It’s pretty weird that this is considered a Super Mario game – a direct sequel to Super Mario World no less. There’s a reason Yoshi got his own series after this, since this gameplay is so different from typical Mario gameplay. I can appreciate the style it’s got going for it, the slower paced, ammo-conscious gameplay can be fun, if a bit frustrating. And baby Mario can feel too much like a burden at times. Overall, even if I don’t like the gameplay as much as usual Mario, it’s a charming game and has a soundtrack to match.
My main problem with the game is the collectables/score system. In order to unlock the hidden levels you need to get a perfect score on all stages, and that's fair. But getting that score is too much of a burden for me, since it requires 25 different collectable items in each stage AND max health (the collectables don't save either, it all has to be done in one run). This isn't a problem, there's plenty of games that I don't feel like fully completing, but Yoshi's island gives you no reason to collect ANYTHING if you’re not going for full score. It's an all or nothing kind of game. Either you go for a full score, or you ignore everything and just blast through the level. The issue with that is many levels can feel empty as a result. Like maybe the exit is just a straight line, and the game expects you to check the different elevations and hidden passageways to get everything, but if you don’t intend to go for 100% there’s little to no reason to go anywhere but straight forward.
I do like the levels for the most part. The game has a ton of unique enemy types and platforming gimmicks. However I disliked almost all of the underground, and sometimes castle stages. The maze-like structure just didn’t do it for me, along with the lack of visual variety.
The game is fine, the visuals are bright and colourful, it controls very well and the boss fights are all creative, albeit very easy. But once I had made the decision to not bother with the effort to get full points, the game started to feel hollow.
My main problem with the game is the collectables/score system. In order to unlock the hidden levels you need to get a perfect score on all stages, and that's fair. But getting that score is too much of a burden for me, since it requires 25 different collectable items in each stage AND max health (the collectables don't save either, it all has to be done in one run). This isn't a problem, there's plenty of games that I don't feel like fully completing, but Yoshi's island gives you no reason to collect ANYTHING if you’re not going for full score. It's an all or nothing kind of game. Either you go for a full score, or you ignore everything and just blast through the level. The issue with that is many levels can feel empty as a result. Like maybe the exit is just a straight line, and the game expects you to check the different elevations and hidden passageways to get everything, but if you don’t intend to go for 100% there’s little to no reason to go anywhere but straight forward.
I do like the levels for the most part. The game has a ton of unique enemy types and platforming gimmicks. However I disliked almost all of the underground, and sometimes castle stages. The maze-like structure just didn’t do it for me, along with the lack of visual variety.
The game is fine, the visuals are bright and colourful, it controls very well and the boss fights are all creative, albeit very easy. But once I had made the decision to not bother with the effort to get full points, the game started to feel hollow.