- A new Yoshi’s Island game
- 5 different babies to use, each with their own special power; each special power adds a lot of new fun to the gameplay (more variety)
- Plenty of different colored Yoshi’s to ride on
- Same format and style as the first game for the SNES (overall look of the game; levels, bosses, etc)
- Graphics are as good/better than ever; sound works well at all times
- Great use of both DS screens; some gameplay/views use the other screen for high up or low secrets
- Lots of minigames to play
- New vehicles to use; a lot of fun and add new variety to the gameplay
- Many great levels to play, most being pretty long
- Lots of bosses and minibosses to fight!
- Red coin and flower collections in every level, and also character coins in this game
- Same great scoring system for levels
- Great uses for eggs, as usual
This will make it move out of the way, revealing the Question Mark Winged Cloud. Toss an Egg at it to reveal 3 Red Coins. Flower #3 In the Chest by the Egg Block edit.
- No stylus use
- Essentially, this game is just an exact copy of the first game but with new levels, bosses, vehicles, and babies/special powers; I actually thought that the first few levels of the game were taken from the first game
- It’s hard to know which baby you have to use next (when you see a stork station); there is a lot of annoying backtracking
- Better use of the second screen would have been cool; it is used, but not enough
- Same Yoshi morphs
- Same bonus challenges
Summary:Why change a good thing I guess? That pretty much sums up this game in a brief statement. This game is pretty much an exact copy of the first Yoshi’s Island game, just with a few additions. I am not saying that this game is bad in any way for that, just that I expected some more differences. This is a great game nonetheless, but I am not too sure if it is necessarily better than the first game (since it is so similar). The only real addition and new plus for the game is the new babies and their special powers that add new variety in the gameplay. Other than that, same exact game repeated more than 10 years later on a new system. It is also a little funny that this game is one of the best games for the DS system.
The gameplay of the game is pretty much the same as the last game. Grab a baby, throw him on Yoshi’s back, and run around each level, trying to get to the end. Along the way, you will need to collect 5 flowers, 20 red coins, and get your star power to 30 stars. This equals the 100 possible points you will get in each level. Watch out for enemies along the way, as well as floating question mark clouds. Collect and shoot eggs at them (or enemies) to release what is inside. Sometimes it is stars, sometimes it is coins, sometimes it might unlock a bridge or stairs or a seed that will grow a plant that you can climb. Keep watch for these clouds because they often will lead to the next step in a level. Some levels might have a hidden coin or two, which will unlock locked doors (some might even be minigames). So get to the end of the level and unlock the next.
The story is pretty much the same story as always. A baby(ies) have been kidnapped by Kamek and taken to a floating castle in the sky. Yoshi must then gather up the other Yoshi’s and work their way to the castle to save the babies. This time around, you have more babies to use (other than just Mario).
You have 5 babies to use in this game: Mario, Peach, DK, Wario, and Baby Bowser. Each baby has their own special power and adds a lot of fun variety to the gameplay. Baby Mario is the same – put on a cape and run around quickly. Peach uses her umbrella to catch wind gusts and fly far distances. Baby DK can climb and swing on jungle vines or ropes, as well as do a powerful Dash attack to smash enemies or certain cracked walls. Baby Wario can use his magnet to attract nearby coins or metal platforms/objects. Baby Bowser can shoot fireballs at enemies and melt ice blocks in his way.
The levels are as good as ever. Most of them feel very long, and with the addition of the new babies, there is so much to do in each level. There are plenty to do, and no level is the same as the last. In each world, there are a bunch of levels, including a miniboss level and a boss level. Beating the boss level unlocks the next world and set of levels. The minibosses/bosses of the game aren’t very hard, but the battles are very interesting this time around. Some are pretty innovative, and even use the second screen to add challenge.
The graphics are as good as or better than ever. The style is pretty much the same (bright are cartoon-like), but the graphics seem much smoother and more colorful in this DS game. The background and foreground work well together, and both are beautiful and well detailed. The graphics are really enjoyable, and add a great feel to the game.
There really isn’t much too much wrong with this game. The only actual negative that I have to say is that this game is pretty much an exact copy of the SNES game, just with a few little additions. This game does not supply any “wow factor” whatsoever. It’s basically just new levels (like an expansion pack).
If you loved the first game, and own a DS, you will want to for sure check this game out. It’s a lot of fun, just like the first game.