I’ve mentioned in the past that Super Mario World is one of my all-time favourite games and it is easily my favourite Super Mario game. It woul be remiss of me to fail to mention its beautiful sequel, Yoshi’s Island.
Story wise, it’s the tale of how various Yoshis take baby Mario through a perilious world to re-unite him with baby Luigi. The various multi-coloured Yoshis have to traverse various worlds, facing off against the dasterdly Koopa wizard Kamek, who pops up from time to time to turn ordinary enemies into huge bosses.
The mechanics of Yoshi’s Island are very different from the first Super Mario World, which is hardly surprising as you’re no longer controlling Mario but instead an enemy-eating, egg-throwing dinosaur. The ability to turn almost any bad guy into a weapon to then pelt at other bad guys is ingenious, giving the player plenty of scope for tackling the various obstacles that show up. However you have to beware, for whilst there is no time limit to complete a level, should you be hit by an enemy or trap, baby Mario will float away from you (did I mention you’re carrying Mario on Yoshi’s back?), and if you don’t retrieve him quickly enough, Kamek will swoop in and you lose a life. Therefore, you can’t be too reckless.
I can only lavish praise upon the gorgeous (certainly for the time) graphics. Yoshi’s Island was released a few years after Super Mario World, so benefited from the experience of the designers, who devised amazing levels with terrific attention to detail and depth. Moreover, the creativity of the levels was equally impressive, with the bosses being delights to face and the challenges faced at various points being devious and clever.
I don’t think this game gets the recognition it deserves. It’s easily one of the best titles to ever come out on the SNES, and a rewarding experience for any Nintendo fan. 9/10.
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