The Baby-Sitters Club

Game: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
System: SNES
Release date: October 4, 1995
Developed by: Nintendo EAD
Published by: Nintendo

Rarely do I replay video games which I've already completed, but older games can be reevaluated years after their release; a game played at age 12 will not necessarily receive the same score as a game played at age 26. The most recent game I replayed was Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island which, I'm happy to report, has aged remarkably well. It represents one of the most unique and enjoyable Super Mario experiences, one with significant graphical and gameplay innovations and huge replay value.

Yoshi's Island is a prequel to Super Mario World and every other Super Mario game. The game begins with the evil Magikoopa Kamek interupting a dutiful stork as it ferries two infants to their prospective parents. Kamek is successful only in stealing away one baby; the other falls helplessly toward the ocean. Luckily, the second infant (baby Mario) falls painlessly onto the back of a green Yoshi. After a summit meeting, the Yoshis decide to help the young Mario find and rescue his stolen twin brother.


Unlike earlier Super Mario games which featured Mario as the protagonist, Yoshi's Island makes Mario a helpless infant; the hero becomes the dinosaur-like Yoshi or, more accurately, the Yoshis of Yoshi's Island. At the end of each stage, Mario is transferred between Yoshis, so that an individual Yoshi completes only one leg of the relay race.

Each Yoshi has three main moves: a jump move, which can be extended by tapping and then pressing the A button, making Yoshi flutter his feet in midair; a grab move which uses Yoshi's long tongue; and an egg-throw move which allows Yoshi to fire up to eight eggs which trail his body throughout each level. Eggs are especially important in Yoshi's Island. Yoshi can produce eggs himself by swallowing enemies or can collect them at isolated egg generators; they are used to defeat bosses, solve puzzles and collect hard-to-reach items.

Throughout their travels, Yoshis also have the ability to transform into a number of vehicles, including a submarine, a helicopter and a racecar.

Score: 95/100