Yoshi's Woolly World

Yoshi's Woolly World (originally called Yarn Yoshi ) is a 2.5D side-scrolling game for the Wii U by Good-Feel. It is the first Yoshi home console game in 18 years, with Yoshi's Story preceding it. The game takes place in a handcrafted universe, similar to the one in Kirby's Epic Yarn, which was also developed by Good-Feel. It follows the adventure of a Yoshi tribe trying to catch up and defeat the evil wizard Kamek, who unwove their fellows and scattered their materials across six worlds.

Like with most other Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software titles, this title can be purchased at retail stores or from the Nintendo eShop. The digital version requires 7991.8 MB (approx. 7.8 GB) of memory to be installed. Due to the software's size, standard set Wii U consoles cannot download it without an external storage device, but Deluxe Wii U consoles are able to.

A port of this game titled Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2017.

Story
The game takes place in Craft Island. Kamek turns the Yarn Yoshis into Wonder Wool, but misses two of them, who have to save the rest.

Gameplay
Yoshi's Woolly World is a platform game with textile and fabric environment which plays similarly to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story, with many features coming from these games. With his extensible tongue, Yoshi is able to abduct enemies into his mouth and either eat them or spit them out as projectiles; however, instead of turning them into Yoshi Eggs as in earlier games, he now turns them into yarn balls, which can be thrown just like eggs. They can also be thrown at objects such as platforms and Warp Pipes made of strings and needles in order to make them solid. Smiley Flowers and Winged Clouds return and coins are replaced by beads. Each level contains 20 "Stamp Patches" hidden inside common-looking beads, similarly to the Red Coins found in Yoshi's Island games. Collecting a number of Stamp Patches grants the player a set of Stamps. The hit point system returns from Yoshi's Story. As the Yoshis are attacked by enemies, their Health Meter decreases and can be replenished with Hearts.

The game features two options for standard gameplay. The first is "Classic Mode", which is the standard gameplay similar to previous Yoshi platforming games. The second mode is "Mellow Mode". In this mode, Yoshi is Winged Yoshi and players can fly around freely, providing an easier experience. Players can switch between the two modes at any time via the pause menu.

The game spans six worlds, as well as a main hub area. Similarly to Super Mario 3D World, the player is able to roam freely between the levels on the world map without being restricted to walking along set paths.

Cooperative
In co-op mode, the players control two Yoshis, Green Yoshi and Red Yoshi. A Yoshi is able to eat their partner and either swallow them to use them as a yarn ball or spit them out to destroy obstacles. However, when a Yoshi eats their partner, the Yoshi getting eaten loses all of their yarn balls. If one of the Yoshis goes too far off screen it is placed into a flying Yoshi Egg and transported to the other Yoshi. When one of the Yoshis goes down a Warp Pipe the other one is transported with it simultaneously. A Yoshi is able to jump onto another Yoshi and use it as a platform.

amiibo
The game makes use of amiibo, and a series of yarn-made Yoshi amiibo was released alongside the game. When a Yarn Yoshi amiibo is scanned, it will provide a Double Yoshi mode. Double Yoshi mode functions similarly to the Double Mario power-up from Super Mario 3D World, in that both Yoshis follow the single player's inputs, but with the additional functions of co-op mode. Instead, if the normal version of the Yoshi amiibo is scanned, a normal Yoshi copy will appear. Any Yoshi amiibo scanned will also unlock them for the amiibo tent upon completing the level.

In addition to the yarn amiibo, every Mario-related amiibo except Daisy, Waluigi and Boo, every Super Smash Bros. series amiibo except Pokémon and DLC characters, and the Inkling amiibo from the Splatoon series are compatible with the game and will unlock a pattern based on the character. Any other amiibo unlocks a special amiibo Yoshi, a green Yarn Yoshi wearing an amiibo shirt.

Additional playable characters
Many additional playable Yoshi designs can be unlocked by collecting Wonder Wool in the levels or by scanning different amiibo into the game.

Allies

 * Huffin' Puffin
 * Poochy
 * Egg-Plant

Bosses

 * Big Montgomery (World 1, 3, and 5 Midway Boss)
 * Knot-Wing the Koopa (World 2, 4, and 6 Midway Boss)
 * Burt the Bashful (World 1 Boss)
 * Bunson the Hot Dog (World 2 Boss)
 * Miss Cluck the Insincere (World 3 Boss)
 * Naval Piranha (World 4 Boss)
 * Snifberg the Unfeeling (World 5 Boss)
 * Baby Bowser (World 6 Boss)

Other characters

 * Kamek

Items and objects

 * Yarn Balls
 * ! Switches
 * Beads
 * Chomp Rocks
 * Yarn Baskets
 * Fruit
 * Goal Rings
 * Hearts
 * One-Way Flippers
 * Power Badges
 * Present Boxes
 * Smiley Flowers
 * Spring Balls
 * Stamp Patches
 * Transformation Doors
 * Warp Pipes
 * Watermelons
 * Winged Clouds
 * Wonder Wools

Yoshi's Transformations

 * Umbrella Yoshi (World 1-2, World 6-2)
 * Mega Yoshi (World 1-6, World 5-5)
 * Moto Yoshi (World 1-7, World 5-1)
 * Mole Yoshi (World 2-2, World 3-6)
 * Sky Pop Yoshi (World 3-7, World 6-7)
 * Mermaid Yoshi (World 4-3, World 5-2)

References to other games

 * Super Mario Bros.: Bullet Bill Patches and Koopa Shell Patches greatly resemble their respective original sprites from this game.
 * Super Mario World: Monty Mole Patches resemble their sprite from this game.
 * Yoshi's Cookie: The title of the level Yoshi and Cookies is based on this game's name. Additionally, checkered Yoshi Cookies act as an obstacle in this level.
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Many elements from this game return, including several bosses: Burt the Bashful and Naval Piranha. The level name "Feel Fuzzy, Get Clingy" is based on the level Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy.
 * Super Mario Land: Yoshi has a transformation named for the Sky Pop from this game.
 * Mario Kart 64: Moo Moos, which first appeared in this game in the course Moo Moo Farm, is a pattern unlocked by getting all Wonder Wools in Knitty-Knotty Windmill Hill.
 * Yoshi's Island DS: Bouncies return in one of the possible Bonus Game.
 * Wario Land: Shake It!: Several sound effects are reused. These include the pipe entering and boss damaging sound effects.
 * Yoshi's New Island: Whirly Gates return having the same function. Some of Kamek's voice clips are reused as well.

Pre-release and unused content
During levels, the playable character Yoshi started out being made only of some yarn threads in his shape—however, using his tongue, the player could swallow Shy Guys to turn Yoshi into a three-dimensional, amigurumi crochet form.

Trivia

 * Although Yoshi's Woolly World was released in 2015, the 2014 game Super Smash Bros. for Wii U managed to include a stage based upon this game titled Woolly World. On the official Super Smash Bros. Facebook page, it's stated that the stage was put in late in development.
 * This is the only game in the Yoshi series to be released in PAL regions before anywhere else.