Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 2D platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Nintendo EAD. The game is the prequel to Super Mario World and chronologically the first in Mario franchise, and it stars Yoshi and the Yoshi clan who, while carrying Baby Mario, travel across Yoshi's Island to rescue Baby Luigi from Baby Bowser and his Magikoopa minion/caretaker.
- Oct 28, 2008 Yoshi's Island has been one of my favorite games for quite awhile, but for whatever reason there is very little coverage of the game over on GameFAQs. Not that the game is difficult to the point of requiring much help, but still. Yoshi's Island takes place before the events of Super Mario World.
- Nov 13, 2006 Yoshi's Island DS for DS game reviews & Metacritic score: Return to the colorful wilds of Yoshi's Island in a new platforming adventure for Nintendo DS. A mysterious floating island has suddenly appeared over peaceful.
| Yoshi's Island DS | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Artoon |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Hidetoshi Takeshita |
| Producer(s) | Toyokazu Nonaka |
| Artist(s) | Yasuhisa Nakagawa |
| Writer(s) | Soshi Kawasaki |
| Composer(s) | Yutaka Minobe Masayoshi Ishi |
| Series | Yoshi |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Platforming |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Yoshi's Island DS, later released in Japan as Yoshi Island DS (ヨッシー アイランド DS, Yosshī Airando Dī Esu), is a platformingvideo game developed by Artoon for the Nintendo DS. Published by Nintendo, it was released in North America and Australasia in November 2006, in Europe in December 2006, and in Japan in March 2007.[1] It is the sequel to the 1995 SNES game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Announced at Nintendo's E3 press conference in May 2006,[2] the game was well received by critics, scoring an average of 81% on Metacritic's aggregate.[3] The game was originally to be titled Yoshi's Island 2, though its name was changed one month before its North American release. On April 1, 2015, the game was made available for the Wii U via the Virtual Console service shortly after a Nintendo Direct presentation.[4]
The game's story focuses on the Yoshi clan as they attempt to rescue newborn children who have been kidnapped by Kamek.[5]Yoshi's Island DS uses the same updated graphical style as Yoshi Touch & Go but retains the same core gameplay as its Super Nintendo Entertainment System predecessor;[2] but whereas the SNES game featured only Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, DS introduces Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, and Baby Wario, while allowing the player to control Baby Bowser. Each baby bestows a different ability upon Yoshi.[5] The objective of the game is to use these abilities to progress through various themed worlds. An interquel, Yoshi's New Island, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in March 2014.
Gameplay[edit]
Yoshi's Island DS's gameplay is the same as the previous game, with some additions. Just like in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island the player guides various colored Yoshis through side scrolling stages.[6] Yoshi can jump and hover (flutter jump) for a short time, eat enemies and turn them into eggs (which can be used for things like hitting switches and defeating distant enemies) and pound the ground (to smash crates, for example).[5] Some stages offer Yoshi the ability to morph into vehicles for a short time.[6] Like the original Yoshi's Island, the DS game differs from many platforming series in that Yoshi does not have a life bar; when Yoshi is hit, the baby he is carrying falls off his back and Yoshi must retrieve him or her before a timer expires (unless Yoshi falls on something that torments him instantly, such as a lava pit or a spike field).[5]
What makes Yoshi's Island DS different is the addition of five babies for Yoshi to carry, each bestowing a different ability — Baby Mario allows Yoshi to dash and makes special 'M' blocks appear, and can grab Super Stars to become Super Baby Mario, and grants ricocheting eggs; Baby Peach allows Yoshi to float and fly on wind currents and grants a more forgiving timing to use Yoshi's flutter jumping abilities effectively; Baby Donkey Kong can grab and swing on vines and ropes, grants a special dash attack, allows Yoshi's eggs to explode as per Yoshi's Story (but they do so on impact) and allows Yoshi to push objects faster; Baby Wario uses his magnet to attract metal objects and allows Yoshi's eggs to bounce; and Baby Bowser spits fireballs, but the Yoshi carrying him cannot make eggs, though the eggs Yoshi already carries can bounce. The last three babies slow down Yoshi's movement and make the timing for his flutter jumping less forgiving.[5][7] The need to switch babies at key points adds a puzzle element to the game.[7]
