Yoshi's Island DS
A sequel to the SNES classic with five baby characters.
Yoshi's Island DS, a 2006 platformer for the Nintendo DS, was created by Artoon and released by Nintendo. Announced at E3 2006 as Yoshi's Island 2, it was renamed a month before its North American launch. This sequel to the 1995 SNES game follows the Yoshi clan rescuing kidnapped babies, each granting a unique ability. Critics praised its presentation and faithfulness to the original, though some noted the dual-screen gap created a blind spot.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Artoon
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Hidetoshi Takeshita
- Producer
- Toyokazu Nonaka
- Artist
- Yasuhisa Nakagawa
- Composer
- Yutaka Minobe; Masayoshi Ishi
- Writer
- Soshi Kawasaki
- Series
- Yoshi
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Yoshi's Island DS retains the core gameplay of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The player guides colored Yoshis through side-scrolling stages, using abilities such as jumping, flutter jumping, eating enemies to turn them into eggs, and ground pounding. Yoshi does not have a life bar; when hit, the baby he carries falls off and must be retrieved before a timer expires, unless Yoshi falls into a lava pit or spike field. The game adds five babies, each granting a unique ability: Baby Mario allows dashing, reveals M blocks, and grants ricocheting eggs; Baby Peach enables floating on wind currents and easier flutter jump timing; Baby Donkey Kong can grab vines, perform a dash attack, and makes eggs explode on impact; Baby Wario uses a magnet to attract metal objects and makes eggs bounce; Baby Bowser spits fireballs but prevents Yoshi from making new eggs. Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser slow Yoshi's movement and make flutter jump timing less forgiving. Switching babies at key points introduces a puzzle element.
Plot
Baby Mario and the Yoshi clan must rescue Baby Luigi, who was snatched by Kamek, Bowser's minion, who also seeks to kidnap every baby worldwide. The Yoshis are assisted by Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, and a stork who escaped Kamek's botched capture. Later, Baby Wario and Baby Bowser join, offering their abilities, but Baby Wario leaves due to his lust for treasure, and Baby Bowser is captured by Kamek (the future Kamek) and later kicked out by the adult Bowser from the future. Baby Bowser rejoins until he notices Kamek is after him. Kamek and Bowser traveled back in time seeking seven star children whose hearts hold power to conquer the universe, but they could not find any. At Bowser's castle, Yoshi's group finds Baby Wario and Baby Bowser arguing over treasure; Baby Bowser betrays them, claiming they wanted the treasure, but Yoshi defeats him. Kamek and Bowser arrive, angered, but the babies and Yoshis prevail, forcing Kamek and Bowser to retreat to their present time. Yoshi retrieves Baby Luigi and the other babies, and they escape Bowser's castle as it self-destructs. A post-credits scene reveals six star children: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser, with the seventh being a newly-hatched Baby Yoshi, implied to be the Yoshi that allies with the adult Mario Bros.
Development
Yoshi's Island DS debuted at E3 2006 as Yoshi's Island 2, initially starring baby versions of Mario, Peach, Donkey Kong, and Wario. Artoon, the developer founded by Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima, previously made Yoshi's Universal Gravitation for the Game Boy Advance. For the DS, Artoon kept close to the original formula, bringing back the pastel and crayon art style. Updates include smoother water animation, thinner black outlines, and simpler backgrounds, though the look remains heavily tied to the earlier game.
Reception
Yoshi's Island DS received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic. GameSpot noted that the developers produced a sequel that feels fresh while remaining as awesome as the original. IGN called it a solid recreation of Yoshi's Island elements in a two-screen-high format, and GamePro described it as fun and light-hearted. Reviewers praised the core gameplay elements being the same as the previous game, though IGN questioned whether the developers stuck too close to the established design, as having played the previous game ruins many surprises. The implementation of extra babies was generally well received, but IGN felt Baby Wario was a last-minute addition with a wonky magnet that misses nearby items. A common criticism was the blind spot created by the gap between the DS's two screens, which IGN called bothersome and GameSpy described as a pain. The game's high difficulty in later worlds and for 100% completion was noted; GameSpot said it is not challenging in the traditional sense but becomes very challenging for completists, while Nintendo World Report stated that 100% completion is even harder than The Lost Levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Yoshi's Island DS released?
Yoshi's Island DS was released on November 13, 2006 in North America, on November 17, 2006 in Australia, on December 1, 2006 in Europe and on March 8, 2007 in Japan.
Who directed Yoshi's Island DS?
Yoshi's Island DS was directed by Hidetoshi Takeshita.
Who composed the music for Yoshi's Island DS?
The music for Yoshi's Island DS was composed by Yutaka Minobe and Masayoshi Ishi.
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