Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 Review
Its beautiful, inspired visuals and consistently fun and inventive gameplay make it a landmark achievement in one of gaming's most beloved genres.
If you were to play Yoshi's Island for the Game Boy Advance without knowing that it was originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995, you'd think that this handheld game was a cutting-edge, incredibly original title that represented the absolute best of what platformers can offer. Actually, you'd probably think that about the game anyway. Though Yoshi's Island is technically an old game, the GBA version--basically an exact port of the original--looks and feels as fresh and new as ever. The game's truly inspired visuals are matched only by its consistently fun gameplay, making Yoshi's Island not just one of the best action games for Nintendo's latest portable system, but also one of the best platformers for any console this year. Those who hailed Yoshi's Island as an instant classic in 1995 weren't off base--the fact that it holds up as well as it does more than seven years after it first appeared is pretty amazing. But so is the game.
Yoshi's Island was billed as a sequel to Super Mario World, the Super Nintendo's launch game and another undisputed classic. As the name suggests, though, Yoshi's Island isn't really about Nintendo's most famous mascot--it's about his lesser-known lizard buddy, Yoshi, who was introduced in Super Mario World. While Mario could sometimes ride on Yoshi's back in that game, in Yoshi's Island, you control the sticky-tongued, fleet-footed reptile the whole time. Actually, the plot serves as a prequel to all the other Mario adventures. The story begins when newborn baby brothers Mario and Luigi are set upon by a pack of those nasty koopas, who believe that Mario and Luigi will tamper with their nefarious plans when the brothers are all grown up. Luigi is captured, but Mario escapes the tussle and ends up in Yoshi's home. Yoshi is actually one of many multicolored (but otherwise identical) lizard do-gooders, and they take it upon themselves to reunite Mario and his brother and defeat the koopas. That's where you come in. You'll guide Yoshi and baby Mario through six worlds, each with eight stages and numerous secrets, in your quest to bring the brothers back together.
Since this is a game about Yoshi, the gameplay is actually quite a bit different than that of other Mario games. Yoshi even has a bunch of new moves that weren't available to him in Super Mario World. He can still run quickly, jump and stomp on his foes, and lash out with his tongue (forward and also upward), snatching up most any enemy in his path. He can then spit the enemy as a projectile, or swallow it and turn it into an egg. Yoshi can have up to six eggs stocked up at any time, and he can chuck them in any direction at will. Eggs deflect off walls, and you'll sometimes be challenged to toss an egg as though you were going for a bank shot in billiards. Good aim isn't all that's necessary, though--precise jumping is a must, as it is in any self-respecting platformer. Yoshi can't exactly fly, but by pressing and holding the jump button you can make him struggle to gain a little altitude in midair, a life-saving skill that gives you some room for error when you try for a difficult leap.
Falling into a bottomless pit is actually one of the only ways Yoshi can be defeated, since contact with most enemy critters will merely stun him and send baby Mario flying off his back, bawling. Mario will then float about in an energy bubble while a counter starts ticking down. Unless you grab him in time, flying koopas will swoop in and whisk him away, making you lose a life. This won't happen nearly as often as loss of life due to falling, though. The fact that you don't automatically lose a life when you're struck makes Yoshi's Island a little easier than some of its predecessors are, but having to scramble to rescue Mario each time you take a hit leads to many tension-filled situations. It's actually a great system, since it gives the designers license to fill each stage with plenty of enemies and other hazards, yet keeps the difficulty fair. And if losing a life isn't reason enough to recover baby Mario as soon as possible, then wanting to put an end to his incessant crying certainly will be.
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices
- GameSpot ScoreEditors' Choice
Player Reviews
Critic Scores
- IGN 9.4 / 10
- Pocket Gamer UK 8 / 10
- Thunderbolt 7 / 10
- TechTV 4 / 5
- Eurogamer 9 / 10
- Gaming Age A
- N-Insanity 8.6 / 10
- DS-x2
*The links above will take you to other Web sites and are provided for your reference. GameSpot does not produce or endorse the content on these sites.
- Nintendo
- 2D Platformer
- Release: Sep 24, 2002 »
- ESRB: Everyone
Games you may like…
-
Super Mario World
(GBA) -
Wario Land 4
(GBA) -
Super Mario Advance
(GBA) -
Super Mario Bros. 3
(GBA) -
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
(SNES)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
