Playing A Game Yoshi's Island DS NDS

True to form, the difficulty in Yoshi's Island DS turns all the way up to 11, and World 5 is a collection of challenges which I estimate would cause most mortals to peel the flesh from their faces. Perhaps not, but I know it has been years since I swore at a game so much. Make no mistake - I'm not talking about fruitless frustration that forces you to replay the same five minute segment all over again; this is well-designed challenge. This kind of platformer hasn't been made in forever, and I love it.

All the new features flow perfectly. Baby Bowser's special ability is breathing fire, which, in addition to melting ice (World 4 has some skiing levels), acts as an offensive replacement for eggs. Between this, Wario's magnet, Mario's running speed, Peach's gliding parasol, and DK's vine-climbing, there is an amazing amount of breadth to the level design devices. And in World 5 the player's very understanding of physics will be put to the test, as Yoshi dares impossible obstacles, culminating in a four-on-one boss fight.

I'll gloss over the other things I haven't covered:

  • Story - a bunch of babies were kidnapped. Including Baby Luigi. Like in the first Yoshi's Island, Baby Mario mistakenly lands on ... Yoshi's island, and the Yoshis team up to save his brother. Along the way, they rescue other little tykes, and use their assistance as well. Not epic by any means but an adequate backdrop to the game's progression.
  • Graphics - drawn extremely similarly to the SNES game, I'm tempted to think that many of the images were copied and pasted. There are rare instances where something will look not-quite-right, but the overwhelming majority of the time, everything looks friendly and ready for action.
  • Sound - the soundtrack isn't anything to write home about, but it's hardly noticeable during the high-action platforming sequences. Sound effects are poignant and meaningful, from Yoshi's ba-dum-bump! to the irritating baby crying alerting you that you need to save it.
  • Replay - beating the game unlocks a Time Trial mode and a secret stage in each World. Also, as in the original title, each stage has collectible items (stars, red coins, and flowers), and how many you collect will net you a score at the end. Accumulating high scores will unlock new features in each World, namely harder versions of the mini-games (which, relatedly, you can play on their own whenever you want) and a second secret stage. Getting all 100 points in some of the early stages is tricky, and getting all 100 points in the later stages is damn near impossible, so if you're up to the challenge this will last quite a while.

I can't stress enough how impressed I am with the level design and challenge of Yoshi's Island DS. I really feel like I've gone back in time, to an era before complicated graphical effects and control schemes, and have been graciously allowed to re-witness platforming perfection. This game probably won't change your opinion of the platform genre, but if you're a fan, this is your game.

Progress: Clear! (haven't played secret stages)

Rating: Awesome