Puzzle-platformer by Yoshiro Kimura where you draw lines with the stylus to guide Ivy, a chick that runs nonstop. Soft watercolor aesthetic, delicate music, very inventive puzzle design on bounces, slow-downs and traps. Over a hundred levels, progressive curve, bonus challenges for completionists. Adorable little game that proves well-done simplicity beats any blockbuster.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player7+
Description
Platform-puzzle by Prope and Rising Star Games, Europe November 2010. Guide little Ivy the Kiwi by drawing vines with the Wiimote for her to walk on automatically. Manage trajectories to avoid obstacles, progressively demanding levels, charming minimalist style. Original title from Yuji Naka, creator of Sonic.
Ivy the Kiwi review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Inspired by engravings and old picture books, the game cultivates a delicate sepia line where hand-drawn vines become a moving set. The restraint of the hues and the fineness of the drawing instil a fairy-tale gentleness. This graphic elegance, rare and timeless, charms through its restraint.
A puzzle platformer from Yuji Naka and his studio Prope, Ivy the Kiwi has you guide a little bird who can only be steered by drawing vines on screen to bounce and protect it. The pared down concept, the old engraving art direction and the melancholy gentleness of the whole make an elegant, original experience. The repetition of the mechanics over time tempers the enthusiasm. A refined puzzle game for fans of drawing based play and delicate artistic propositions.
