Released: 19980310 Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: Nintendo of America Genre: Platform

Review by: Viper

Being the first 2d platformer from Nintendo, and the sequel to Yoshi's Island on the SNES this game doesn't need much introduction. My first impressions of the game were the extreme cuteness. I believe the game was directed mainly for a younger audience, as you should be able to tell with just the pics posted here. The goal of Yoshi's Story is to recover the magic fruit tree that baby Bowser stole from the Yoshis. You control eight different colored Yoshis (two hidden) in their battle against Bowser's minions to get the tree back and restore happiness to Yoshi island. The battle takes place over six pages (worlds) each page consisting of four stages, thus making twenty four levels, just a fraction of the levels offered in Yoshi's Island for the SNES (which came to 54). In order to complete a stage you must collect and eat thirty fruits that are scattered throughout the level. The levels otherwise never come to an end, if you didn't collect the thirty fruit the first time then you must go back to the start and go through it again looking in every nook and cranny to find the missing fruit. You lose a Yoshi if you fall in a pit/lava or if your happy meter gets too low, which you can keep high by eating/egging baddies or by eating fruit.

Simply the best 2d graphics I've ever seen in a video game. Even though the levels look something out of a story book (heh that's the idea I think) they are exceptional. Each world has a different look to it. The sky world levels look as if they are made of cloth and are stitched together. Other levels reminded me of paper cut outs placed on top of each other, as in a scrapbook. All characters are 3d pre-rendered 2d sprites, just like Donkey Kong Country, or Killer Instinct Gold. The Yoshi animations are good, he/she dances when standing still, flattens and pops up from a landing after a jump, along with other cute Yoshi antics. The five bosses aren't anything spectacular but are animated fluidly anyhow. The game cruises with no sense of slowdown even in crowded scenes.

Yoshi's Story plays well, but it's pretty difficult to make a 2d platformer not play well. There are a few options that Yoshi can do that make the game fun, throwing eggs is always fun and Yoshi's super tongue has been a blast since Super Mario World. I felt the challenge level of the game wasn't very extreme, which is good since it seems the game is directed for a young audience. I did find some difficulty on some levels though, just the challenge level wasn't consistent, some levels you can breeze through others take a few Yoshis to complete. The ultimate goal in Yoshi's Story is to get the highest possible score, this allows for endless days of playtime as you try to conquer your best score or even beat Hi-scores of your friends or other gamers. Other than beating a friends best score there is no multi player action, but I don't see how it could've been implemented to increase the fun factor except for alternating multi player like older Mario games of the past. The Rumble Pak is used in a different way in this game, it uses some real slight vibrations for things such as landing from a jump or doing the flutter step while jumping. I think Nintendo over did it by making it rumble to ever menu selection, but it's not really that annoying to hurt the game at all.

The music really stands out at the start of the game. When listening to the music I picture a child's musical story book (hmmmm, I think they did that one on purpose too). What can I say but "cute" it fits the game well and doesn't sound like japanese midi. You can pick out the guitar that plays in some songs or the flute, hell and don't forget the singing, by Yoshis that is. After completing a level you get to feast your ears on a choir of Yoshis singing their cute little hearts out, annoying? somewhat, cute? you betcha. Sound effects are on par as well, each Yoshi has a cute, high pitched voice. They don't really say much but grunt and squeal as you jump, stomp, and eat all the baddies of Yoshi island.

Overall the game is fun, and definitely worth a try. Fans of Yoshi's Island on SNES may be disappointed that there aren't nearly as many levels as in the original. The cuteness of this game may make some people sick but for the younger audience it's a big score. If not for the game play or innovative design, at least try this game for it's stunning eye candy. Again Nintendo sets the pace for other companies to follow in it's footsteps, they really know how to show off what their system can do.

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