Near Hatched Dash- Ivy the Kiwi? Review

Ivy the Kiwi? is a game which necessitates a hands-on demo. Players who simply watch a gameplay video will likely have a similar reaction to my (hands-off) E3 impression: “cool concept, but this could get tedious very quickly.”  After all, each of the game’s stages is based around an extremely simple mechanic- assisting the protagonist in reaching a winner’s podium at the far right end of every level.

Yet, once players actually begin using a Wiimote to influence the trajectory of a diminutive chick searching for its mother, tedium rarely visits. Most likely, gamers will feel the familiar tug of coercion, coaxing them to play one more stage. With just two ways to induce Ivy, the title recalls the inspired action/puzzle hybrids of an elapsed console generation.

Like the disposable stars of DMA Design’s Lemmings, Ivy is rarely stationary, shifting directions when the hatchling encounters an obstacle. Using the IR functionality of the Wiimote, gamers may draw up to three elongated vines on the screen, which allow the protagonist to walk over spike-filled pits. More commonly, the vines allow Ivy to ascend cliffs and staircases, as the shell-covered chick lacks the ability to jump or fly. Once a third vine is placed, previous strands disappear, allowing errant pathways to become easily removed. Additionally, players may pull on each of the vines to slingshot Ivy into the air. Once the protagonist becomes airborne, her timid demeanor departs- allowing the fledgling to break through cracked blocks and eliminate any foes she comes into contact with.

Ivy is a remarkably fragile creature; contact with any of the game’s ubiquitous spikes or enemies require players to restart the current stage. Luckily, there’s relief in the predictable routes of each foe- from the mice which scurry along horizontal pathways to falling water droplets, each hazard is as lethal as it is conventional. While Ivy the Kiwi? sporadically evoked an eruption of expletives, the game’s difficulty level never become prohibitive. However, completionists compelled to find the ten bonus feathers hidden in each level may feel otherwise.

Along with the game’s ten sets of five missions, there’s an additional fifty extra-challenging bonus missions; offering a healthy amount of content. Once beaten, each of the stages becomes unlocked for the game’s Trials mode, where players can attempt to beat their best times. A multiplayer component splits up the screen, tasking each competitor to race to each stages finish. Since players may draw vines on any part of the screen to hinder opponents, matches become a heated, but convoluted, affair.

Ivy the Kiwi?‘s visuals are undeniably charming, with a hand drawn aesthetic which recalls an antiquated storybook. Sadly, this graphical richness isn’t matched by variety- the game’s drab browns and greens may disappoint gamers accustomed to the rich color palettes of most contemporary diversions. The game’s sonic accompaniment features a number of graceful pieces, which retain their elegance even after multiple listens.

Drawing from the same muse which inspired Kirby: Canvas Course, Ivy the Kiwi? is a throwback to when a game’s premise was built upon a single, solidly-built mechanic. For those that lived through (or can appreciate) that era, Ivy offers a gratifying experience, which charms players with a ‘just one more stage’ mentality.  In an age where multi-kill perks and combo juggles rule the day, Ivy is a delightful reprieve.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

31 comments

  1. seem cool, and a bit weird.

  2. Ivy sounds like a great game and all, but I doubt it will sell 1/1000 the amount that Halo Reach will.

  3. As weird at Billy Hatcher? Wasn’t that also a Yuji Naka game?

  4. what do sales have to do with anything?

    Van Gogh didn’t sell a million paintings during his life. Success doesn’t always equal money.

  5. why the question mark????

  6. looks like a little kid did the graphics.

  7. sounds like a half-cooked game.

    I’m joking, man! I saw the little bird coming out of the egg.

  8. he seems to have a thing for eggs, huh?

    Eggman
    Billy Hatcher
    Now Eggs in Ivy the Kiwi?

  9. were those things in NiGHTSs eggs?

  10. good review. You might want to mention it’s only $29.99

  11. cool. I haven’t heard of it until now.

  12. I watched a demo of this and thought, “thats all there is?” LOL.

  13. Any Wii Zapper support?

    BAHHAHAHA!

  14. Yeah, same with Valkyria Chronicles (rolls eyes)

  15. sounds like it might be fun.

  16. oh I want this!

  17. Looks pretty cute. I like the art style.

  18. where do you get the time to play so many games desert?

  19. sounds like a fun little game.

  20. I’m not loving the graphics. They look a bit too messy.

  21. This doesn’t seem like a game Deagle might like. Hmmmm.

  22. Spoiler: the twist at the end of NiGHTS was that you were inside an egg the WHOLE TIME!

  23. Woah, that was mind blowing!

  24. I’m just loving all the egg conspiracies.

  25. Its enough to scramble my brain 😉

  26. They should have called it the Ugly Duckling.

  27. is this the same as the wiiware/dsiware game?

  28. egg-celent, review, Deagle.

    Sorry had to keep with the theme.

  29. I haven’t seen this in any of the stores. This isn’t a download game?

  30. on my radar. hopefully I’ll see a price drop.