Yoshi’s Island DS: 2D Platforming Bliss
So that’s the original boxart for Yoshi’s Island DS. Notice how it has a 2, and not a DS, at the end. Why did Nintendo change the title? Do they think having “DS” in a game’s title just automatically will make it a huge seller? Did Sony do that with the PS2? Imagine – GRAN TURISMO PS2. Just because a system is a massive phenomenon, don’t screw a game over by adding DS at the end. As a result of Nintendo’s decision, I feel like a lot of people thought this totally new game was actually just a remake of the SNES version. I know for sure one of my good friends thought exactly that until I informed him that YI:DS is in fact an absolutely great new platforming game that’s a lot better than the nostalgia-fueled New Super Mario Bros. On that note, I still can’t believe Nintendo put “New” in the title of a game. Anyhow, enough of me ruminating on Nintendo’s inability to name their products intelligently. (but…Wii. Fucking Wii.)
Yoshi’s Island DS just takes the original formula and expands upon it wonderfully – resulting in a bigger and more difficult game. The main addition in this sequel is the inclusion of baby characters other than Baby Mario. The infant incarnations of Peach, DK, Wario, and Bowser all enter the fray at various points in the game – each equipped with unique abilities that are required to get through the game. You’ll need to figure out when to use each baby’s abilities to get through certain levels and to grab every last red coin and flower. If you ever 100% complete the game, you would have become a master of each and every ability. It’s going to take me a while to get 100 on all the levels.
Maybe I just don’t remember the original YI well enough, but the levels in its sequel seem much more massive, and the platforming required at times is hand-crampingly intense. So even though YI:DS has one less world than its predecessor, there’s more than enough content here. In addition to the eight regular levels per world, there is an extra stage unlocked in each world when 100 is reached on every level in that world, and (like the GBA port of the original) there is also a secret stage unlocked in each world when the game is beaten. There’s all the different themed levels that you probably remember from the original – the vine-populated jungle levels, ice and snow levels, and the dark, maze-like cave levels. More than enough 2D platforming goodness for even the harshest critic, except the select few that don’t enjoy some difficulty. I’ve also heard a few complaints about the use of the dual screen, but I’m fine with the second screen just allowing a larger view of the level, and the gap between screens has given me little, if any, trouble.
If you have a DS, Yoshi’s Island DS is pretty much a no-brainer. As excited as I was for NSMB when it came out, it left me with a little bit of an empty feeling when it was done – and it was done pretty damn quickly. YI:DS is still giving every time I pick it up, as I slowly progress towards my 100% goal. This is the premier platforming game on the DS, not NSMB.
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