The extent to which Yoshi's Island remains a great platformer/puzzler depends on how the player reacts to the tedious amounts of collectibles necessary to 100% the game (something which this player did not). Besides this element, the sequel to Super Mario World excels in style and gameplay considering its focus on Yoshi, whose movement is prone to a game style detrimental to the Super Mario series but finds excellent adaptability here with more patience than any game beforehand. The lovely art and music avoid the enclosing nature of Nintendo's homogenization to doom the 2D entries from here on. Levels are fairly short, save for some of the longer puzzle-based levels that can feel too long as one searches for keys, but few ever seem to encapsulate the sheer perfection found in Super Mario Bros. 3's best. Given my complete distaste for the collectibles here, and Mario's cry is a fucking annoyance, Yoshi's Island still manages to impress with its entertaining green mascot when all of Nintendo's typical graces meld into one.