4cr Preview – Ivy the Kiwi?

Out of all of the games that I saw at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Ivy the Kiwi? (yes, the question mark is part of the title) was probably the biggest surprise. I really hadn’t been following the game – I mean, I knew that it was Sonic creator Yuji Naka’s newest baby, but that was about it. I haven’t touched a Sonic game in years, and I don’t play many platforms. End result – I walked into the XSEED meeting with zero expectations, and I was floored.

Ivy, the titular character, hatches from an egg at the beginning of the game, all alone, with no mother to raise her (him? I wasn’t really clear on Ivy’s gender). From the start, it is clear that Ivy will need some help. A flightless bird with no parents? Poor thing. It’s almost as though the character was designed specifically to instill maternal feelings in the player, and to make you feel like guiding Ivy is your duty.

That role that you play, of the guiding hand, is a literal one. You don’t actually control Ivy. The little kiwi moves at a set pace. Instead, your task is to create vines (you can draw up to three at a time). The most obvious use of a vine is for a ramp, so that Ivy can climb to higher platforms. Vines can also be pulled back and released to shoot Ivy like a slingshot – this is how you defeat enemies or crack blocks. You won’t just be shooting Ivy around; your vines can affect other objects in the environment, like rocks or other creatures.

You’ll spend a decent chunk of time guiding Ivy on her journey. There are a total of one-hundred levels to explore. The core game is split over ten chapters, with five levels per. After you complete all ten chapters, you’ll unlock fifty extra stages. Each level is beholden to a five minute time limit, but you’ll probably want to go back and discover every secret. This being a platformer, there are (of course) objects to be collected. Each stage has ten hidden feathers and one secret coin (which is worth a ton of points and gives you a one-up). After completing those first fifty stages, you’ll also open up a “bonus mode” that applies to all one hundred levels. In the bonus mode, Ivy must grab a key somewhere in the level and carry it to the exit before time runs out.

Ivy the Kiwi? also has both cooperative and competitive multiplayer options. The co-op is actually built into the core game. At any time, and in any level, additional players can jump in and help Ivy. Each player can draw three vines of their own, adding to the original player’s options. Those players can also leave at any time without affecting the game in any way. It seems like a really cool option for parents playing the game with their children, or for an enterprising player to get through a tough section (you play the game with just the Wii remote, so one person could just grab two remotes and draw away).

The competitive mode puts every player into the same level (with the screen split into quarters for each player). The first person to guide Ivy to the goal wins. Seems simple, right? Well, you can also draw vines on each of your opponent’s screens. The winner will be the one that best splits their time between rushing Ivy forward and blocking their opponent’s kiwis. It’s definitely an interesting take on the concept – I can see any number of strategies to follow for each level.

Of course, the biggest part of Ivy’s charm is the artwork. The entire game is presented as this storybook, and every bit of the art design – from the still pieces to the levels themselves – is stunning. Ivy the Kiwi? is the most beautiful game that I’ve seen on the Wii, even passing up last year’s A Boy and His Blob. During my demo, the presenter passed around an actual storybook that Naka’s company had printed in Japan. I don’t usually get “artbook envy,” but I really want to get my hands on a copy of that thing.

Most of my hands-on time was with the Wii version, but a DS port will also launch simultaneously. The DS version is almost identical – with the same levels, etc – but without the co-op mode. The trade-off is that the DS version comes with one additional competitive mode, focused on medal collecting.

Ivy the Kiwi? is a blast. It is beautiful, fun, and charming as hell. Whatever you do, do not repeat my mistake. Ignore this game at your peril – it will be the best $30 that you spend on the Wii this year (if you’re more into the portable side of things, the DS version will only cost $20). Ivy the Kiwi? launches on August 24th for both platforms.