Although I wrote this up following the format of an NWR review for the most part, looking back this really is more of a reflection on the game then a review hence the thread title. Enjoy!
Yoshi’s Island DS Review
By: Khushrenada
A game that reminds you why Yoshi was and is so popular.
When this game was announced, there was a lot of reminiscing about the classic SNES game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island and the unevenness of late Yoshi games. The fact that this game was being named as THE official sequel to Yoshi’s Island put a lot of expectations on it. I know that when it was first announced as Yoshi’s Island 2, it became one of the biggest DS titles of the year to me behind only New Super Mario Bros. Now that the game has come out, we can finally see if the game lives up to its title.
I want to spend a couple moments to talk about the nostalgia factor. Let’s face it, this game is going to live under the shadow of the SNES original and be compared to it. I know that as I played this game, I kept flashing back to the SNES game and making comparisons. So after finishing this game, I popped in my copy of the SNES game and went through a few quick levels just to see if my memory was accurate or hazy. One of the first things I noted about the SNES was its ability to surprise. Playing through some levels, it seems that there was always a new effect or idea that the designers just seemed to have thrown in because it was neat. There were the fuzzy’s that warped the screen, 3D turning blocks, spitting watermelon seeds, squishy blocks that you could flatten or rise and the different gigantic bosses. When you think of all the different ideas that were packed into this game and levels, it is really quite amazing. My personal favourite things were running from the giant chain chomp that was chewing up the level behind you and the flaming Shyguy. I liked all the crazy versions of Shyguys in the game but there was just something about a guy who has set himself on fire running around that was just so hilarious.
That is why in some respects, the DS game is lesser than the original. It takes a few of these surprises and puts them in this game. However, it doesn’t do anything new with them. Yes, it is still fun to run from the giant Chain Chomp or rolling Tap-Tap but I’ve experienced that already. Take for example, the Yoshi morphs. Here is where the game could have taken an idea and done more with it. In the original, you could turn Yoshi into a car, train, helicopter, mole digger, or submarine. For this game, only the helicopter, mole and submarine morphs were brought back. And nothing was done with them. I think the most you use a morph is twice in this game or 3 times tops. And often their inclusion added nothing. Use the helicopter morph to fly straight up and around some rotating flames to get a flower. Morph into a sub and follow a quick path of coins from one side to the other. Surely, there could have been some better uses for these morphs. So, in this respect, the game does fail to surpass or match the original.
That doesn’t mean the game doesn’t have any new surprises. One of the most original ideas it has is the inclusion of different babies with different abilities. There is also a bouncy kangaroo with a big pouch and some round pink bouncy things which seemed to be called “Boings”. There are a few other original ideas also.
However, this brings me to my second negative: the potential of this game. Now, it might not seem fair to judge a game on what it doesn’t do or could have done but hear me out first. One of the things the designers seemed to have realized about this game and took advantage of was its linearity. Unlike a Mario game which can have various paths and warps, the levels all progress in order from 1-1 to 1-2 to 1-3, etc. Because of that, the designers realized that more of a story could be told. Often after you beat a castle, a brief cut scene will appear that will advance the story a bit or introduce a new character. I thought this was a really clever idea that took advantage of the linear situation. Unfortunately, the story still ends up being underdeveloped. Compared to New Super Mario Bros., Yoshi’s Island DS definitely has more narrative. But compared to say the story mode in F-Zero GX, I think F-Zero’s story is better and more developed. There’s nothing worse than having lingering questions about a story and not being able to know the answer. As you may be able to surmise, the story still leaves me wondering about some parts of it.
This is what I mean about the potential this game has. Even the baby swapping has some flaws. Two of the babies, Wario and Bowser, can only be used in 4 levels and the final castle. That right there limits some of the potential for puzzle elements. And I mentioned already how the developers could have done more with things like the Yoshi morphs instead of the brief cameos they gave them. It’s disappointing to realize how different elements could be utilized and never see that potential realized.
Now, I’ll admit, I’ve been highlighting the negatives pretty much in this review. This doesn’t mean the game is sub par. It’s actually the opposite. This game is a worthy sequel. And it gets me wishful for the future. I know Nintendo likes to have separate games for their consoles and handhelds. That’s why you mainly see actual Pokemon games or Wario platformers on the handhelds. I think with a little more work, Yoshi platformers could also be a part of the handheld experience. With this game, Artoon has shown they can make a great Yoshi platformer and they did this even though they stayed quite similar to the original game. So, now that they have the basics down, I hope Artoon takes these lessons and the potential shown in this game and applies them in a sequel.
SCORES:
Graphics - 9
I’d say most of the graphics match the storybook look of the SNES original. The lines may be sharper and less cartoony or scribbly but I think I prefer that sharper image. Only the Yoshis and babies seem to have changed a bit but it doesn’t take long to get used to their look. There a few interesting backgrounds also.
Sound – 7.5
Playing a level in a castle or a boss, my brain would expect the music of the SNES game to start playing instead of the new music used. But after awhile, I came to accept the new tunes and there are a couple that I began to enjoy and hum along with. It still would have been nice to keep the invincibility music from the SNES game that played when Baby Mario changed to Super Mario.
The sound effects aren’t too bad either. The biggest complaint is still the annoyance of when a baby falls off Yoshi and starts crying. But after playing the original, I think the DS babies are less annoying. And DK’s cries are actual tolerable. The sound effects won’t wow you but they are familiar and stay similar to the original.
Controls - 9
The game allows you to choose from different controls schemes. I went with the control scheme similar to the SNES controller. Although I prefer the patient release of eggs, you may find that you need to switch to the hasty control scheme in later levels when the action gets quite frenetic. Controls were responsive and worked well. My biggest annoyance was trying to make Yoshi flutter repeatedly.
Gameplay - 8
Levels can be quite expansive thanks to the 2 screens and there is much exploring to do. The game presents a good challenge for all platform fans and is definitely more difficult than other Mario platformers released on the DS so far. At the same time, the longevity and difficult of levels can get tiresome and you may find yourself needing a break from the game now and again. As well, constantly looking up down between the two screens to make sure you don’t miss anything can be wearisome. Still, if you’ve played SMW2, you’ll find gameplay is nearly identical.
Lastability - 9
If you want to just blast through the levels without worrying about getting 100% on each level, it will still take you a couple days of play and I’d say it would take longer than blasting through New Super Mario Bros. But, if you’re like me and try to collect everything on your first play through and explore every nook and cranny, then it could take you a week or more just to get through the game once and getting 100% on each level and the secret levels will take just as long. I’m still trying to get 100% on some of those extra levels. You can also challenge your scores in some minigames and there is a Time Trial option to see how quickly you can get through a level.
Overall: 9
Although Super Mario World 2 is respected as a classic platformer, Super Mario World still seems to garner more admiration. I suspect this trend will continue on the DS. Even though Yoshi’s Island DS does live up as a good sequel to SMW2, New Super Mario Bros. will most likely get more attention. But don’t let that cause you to overlook this title as well. It is still a worthy platformer to add to any collection especially if someone is looking for more of a challenge. It shows that the Yoshi platformer is a game that deserves to be explored further.
Topic: Yoshi's Island DS reflections. (Read 3443 times)