The Nintendo DS's two screens act as one tall screen;[6] however, in practice, this essentially just gives the player a better view of the surroundings and, save for one boss battle, (Hector the Reflector, where the bottom screen acts as a mirror through which to see Hector during the battle) only provides the benefit of being able to see more (above) and, when the player is on the top screen, below.[5] The game does not make use of the bottom screen's touch sensitivity for basic gameplay, though it is an option for selecting levels and in some mini-games.[5] Each of DS's five worlds has two bosses, each with a weakness that must be identified and exploited. Most of the time, these are simply giant-sized versions of normal enemies, though some are more inventive.[7]
Flowers and coins, as well as stars, are scattered around the game's stages. These are totaled at the end of each stage and a score is given depending how many of each were collected[5] (a maximum of 30 stars, 20 red coins and 5 flowers). Sufficiently high scores are required to unlock one of the two sets of secret levels[5] (the other set being unlocked upon completing the game, similar to the GBA remake of the original game). Special character coins are also introduced. Missing from the game are the power-ups of sorts — like the ability to spit seeds by eating watermelons — which were present in the original.[7] The fire breathing ability is retained though: Yoshi can use it when he snags a torch or fireball with his tongue. This allows him to shoot streams of fire up to three times. Keys found in the stages unlock mini-games and doors that would be closed otherwise.[5][6]
Plot[edit]
As in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Baby Mario and the Yoshi clan must rescue Baby Luigi, who was snatched by Bowser's minion, Kamek, who also wants to kidnap every baby around the world. However, this time the Yoshis have the combined assistance of both Baby Peach and Baby Donkey Kong, as well as the stork, who escaped Kamek's botched capture. They later join with Baby Wario and Baby Bowser, who offer their specialized abilities so that the group may proceed.[5] However, Baby Wario's lust for treasure leads him to abandon the group, while Baby Bowser is captured by Kamek (who is actually the future Kamek that appears throughout the forts and castles), and later kicked out by the Adult Bowser, who came from the future, because of his baby counterpart insulting him. Baby Bowser then joins the group until he notices Kamek is after him, leaving Yoshi and the other babies to continue their journey.
Much later in the game, Kamek's sinister plan for kidnapping the babies around the world is revealed. He and Bowser traveled back in time in search of the 'star children' - seven babies whose hearts possess unimaginable power necessary for him to conquer the universe. Despite kidnapping all of the babies, they could not find a single star child. Yoshi's group later arrives at Bowser's castle and find Baby Wario and Baby Bowser, arguing over the treasure from Bowser's castle. They later join the group and as they arrive at the final room, Baby Bowser betrays them, claiming that Yoshi and the other babies wanted Bowser's treasure in his castle. Yoshi easily defeats him and Kamek arrives, along with Bowser, angered at what Yoshi did to his infant self.
Despite this, the babies and Yoshis prevail in both defeating Bowser, and forcing Kamek and Bowser to retreat to their present time. Yoshi and the babies then retrieve Baby Luigi and the other babies. Bowser's castle then self-destructs, but Yoshi and the other babies (with the help of the other storks carrying all of the babies) escape unharmed. The storks continue to bring all the babies back to their respective homes.
In a post-credits scene, six of the star children are revealed to be Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario and Baby Bowser. Immediately thereafter, the seventh and final star child is revealed to be a newly hatched Baby Yoshi, who is also strongly implied to be the very same Yoshi that the grown up Mario Bros. would go on to rescue and ally with in Super Mario World and subsequent Mario games.
