- Genre: action
- Players: 1
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Nintendo
Nov 14, 2002 Yoshi's Island is not a new game - it was released years ago for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In this classic, a lizard named Yoshi must transport the baby.
Mario, Mario - where fore art thou, Mario? With the Ultra 64 only a few months away, the era of the Super NES is almost over and we've still only seen one 16-bit Mario game. I tell ya, it really makes my blood boil. That's why it's so cool to see Yoshii's Island: Super Mario World 2 make it out before the Super NES fades away. The game may not actually have Mario in it, but you can feel his touch in every aspect of the gameplay.
The graphics are very reminiscent of Super Mario World - resembling it perhaps too closely. SMW was the first game ever for the Super NES, and 16-bit graphics (especially Nintendo's) have come a long way since then. Fortunately, the gameplay is solid throughout. As Yoshi, Mario's dino-buddy from SMW, it's your job to return a lost baby to its home. The quirky, cutesy puzzle-laden action that earned Mario the big bucks is present in every inch of every stage, with new enemies and play mechanics thrown in to spice up the mix.
Happy Screaming Baby
Still, Yoshi's Island could've been done better. It doesn't really need rendered graphics, just more time put into a project that Nintendo clearly didn't have faith in (they almost didn't bring it to our shores). Hopefully Nintendo is gonna concentrate on these types of games more in the future. They may not appeal to the 'blood 'n' gore' audience that the company has worked so hard to win over, but there's always a place in gamers' hearts for a fun, well-made game. And Nintendo - please don't skimp on the Ultra 64 Mario. We've been patent for way too long.