrides, like the ones you may've had as a child. Some songs render these rides a bit bumpier than others, but this one is certainly more gentle. I can picture it now: infants snoozing in their mothers' arms, children excitedly pointing out the sights and sounds, and parents echoing their fascination without a care in the world.

Being that they're by the same composer, it's no surprise Yoshi's Woolly World instills much of the same calm present in Kirby's Epic Yarn, yet there's undeniably more of an active feel going on in the soundtrack. That shouldn't be a surprise: Epic Yarn does not employ death or game overs, while Woolly World is more punishing as an action game thanks to Yoshi's health bar.

Not that the levels this song plays in (Knitty Knotty Windmill Hill and Wobbly Mobile Jaunt) are particularly tough--that honor goes to the game's Special Courses--but there's certainly some activity going on within. It helps that their respective set-pieces are among some of the game's best; particularly with Wobbly Mobile Jaunt's sky-bound spaceships and celestial bodies.

There's many reasons why Yoshi's Woolly World is the best Yoshi game since Yoshi's Island debuted back in 1995, and the music is probably one of the best reasons why. No longer are there homogenized scores accompanying the entire game or boring, sleepy tunes that could never dream of surpassing Koji Kondo's '95 masterpiece; it's a score that echoes the whimsicality and wonder present in each and every stage.

Knitty Knotty Windmill Hill is one of my favorites for this very reason: the likes of silky windmills and yarn rockets are nostalgic symbols in themselves, and so the song must bring that nostalgia to life. This was a quality previously stitched into the heart of Epic Yarn, and so it's no surprise Tomita-san succeeds with flying colors.

There are other songs that instill the aforementioned "hayride" quality, but I think this song is particularly representative of that theme. Is it a coincidence it's named after a structure one might spot on such ventures? Hmm.

Final Thoughts: You can definitely bet this will pop up in my interview with Tomita-san! 

EXCLUSIVE: Upcoming Interview with a Nintendo Game Composer!!!

I've finally made it. Even now, a day after it was finalized, it's all so surreal.

Today, I am absolutely beyond thrilled to announce I will be hosting MY VERY FIRST INTERVIEW with an individual who's worked on Nintendo games! And not just any individual; it's someone who's composed music for over seven Nintendo games. That interviewee happens to be....

Mr. Tomoya Tomita!!! Over the past decade, Tomita-san wrote music for games such as Kirby's Epic Yarn, Yoshi's Woolly World, Wario Land: Shake It! and even certain StreetPass titles! (Mii Force, Battleground Z, Slot Car Rivals and Market Crashers) It will be happening this week, with translation help courtesy of my buddy Masked Man, who you may remember as chiming in for my Nintendojo localization article last year.

Mr. Tomita had recently announced on his YouTube Channel that he was going freelance from Good-Feel/Nintendo and was currently taking requests. While obviously referring to music, an idea sprang to mind:...would he agree to an e-mail interview? I spent days agonizing over what to say before finally sending it, and I woke up Saturday to him saying yes!

Needless to say, I'm just...stunned this is happening. I'm interviewing an ex-Nintendo composer! The guy who wrote the music for Kirby's Epic Yarn, one of my favorite gaming soundtracks, is going to discuss his work with ME! And he's thrilled to do so! Wow!

And here I thought Leave Luck to Heaven eventually leading me to working in game journalism was mindblowing. Like many a Nintendo fan, I've fantasized meeting and talking with countless names and faces from the company and its branches, but that it's actually happening is...it's a feeling that can't be put into words. My dream is coming true.

The best part? Readers familiar with my blog know how descriptive I can get with my articles, and Tomita-san has agreed to answer all of my many questions regarding his works. His history at Good-Feel and his three works for Nintendo home consoles will take the spotlight, although I'm currently considering whether or not I'll be asking a couple questions regarding Mii Force. And just to be clear, this will be hosted on Hey Poor Player.

I'll be wrapping up my questions tomorrow, so hopefully afterwards the three of us can get started ASAP. I absolutely cannot wait for this to happen, for this to be shared, and for this to lead to many more opportunities to come! See you soon!