Development[edit]
Yoshi's Island DS was announced at E3 2006 under the name Yoshi's Island 2,[2] originally featuring only baby versions of Mario, Peach, Donkey Kong and Wario.[2] The developer, Artoon, has made one other Yoshi game — Yoshi's Universal Gravitation — for the Game Boy Advance. Universal Gravitation veered away from the 'Nintendo' design; but for DS, Artoon stuck close to the original concept.[7]
The game retains the classic pastel/crayon visuals from its predecessor.[6] Small changes are noticeable: water animation has been improved, the black outlines around objects are not as thick, and the backgrounds are less cluttered.[5] However, the visuals are still tightly centered on those of its predecessor.[7]
Reception[edit]
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Yoshi's Island DS received positive reviews, being given high scores by some of the most prominent video game critics. These include gaming websites IGN and GameSpot, who gave it 8/10 and 9.1/10 respectively.[5][7] GameSpot's review commented that the developers have 'produced a sequel that seems fresh and new while remaining every bit as awesome as the original.'[5] Multimedia website IGN called it 'a solid recreation of the Yoshi's Island elements in a two-screen-high format,'[7] and GamePro in their review said that 'it's fun and light-hearted play.'[6] Reviewers were particularly pleased with how the core gameplay elements are the same as in the previous game. GamePro hails it as having 'the classical 2D side-scrolling action and colorful pastel artwork that brought Nintendo to prominence,'[6] while IGN — although impressed with the game in general — wonders whether or not the developers 'stuck too close to the established design in this new game,' because having played the previous game 'ruins a lot of the surprises.'[7] Other critics regard this as the best portable Yoshi's game, with the exception of the Super Mario Advance remake of the original Yoshi's Island because, in their context, '(Yoshi) Topsy-Turvy was not there and (Yoshi) Touch & Go was incomplete.'
One problem critics identified is the blind spot created by the gap between the Nintendo DS's two screens. IGN accepts that this blind spot is necessary for aiming eggs properly but still describe it as 'bothersome.'[7]GameSpy's reviewer calls it 'a pain' and expresses frustration at being hit by an enemy hiding in this gap.[10] On the whole, reviewers were pleased with the way the extra babies have been implemented,[5] but IGN felt that Baby Wario was 'a last minute addition that wasn't tested properly.'[7] They call his magnet 'wonky,' and says it 'misses items that are right next to him.'[7]
Yoshi's Island DS was given GameSpot's 'Editor's Choice' rating,[5] and reached the final round for 'Best Nintendo DS game.'[13] The game sold more than 300,000 copies in its first week of release in Japan.[14] As of March 31, 2008, Yoshi's Island DS has sold 2.91 million copies worldwide.[15]
References[edit]
- ^'Yoshi's Island DS'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- ^ abcdHarris, Craig (2006-05-09). 'Return to Yoshi's Island'. IGN. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
- ^ ab'Yoshi's Island DS Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^'Nintendo - Yoshi's Island DS'. 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ abcdefghijklmnopqProvo, Frank (2006-11-14). 'Yoshi's Island DS Review'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^ abcdefgh'Review: Yoshi's Island DS'. GamePro. 2006-11-14. Archived from the original on 2007-02-24. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
- ^ abcdefghijklmHarris, Craig (2006-11-13). 'Yoshi's Island DS Review'. IGN. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^'Yoshi's Island DS'. GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^McNamara, Andy (December 1, 2006). 'Baby's Got Back'. Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008.
- ^ abTheoBald, Phil (2006-11-14). 'Yoshi's Island DS Review'. GameSpy. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^East, Tom (January 9, 2008). 'More of the Same, but We're Not Complaining'. Official Nintendo Magazine. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^'Yoshi's Island DS review'. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved November 26, 2006.
- ^'Best Nintendo DS game'. GameSpot. 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^'Charts: Latest Japanese Software & Hardware Sales'. N-Europe. 2007-03-19. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^'Financial Results Briefing for the Fiscal Year Ended March 2008: Supplementary Information'(PDF). Nintendo. 2008-04-25. p. 6. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
External links[edit]
- Official website(in Japanese)
- Yoshi's Island DS at IGN
King Bowser's Castle is the final main level in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3. Unlike previous castles, the player controls Green Yoshi instead of Blue Yoshi.
