Yoshi the Dinosaur is basically Barney the Dinosaur if he was likeable and NOT creepy. He’s cute, cuddly, and come in a variety of bright colors! Yet he is also brave and can even save the day when he needs to, like in his standout game, Yoshi’s Island on the SNES. It’s a classic platforming game that’s cute, simple, and fun. It also is very good. A sequel of sorts was made for the N64 called Yoshi’s Story. It may look as aesthetically cute and pleasing as the original, but can this platformer match its predecessor?
Story: The story is simple. Once upon a time, the Yoshi’s are happily living their happy lives on their happy island with their happily happy Super Happy Tree… happily.
A very happy tree indeed.
Baby Bowser, however, wants none of that. He casts a spell to turn the island into a storybook and steals the Super Happy Tree! The Yoshi’s begin to NOT become happy because of it.
Hope is not lost, however, as 6 Yoshi eggs survive the ordeal. They hatch newborn Yoshis! The young yoshis are confused by the apparent sadness from the older Yoshis. They ponder on what to do… and then eureka!!! They decide that they will go rescue the Super Happy Tree, while along the way, spreading joy and cheers and having fun!
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HAPPINESS IS THE TRUTH!!!
Children can follow the story easily, which is good since this game is clearly geared towards a younger audience. It’s not complex, but it doesn’t need to be. It works.
Gameplay: Gameplay is also simple. Yoshi’s Story, like its predecessor, is a platformer. The goal of each level is to eat a set amount of fruit to advance to the next level. You will also find coins and Special Hearts scattered across the level. These, alongside eating fruit and keeping your happiness level up, will improve your overall score once the level is completed. Getting hurt will reduce your happiness level, which acts as your health, and if it drops to zero, your Yoshi is gone. Eating fruit restores your happiness level, and eating a Heart Fruit makes you so happy your happiness level is maxed out and you become INVINCIBLE!!!
Your basic abilities include running, jumping, fluttering, and using your tongue, On your quest you will come across obstacles like Shy Guys, the most common enemy in the game, spikes, pitfalls, and much more. Like in the previous game, Yoshi can use his tongue to eat enemies, turn them into eggs, and fire them! Satisfying. Other actions you can do include ground pounding and sniffing. Sniffing will help you find hidden secrets around the level. Yoshi will give off queues the closer you are to the secret.
A Boss will await you at the end of the 3rd level!
Controls are fairly good. They are fairly responsive and work out fine. Making Yoshi run is odd, as it takes a split second for him to reach max speed, so it feels a bit wonky. I feel like that aspect of the controls could be better, but controls work fine regardless.
The Gameplay is easy to grasp and relatively fun. A common flaw stated about Yoshi’s Story is that the game is too easy. While it is easy at times, some levels prove to be a decent challenge, such as the jungle level where the Big Cheep Cheep can instakill you. Also, the later levels and the higher numbered levels do increase in overall difficulty, so in my eyes, it’s not as easy as people make it out to be. Each level is also different and have their own unique gimmicks and obstacles to set themselves apart from one another, so each level isn’t the same.
In this level, you'll be watching out for lava creatures called Blarggs!
You get to ride a dragon in this level!
You can fight a mini boss in this level!
And here you are underwater! Even Yoshi underwater controls well!
There are 4 modes. Story Mode is the main mode you'll play. Trial Mode allows you to play previous levels you've unlocked and. Try getting the highest score possible! Options Mode is exactly what it sounds like. Practice Mode teaches you the basics of the game.
One of Yoshi's Storys main flaws is that the story mode is short. The game can be beaten and you can see the ending in less than a day. While the game does have replay value in the different levels unlocked via Special Hearts and Trial Mode, it's not going to cut it for some people.
Graphics and Sound: Now this is where Yoshi’s Story truly shines! Aesthetically, the game is fantastic. In case you didn’t know why, IT’S CUTE. Graphically, the game looks pretty good. Surprisingly, it is completely 2D. This is not a bad thing, as the game has beautifully crafted 64 bit sprites of Yoshis, enemies, worlds, and more, and bright colors help them stand out and shine. The entire game looks like a storybook, and is overall very pleasing to the eye.
Sound wise, it’s arguably just as cute. Yoshis sound SO ADORABLE especially when they are happy. I can hear them joyfully cheer all day and night. Everything sounds squeaky and squishy. Music ranges from upbeat, to pleasant, to even funky. The variety of tunes is great, and it sounds good too! Most importantly though, the tunes can sound so uplifting! Altogether the music and graphics do an excellent job keeping you, well, happy!
I simply love how the game looks. It makes me... HAPPY!!!! :D:D:D
Conclusion: Yoshi’s Story’s biggest strength is the overall tone of the game. It’s like the Happy Happy Joy Joy song from Ren and Stimpy if it was turned into a game and made not grotesque. I always get a smile on my face playing this game. It made me happy then and now. Sure, the game isn’t always challenging, and the game is very short. However, if it can put me in a good pleasant mood while playing, that’s good enough for me.
PS. How many times have I said the word "Happy" in this review?
Score: 7.5/10