Topic: Yoshi's Island DS

[NWR_Neal]

The real fun is learning how this game ties into the second Transformers movie.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/extralife/25890

I've been very hard on Yoshi's Island DS, probably unfairly so. My first reaction when I found out that one of the greatest platformers ever made was getting a sequel was mixed. On one hand, it sounded wonderful. On the other hand, it was being made by Artoon instead of the original team. There was just something that always seemed unsavory about the game that made me uninterested.

My first experience with the game was brief, containing an odd bit of Nintendo World Report history. I borrowed NWR Staff Writer Josh Max's copy of Yoshi's Island DS when we were both extras in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. While I played Yoshi's Island DS, I was listening to the now-legendary episode 103 of Radio Free Nintendo as well. Then Shia LaBeouf power-smoked a cigarette and drank a diet soda, and Megan Fox may or may not have fellated a water bottle much to the joy of every male extra. If you're ever curious, Josh and I show up in the classroom scene with Rainn Wilson.

Recently, I buckled down and played it (ironically shortly after I reviewed Artoon's latest game, FlingSmash). At first, Yoshi's Island DS impressed me. It has been a while since I played Yoshi's Island, and the DS sequel rekindles all sorts of wonderful memories. I frantically tried to avoid getting hit so I could score all 100 points in a level. The gameplay tweaks and additions are very enjoyable, and it is straight-up cool to see the two screens used to show off a large world.

The primary new addition that stood out to me is the variety of babies Yoshi can carry. There's plain old Baby Mario, with his ability to make certain blocks appear and become Super Baby Mario; Baby Peach, using her umbrella to float on wind currents; Baby DK, who can climb vines; Baby Wario with his magnet; and Baby Bowser, who shoots fireballs. The variety is cool, but the canned character switching (only doable from specific locations) can get a little obnoxious in later levels.

The level design is clever, but the levels themselves are epically long, which is, in my opinion, counter-intuitive for a portable game. Throw in the OCD-like quest for 100 percent completion in each level and the game becomes a real drag. I'm sure some people can separate that urge, but for me, Yoshi's Island is as much about getting a score of 100 as it is completing the levels.

I don't think Yoshi's Island is a bad game by any means, but it is a game I will never complete, primarily for the reasons I explained. Next time I get an urge to play Yoshi's Island, I'll just break out my Super Nintendo.

[Retro Deckades]

I always thought people were too quick to dismiss this game, but it seems as though it's not for everyone. I enjoyed the hell out of it when I played it, possibly because I am one of those people who loves to go for 100% in games. However, I completely disagree with people who put forth the sentiment that this game is a detriment to the good name of "Yoshi's Island". It's quite a good game, especially when you consider that it wasn't developed by the team who made the original.

[Ian Sane]

I once read an article about the original game that pointed out that the main thing Artoon got wrong was that they played it too close to the original.  A big part of what made Yoshi's Island special was that it was so unique.  It was way different from the other Marios and even used a graphic style that completely bucked the trends at the time.  Yoshi's Island did whatever the hell it wanted and that was a much bigger part of it than just eating enemies and throwing eggs.  Yoshi's Island DS however is very conventional.  It sticks to the formula pretty closely.

I actually lost interest in it for another reason - I was getting hosed by the gap in the screens.  I had a really hard time adjusting to that.  I got to some level with a vertical scrolling section and just could never get past it.  The damn thing owned my ass again and again because I kept getting killed by things popping out of the gap.

[Scatt-Man]

Definitely in the exact same boat as Neal here. I've attempted this one twice, enjoying it more on the second try, but still giving up. The stupidity of forcing you to play the same stage multiple times with different babies, not allowing you to change on-the-fly was the biggest turn-off for me. That, and the lack of items. Got hit at the end of a stage? You used to be able to whip out a +20 Star item and be done with it. Now? You'd better hope you can die somewhere, or you'll have to play the whole stage yet again.

Funny thing is, is that they did the exact same thing with Super Mario 64 DS.

[Retro Deckades]

Funny thing is, is that they did the exact same thing with Super Mario 64 DS.

How do you mean, Scatt-Man?

[nintendo1945]

I  had a similar experience with this game (albeit not on the set of a movie, speaking of which I just tried to find you but sadly couldn't). I played through the majority of the game and just lost interest after a while. It just wasn't fun anymore. My sister (who owns the game) didn't finish it either.

[KDR_11k]

Hm, I wonder if that game is on GameSpot's 2-DS-games-for-1-3DS-game trade list. I have it and don't like it, was pretty silly to buy it considering I didn't like the original YI much.

[NWR_insanolord]

I really liked Yoshi's Island DS. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that my first experience with the original Yoshi's Island was with the GBA port, which meant that, while I considered the original to be one of the best platformers I'd ever played, I didn't have the veil of nostalgia inflating my perception of it.

[ShyGuy]

This is the latest review ever.

[King Bowser Koopa]

Completing the game is hard enough without taking into account the 100%. I still managed to complete it perfectly after weeks of toiling, and a 6-month hiatus from the sheer frustration the difficulty caused me.
Overall the game was pretty nice, but there was a certain... flair lacking. I greatly missed the crayon-like artistic style of the original game, and there was something disjointed about the boring, generic font they used instead of the wobbly animated chalkboard text of the original.
The music was also a big letdown, with the sole exception of Windblown Wilderness, which was remixed in Brawl.

[Scatt-Man]

Funny thing is, is that they did the exact same thing with Super Mario 64 DS.

How do you mean, Scatt-Man?

They introduced Yoshi, Wario and Luigi, forcing you to choose one of the characters to grab a star or two in every stage. I don't think the following example ever happened when I 100% the game, but you could imagine the frustration if it were possible:

"Oh no, I'm stuck with 93 coins! Where can I grab 7 more? If only I were Wario so I could break those damned orange bricks which contain tonnes of coins. How was I supposed to know there were less coins in the sky as Mario with his flying ability than Wario in those damned orange bricks?"

Granted, there were Wario (+friends') hats in the stages, giving you their abilities until you took damage. I'm not sure if they were in every stage though. In that regard, it's not as frustrating as Yoshi's Island DS. I'd probably like YIDS a lot more if they just stopped forcing me to replay the damned levels.

[FZeroBoyo]

I played this game when it came out (actually, it was my sister's copy but I was able to play all the way through) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sure, not as memorable or innovative as the original Yoshi's Island was, but I found it to be an enjoyable romp. That said, sometimes the difficulty level took some significant spikes. That Chain Chomp level from World 5 certainly stands out.