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The familiar features of Yoshi’s New Island have been in the franchise since the very beginning. Reach the goal. Destroy enemies by eating them or launching eggs at them. Collect five flowers in a stage. Find 20 hidden red coins among the (more than) plenty other coins scattered in each stage. If Yoshi is hurt, Baby Mario becomes trapped in a bubble, and a timer counts down from 10. Increase said counter from 10 to 20 with each checkpoint, or 30/30 if you find various “stars” hidden throughout stages. In order to 100% Yoshi’s New Island, you’ve got to find all five flowers, all 20 red coins, and navigate Baby Mario through each stage with 30/30 stars—which means you’ll need to go through the entire game without being hurt. You can even collect “Medals” by landing on a flower at each stage’s goal post. 30/30 Medals collected unlocks a vehicle bonus stage—but since those are motion-controlled just like the segments in levels, I highly doubt most of us will be compelled to beat those over and over again.
Some new features, and many familiar ones. But how are all these gameplay elements executed? The short answer is: easily. Far too easily for most players to find what they’re doing enjoyable. If your goal is to simply reach the end, you will finish this $39.99 game in under three hours. The platforming is so simple at its core that even those who are only mildly comfortable with games like this one will not see much of a challenge in reaching the end. The bosses are complete pushovers, too. Each fourth level in a world has you pitted against Kamek. There’s absolutely no evolution in those battles. Each iteration is only slightly more difficult than the last. And each eighth level is a boss that’s simply…a bigger version of an enemy present throughout the world (or level). They all fall with a flick. There are no menacing elements, no cumbersome pattern to figure out. In the case of Yoshi’s Island and Yoshi’s Island DS, I always thought, “Man…I’ll never 100% this because I’ll never be able to get through some of those castle levels unscathed.” In this game’s case, I am extremely confident that I’ll be able to 100% the game eventually, because the bosses are absolute cake.
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Exploring is where you’ll sink the most time into Yoshi’s New Island. Flowers and coins to find aren’t exactly the most cleverly hidden things in the world, and many of my deaths (I died about a hundred times by the time I completed the game) were mostly the result of cheap shots while attempting to get hidden items—but it’s still fun. Extra lives are also plentiful. You’ll probably find yourself with over 200 by the end, like I did. I’m honest enough to tell you all when I won’t go back to a game after writing a review. In the case of Yoshi’s New Island, I enjoyed the exploration elements enough to want to go back and start fresh, and complete the game again at my own pace, taking the necessary time to grab every last thing. So, at least there’s that, despite the air of negativity this review is probably giving off.
I don’t think Yoshi’s New Island was made for me, though. What I mean is…it doesn’t feel like Yoshi’s New Island is meant for seasoned platforming veterans with deep adoration for the original game. It feels, to me, like this game is more geared towards a casual platforming fan like my girlfriend, who would really enjoy a relaxing platformer with plenty of bright, colorful and cute things to take in—a platformer with bosses that aren’t a menace, with gameplay that’s solid, but not complex in any way. There are even the Flutter Wings if you die a lot or run into trouble. Yoshi simply puts them on and can fly freely.
If you’re going to get Yoshi’s New Island, get it for someone who only dabbles in games. The entire experience feels very entry-level. And that’s why I mentioned it may grab “a few” of you. I can’t, in good faith, recommend Yoshi’s New Island to everyone. I can recommend it to a kid brother or sister, a cousin who’s just getting into games, or a significant other who wants to share your hobby with you. One feature I didn’t mention is the multiplayer mini-game mode—that’s because it, too, is baseline and forgettable at best. But those of you who truly do wish to enjoy the experience together—by all means, give it a spin. It can be experienced via Download Play, so only a single cart (or digital copy) is required.
Yoshi’s New Island is many things. First and foremost…it’s a good game. It’s a game that could have been a lot greater without seemingly tacked on motion controls, a better presentation, and a more varied difficulty across the board—but it’s still a good experience. You hardcore veterans who find yourselves reading this…I’d wait for a sale to reel you in. It’s definitely a “full game,” but I can’t say it’s worth the full price for most of you. At the end of the day…it’s the worst of the three Yoshi’s Island games, because its predecessors both had things that set themselves apart and exemplify them as…better versions of the franchise’s formula.
But…it’s good. Good enough. Not bad. Baseline responses for a very baseline adventure (that has its moments, I suppose).
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Review copy purchased by author.