Layout[edit]When Yoshi starts the level, he is in an outdoor fortress area with a huge moon, hills and skinny trees in the background. He then needs to cross a long gap as the Helicopter. Along the way, Yoshi must avoid the Skeleton Goonies; crashing into them causes him to fall (usually leading to losing a life). Kamek also occasionally flies in during this time, trying to knock Yoshi out of the sky. If Yoshi makes it to the Yoshi Block (followed by a Middle Ring), Kamek will fly in for the last time in the area and look at Yoshi grimly. The hallway inside the castle consists of four areas to choose from (doors on a roulette wheel). Four doors which are numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 spin on the wheel, and Yoshi must hit one with a Yoshi Egg, which will then drop to the floor and allow him to progress. Door 1[edit]Door 1 contains Mace Guys, Ball 'N' Chains, and lava pits. Door 2[edit]Door 2 includes nearly every Shy-Guy species, and at the end of that area is a door containing a Slime, who holds the key to another door that leads to the final room. Door 3[edit]Door 3 is notable for the appearance of Tap-Tap the Golden, where he chases Yoshi through a lava-filled cave path that autoscrolls. The 'Castle Boss' music plays in this area, but in the GBA version, the 'Room Before Boss' music plays instead. Yoshi can knock Tap-Tap the Golden back and into a pit with eggs, buying him some time. Tap-Tap the Golden will eventually reappear on screen, however. Eventually, Yoshi will reach a Warp Pipe to get away from him. Door 4[edit]Door 4 consists mostly of moving platforms that hold Coins (being a coin path where the player can get a lot of extra lives). The only possible threats are a few Gusties that fly through the stage and two Fly Guys at the end who carry 1-Ups. Final room[edit]Kamek attacking Yoshi All four areas lead to the final room, where the 'Room Before Boss' music plays. The final room before the boss battle is an autoscrolling playroom. Kamek appears here and attempts to attack Yoshi with his magic wand. If Kamek hits any of the blocks in the level, they will turn into a Fang, a Milde, a Shy-Guy, or a star. If Yoshi makes it past Kamek's final shots, he will be awarded with a Middle Ring and a huge door that leads to Baby Bowser's room. Kamek greets Yoshi, demanding he hand over Baby Mario. Soon, however, Baby Bowser awakens, aggravated that Kamek 'woke' him. He then repeatedly Ground Pounds Kamek and kicks him aside, before noticing Yoshi and acknowledging him as a 'gween donkey'. He attacks Yoshi, trying to push Baby Mario off and ride Yoshi. Yoshi must dodge Baby Bowser's Ground Pounds and Ground Pound the floor himself, creating a shockwave that can damage the young Koopa King. Yoshi and the gigantic Baby Bowser are seen here fighting. Once Baby Bowser is defeated after three hits, Kamek returns, fully healed from his beating, and puts his magic to full power. Yoshi then finds himself in the now-destroyed room, and Big Baby Bowser (healed from Kamek's spells) appears in the background. Yoshi must nab red Giant Eggs from the Baron von Zeppelins that fly in, while avoiding falling rocks that destroy the stadium, fireball blasts from Big Baby Bowser, and Big Baby Bowser charging at Yoshi head on. If Yoshi hits him seven times, Baby Bowser is returned to his normal self, and Kamek flies off with him. Then, Yoshi jumps up to a small area where the stork and Baby Luigi are kidnapped. After that, a message says: Thus, due to the marvelous team work of the Yoshi clan, the twins are reunited. The captured stork is freed by Yoshi, and sets about his duty and finally makes the long awaited delivery! Thank you, Yoshi! The twins will meet the parents soon! The Stork can then make his delivery to Baby Mario and Luigi's mother and father, and the credits roll. Enemies[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
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