Games > SNES > Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The past Mario platforms were pretty much the same: Mario and Luigi must rescue the princess from Bowser. However, it is always nice to have a Mario platform that deviates from the traditional plot. In the case of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, which isn't really much of a sequel to Super Mario World, the story is a little different. We do see Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Bowser. This time, however, Mario, Luigi, and Bowser are all little tikes, and Yoshi plays the role of hero. Many fans have speculated that this game describes the origins of Mario and Luigi and their rivalry against Bowser and the Koopa army.
A long time ago, a stork was carrying twin boys, Mario and Luigi, to their parents, who were awaiting for their arrival. However, Kamek, Bowser's trusted magikoopa minion, flew towards the stork and snatched one of the two babies, Baby Luigi. The other baby, Baby Mario, was knocked out of the stork's beak and fell towards the earth below. Meanwhile, Yoshi was strolling through the jungle in his home, Yoshi's Island when the falling baby fell on the little dinosaur. Yoshi was surprised to see Baby Mario and was unsure why he was here. It was then he found a map, which leads to where the baby should go. Yoshi rushed to his friends and told him about the baby and how he needs help from his friends to get Baby Mario home and reunite with his lost twin.
Yoshi's Island is definitely no ordinary platformer. Each of the levels is like a maze; you, as Yoshi, have to explore every bit of it to unlock secrets, as well as finding a way out. Each level has a scoring system where you would have to collect stars, red coins, and flowers. Finding all of them can unlock secret levels in each world; finding all the flowers can give you a chance to play a simple bonus round. The boss stages are also longer than all the regular levels.
Every enemy in Yoshi's Island has its own unique fighting style. Some enemies cannot be defeated, even by Yoshi's tongue or by the eggs Yoshi throws. For example, in a level, there are puffy clouds called Fuzzies, that can cause Yoshi to go into an acid trip (okay, dizzy spell). Some enemies have to be defeated by creative methods. For example, the boss in World 2, which is a demon flower pot, has to be pushed to the edge, so it can be shattered (of course, Shy Guys will push it away from the edge). It took me several tries to learn how to defeat that thing!
Anyway, getting hit by the enemy causes Yoshi to become disoriented while a bawling Baby Mario floats across the screen. A counter goes down, which means Yoshi has to rescue Baby Mario before the Toadies, Kamek's minions, snatch Baby Mario away. This action makes Yoshi lose one life.
The controls of Yoshi's Island are one of the most complex I have ever had to deal (Wario's Woods, however, is still the most difficult). By pressing 'B', Yoshi can jump; holding it, he can flutter to reach higher and even farther places. Pressing 'Y' makes Yoshi use his tongue to gobble certain enemies and items. Pressing 'A' activates Yoshi's targeting system; a marker appears and starts to follow a quarter circle pattern (pressing 'L' or 'R' can stop the marker to ensure better aim). Pressing 'A' again makes Yoshi throw the eggs.
Of course, what type of Mario game would Yoshi's Island be without power-ups? These power-ups are rare to find, however, but they are pretty unique. Yoshi can transform into different modes of transportation: a car, a helicopter, and a train. Even Baby Mario joins in the action as he can become invincible, which allows him to run fast and go through practically anything.
The game's artwork has its unique charm, as well as taking a step higher in innovation. From the introduction to the end of the game, Yoshi's Island takes full advantage of the SNES's possibilities by featuring 3D animation in the cinemas, as well as provide unique animations (e.g., Kamek's boss transfomation sequence, Yoshi's transformations, the hallucination effect of getting hit by a fuzzy). The worlds are drawn and painted like a craft project (e.g., patches, colorful worlds) or at least a children's book.
The sound also has a special charm. The music soundtrack features a variety of songs allowing a variety of musical instruments, including a music box in the game's introduction. The sound effects on each character is quirky, except for Baby Mario, which can get annoying.
To be honest with you, I cannot find anything horrendously wrong with Yoshi's Island. In fact, other than Baby Mario's wailing, I can't find anything wrong with Yoshi's Island at all! I guess the best way to say it is that the game is on its own level. With a unique storyline, large, complex levels, a variety of characters, very cool animations for its time, and an innocent soundtrack that will keep you in complete bliss, Yoshi's Island is among one of the greatest games in the SNES library.
I've noticed I've said Yoshi's Island too many times. Then again, this could work. I can implant a game title that should be played by every video game player. Yoshi's Island! Yoshi's Island! Play Yoshi's Island!
No more sugar stuff for me (for a while).
