I have a soft spot for cute character designs. It’s a weakness, but one I am more than willing to admit. There are a number games in my collection that I may have bought because an adorable character was on the box.

We all have our burden to bear.

So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that I let out an audible screech the first time I saw the wool-clad artwork for Yoshi’s Woolly World, terrifying my cats and confusing my wife. Yoshi’s newest arts and crafts adventure is not only painfully adorable, but also one of the most underrated titles on the Wii U.

Woolly World borrows the art style of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, creating a world in which all Yoshi live together in felt covered harmony. The attention to detail in Yoshi’s art project tale is striking, as every set piece and character looks like they were knit by hand.

The art design was impressive in Epic Yarn on the Wii, but the Wii U’s high definition brings out color and details of Yoshi’s world in a way that developer Good-Feel couldn’t achieve on the antiquated console.

The five areas in Yoshi’s Woolly World look as if they were made using my wife’s knitting bag. Classic Super Marios Bros. enemies are now felt and yarn, carrying weapons like crochet hooks as they adorably waddle forward. In classic Yoshi style, you’ll control the fuzzy dinosaur as he jumps, stomps, and eats his foes.

Of course, when Yoshi slurps up an enemy they break down into simple yarn, falling apart like so many failed elementary school art class projects.

The game plays and controls like previous Yoshi platforming titles, with egg throwing and flowers to collect. Each level has five skeins of yarn that, when found, unlocks a new color scheme for Yoshi. I found myself groaning out loud due to the adorableness of each Yoshi.

The collectable items in each level are hidden in clever, though not obvious ways. I found myself attempting many stages more than once in my quest to grab each item. A new power up system in the form of badges can assist players who may not have the patience for such endeavors.

The badge system allows for bigger yarn projectiles, take less damage, see every hidden item in the level, and other bonuses. The power-ups become a boon as the game’s difficulty picks up in the later stages.

This isn’t to say that Yoshi’s Woolly World is a difficult platformer. The boss fights found in the middle and end of each area are the standard “three hits and they’re out” affair, but the normal stages have one or two tricks that can trip up players.

Yoshi’s Woolly World is a different kind of platformer than the likes of something like Super Mario Maker. Woolly World is somewhat simplistic and easy, even with two players in cooperative mode. Families and kids will benefit from its simplistic nature but anyone seeking a challenge may want to look elsewhere.

The Yoshi games have always been a different kind of gaming experience, leveraging visual aesthetic over challenging game design. Even as far back as Yoshi’s Story on the Nintendo 64, the series has cared more about using the art design to tell a story than creating difficult jumps.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to have a game you can sit back and relax with, enjoying the experience for what it is.

The highest compliment I can give Yoshi’s Woolly World is that it continues to show why the Wii U is such a great console. Nintendo is willing to let developers experiment with art design in ways that you don’t often see on the PlayStation 4 or XBox One.

Do yourself a favor and allow the cuteness of Yoshi’s Woolly World into your heart. Yoshi’s newest adventure isn’t the most difficult game, but it is easily the most adorable title of the year.

A copy of Yoshi’s Woolly World was provided by Nintendo for the purposes of review. 

‘Final Fantasy VII Remake’ details

Publisher Square Enix has revealed the first gameplay details of Final Fantasy VII Remake, first announced at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.

A trailer of the game was presented during Sony’s PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco two weeks ago, showing the classic 1997 RPG updated and in full motion. The video revealed voice acting, a live-action combat system, and a brief look at a newly designed Midgar.

Square also revealed that  the remake will be episodic, breaking the game into smaller releases. Final Fantasy VII game director Yoshinori Kitase addressed fan concerns in regards to the game being episodic via a Square Enix blog post over the weekend.

“If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake installment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy VII. We knew none of you would have wanted that,” said Kitase.

Square Enix has yet to announce a release date for Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Contact Will Harrison at wharrison@theblade.com or on Twitter @DoubleUHarrison.

First Published December 17, 2015, 5:00 a.m.