Yoshi's New Island

[PDoogan]

press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=41129

It's been given an official release date: March 14th

I wan to have high hopes for this game, but given how terrible YI2 was, I'm a bit concerned. Fortunately, this one has a different developer then the last, but that's still now guarantee...

EDIT: They were also smart enough to bring back the creative director behind the original Yoshi's Island, so that's a great start.

[Indigo]

I actually liked YIDS, but yeah, it's definitely inferior to SMW2. I also want to be excited for this new game, but something about the art style is really turning me off. Everything looks like a sloppy watercolor version of the first game's graphics.

Having the original creative director is definitely a sliver of hope, though.

[PDoogan]

Ok review time:

So I just beat the first world. Here are my thoughts so far: You can tell that the developers were really paying attention to the original game. There are a lot of elements that are nearly identical to the first game. (Right down to the blue polka-dot patterns on the doors) But before you start complaining about Nintendo not be innovative. Keep in mind that there was really no glaring issues with the original game. So if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

That isn't to say YNI is a complete carbon copy of YI, there are are few enemies and game play elements that have been added, but all the things that made YI so good are still there as well.

Complaints? Well first off, despite all the throwbacks to the first game, Nintendo still insisted on using the "Bowser Jr." model of baby Bowser. I guess I shouldn't have really expected that to change (although I would have been delighted if it had)

Secondly, the music is nowhere near as good. It's obvious there was a lot of effort put into the visual, but the music seems to have been forgotten in the process. It all seems to be xylophones and kazoos. Nothing really memorable.

Lastly, like many Nintendo games since the DS era, you get way too many extra lives. I only beat one world and I already have 20-something lives. But I guess that's more of a general complaint of games these days.

Overall I'd say it's pretty decent so far. I really don't expect it surpass the quality of the first Yoshi's Island. But the series seems to have redeemed itself enough considering how terrible the last two Yoshi's Island series games were.




P.S: is it just me or has the italic button on the posting page disappeared?

[PDoogan]

Super double post combo!

I'm on world 5 now.Some of the levels are starting to get rather tricky. Of course Nintendo included a power up to help you if you die too many times, but I refuse to use it.

I think the best part of the game so far is the number of obscure enemies from the first game that were included. Some of the more surprising ones include:

Dr. Freezgood the snowman
Zeus guy
glum reaper
that archer fish that shoots water at you
the happy bouncing cactus thing
that evil flower that tries to roll over you
the red tulip that gives you stars if you throw an enemy into it
a goomba that squashes flat when you jump on it rather then just dying
Jean de filet (who is also a boss)
that thing with the spiny helmet
that big rectangle boo that spits shyguys at you
boo-blahs
wall lakitus

Also, all three versions of the watermelon powerup return along with the super star which works the same as the original, except now it's yoshi who gets the powers instead of Mario (?)

Sadly, one thing I haven't seen so far are fuzzies. Which is rather surprising, considering what a classic part of the game that was.