Rarely is a game so sweet it makes your gums sore.

As the title suggests, “Yoshi’s Woolly World” takes place in an environment completely constructed with yarn. While not an entirely new aesthetic, as the same developer also did “Kirby’s Epic Yarn,” “Yoshi’s Woolly World” is the best to do it so far, and might be the cutest game ever made.

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Just starting the game should elicit the same audible “aww’s” as an adorable cat video.

The game feels like your Grandma knit it from hand, spending every evening threading a needle to make that itchy sweater you never wanted. But this game is much better than a sweater.

Instead of only wearing that sweater when Grandma is around, “Yoshi’s Woolly World” can be replayed again and again.

Every level is filled with numerous collectibles: flowers, stamps, gems and wool. Gems are used to buy special abilities, such as always getting massive yarn balls as weapons. Those different perks are fun, but make the already easy game a little more effortless.

I am almost never a fan of collectibles in games, because I prefer to complete a game in one run. But the world is enjoyable to be in and I cannot help but retry levels to get all the prizes.

Yoshi’s traditional attack of firing eggs at pesky Shy Guys has been replaced by yarn balls, which knockout most enemies, and put others in yarn-vice grip for Yoshi to ground and pound. Enemies even carry around little hooks to unravel the hero. Yoshi can swallow certain enemies and turn them into yarn, giving him a nearly endless cache of crochet cannonballs.

This game is so charming, pooping and death is cute and endearing.

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While the game succeeds in its style, it lacks in gameplay.

Longtime fans of Yoshi may recognize that most levels are reminiscent to previous entries like “Yoshi’s Island” and “Yoshi’s Story.” I love those games, so having similar stages does not bother me as much as it may others.

But I do recognize this game doesn’t revolutionize platforming games like it could have.

Boss battles happen around the middle or end of stages, and are pretty easy and monotonous. There are fantasy side missions — such as Yoshi turning into an umbrella and floating around a maze to collect gems — that are really fun but also really short. Those levels are treated more like a detour than a desired destination.

Also, there is not much of a story within the game. An evil wizard appears and begins harvesting characters for wool. Nintendo platformers are not usually known for impeccable writing, but rather focus on gameplay. The lack of a story does not hurt the game, it would just make it better.

Being the first console game in the series since 1998, “Yoshi’s Woolly World” successfully brings gamers’ favorite dinosaur to a new generation of players.

Stars: 4 out of 5

Austin Miller can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @AMiller_DE