Nintendo surprised many people back at E3 2010 with the reveal of Kirby’s Epic Yarn. It was a radical departure for the series and one that many were surprised by, yet the game was incredibly well received. It may not have been a traditional Kirby game but it was a fun experience. Then Nintendo and Good Feel surprised everyone with Yoshi’s Wooly World, a game that took the same ideas and applied them to Yoshi, where it fit better. Not only was this game well received, but it is getting a sequel next year.
Now we come to the Starfy series. The series was mostly Japan exclusive until the 5th game and after that, the series went dead. It was a cutesy platformer series dubbed as “marine action”. It also made use of costumes and transformations during gameplay to alter the experience. Why do I bring this up? Because the Starfy series would be the perfect choice to receive a Yarn style game. The Yarn games are known for their cutesy look, and innovative gameplay, and have opened peoples’ eyes to new possibilities in gaming. The Starfy series could be successfully revived with this type of game, considering the new attitudes players now have.
In addition, the style would work wonderfully with Starfy, as the Yarn world could be made in a way that incorporates the mechanics of the Starfy series, including the costume transformations and the “marine action”. This could actually be a Yarn game that truly shows off new environments and ideas that people have not otherwise thought of. Most importantly, Starfy is unlikely to return as of now, but I feel the series has potential still. Transitioning the series into a new style like this could not only revive it successfully, but also give it the attention it deserves from gamers. The series just deserves better than what it got.
The other part of this is that a revival like this could also inspire Nintendo to revive other dormant IPs in new ways. It may not be apparent at first, but many games can succeed if they are just presented differently.
I would like to know what you all think of this. Please share your thoughts and I will respond to them.
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The above was the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of ROG or its staff.