Ivy the Kiwi?
Guide a kiwi chick to her mother using drawn lines.
Ivy the Kiwi? is a platformer from Prope, with Yuji Naka as its designer. It first appeared on Windows Mobile in Japan during November 2009, then in North America two months later. That same year, Namco Bandai Games, Xseed Games, and Rising Star Games each published Wii and Nintendo DS editions in their respective regions. Mobile ports followed for iOS in October 2012 and for Android in August 2013.
Quick Facts
- Designer
- Yuji Naka
- Developer
- Prope
- Publisher
- Namco Bandai Games (JP); Xseed Games
- Prope (NA) (iOS, Android)
- EU
- Rising Star Games
- Genre
- Platformer
- Platforms
- Windows Mobile
- Nintendo DS
- Wii
- iOS
- Android
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The objective is to lead Ivy, a newly born bird, to her lost mother. The player does not directly control Ivy; she constantly moves left or right, reversing direction only when encountering an obstacle. The player draws lines to guide her away from danger and toward the goal. Ramp lines let Ivy walk up or down, vertical lines reverse her direction, and vines can be pulled to slingshot her. The player must avoid obstacles such as spikes and rats. The main game plays levels in order, while another mode allows replaying previously completed levels for high scores. Multiplayer includes a competitive mode for up to four players, where each player can interact with others' Kiwis, and a cooperative mode where up to four players can help the first player. According to lead designer Yuji Naka, the question mark in the title was intended to pique curiosity and relates to Ivy's identity in the story. The Wii and Nintendo DS versions share the same gameplay and level designs but differ in controls: the Wii version uses pointing at the screen, while the DS version uses a stylus. The original Japanese version had a more muted color scheme; international releases added more colorful backgrounds at publishers' request. The full retail versions for Wii and Nintendo DS contain 100 levels, while the DSiWare mini version has 50 levels. Development originally began as a WiiWare game, but that version was cancelled as Yuji Naka added more features.
Reception
The game received mixed or average reviews on all platforms according to Metacritic. Gaming Trend's Mike Repella praised the innovative use of the Wii remote, stating that Yuji Naka succeeded in making a game that used the Wiimote to create a classic style game. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the DS version a score of 70%, calling it a fun platformer with a twist held back by a lack of ambition and frustrating later levels. 411Mania gave the Wii version a 7.7 out of ten, describing it as a good diversion for short breaks with short, great-looking levels and feather collecting, but not in-depth or time-consuming. The same website gave the DS version a 4.6 out of ten, criticizing the lack of ability to play as Ivy and the stylus controls, though it found the visuals acceptable and suitable for young children as a gateway game. The A.V. Club gave the Wii version a B, noting that the story mode's brevity reflects its Windows Phone origins but that the extra challenge stages and competitive multiplayer flesh out the package. The Guardian gave the DS version three stars out of five, calling it a solid, above-average casual game likely to hook platformer fans for a few hours.
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