"Are You Mature Enough to Handle This?"

At first glance, Yoshi's Island DS seems like nothing more than the next step up for someone who has graduated from the Dora the Explorer franchise. After all, its box art sports happy, friendly colors, a smiling green dinosaur, and a bunch of gleeful babies. How much more kiddy could you get without throwing a Teletubby in the mix?

Honestly, though, whoever came up with the idea that is Yoshi's Island has a truly perverse mind. In this package seemingly designed for an elementary student is one of the most hardcore, mature games in the DS's library -- only without the questionable content.

As the sequel for the original Yoshi's Island (which is an awesome game, by the way, and truly worth purchasing), Yoshi's Island DS has little to work with storyline wise, and it shows. All that happens is that a bunch of babies get kidnapped, and the Yoshis have to work with some of the free babies to redeem the kingdom from the evil grip of Kamek. It's dumb, yes (though kind of cool at the same time), and fortunately it is the absolute weakest point of the game. Everything else is much better -- especially the gameplay.

The heart of Yoshi's Island DS is a typical 2-d platform game. In it, players must take control of Yoshi (with Baby Mario on his back) and guide him to the end of each level. Along the way are bottomless chasms, enemies, and other obstacles. Fortunately, Yoshi has a wicked arsenal of moves at his disposal with which he can decimate his adversaries. Just as in all basic platform games, he can jump on many enemies to eliminate them, and he can also stick out his tongue and eat them if he so desires.

Once he has an enemy in his mouth, Yoshi can either spit it out at another baddie to defeat both, or he can swallow it and create an egg. Eggs are actually extremely important in this game, as Yoshi can throw them at opponents to destroy them or at certain objects to make special events happen. Throwing eggs is an easy move to perform, and it is also easy to aim -- though there are certainly times when you will be challenged in your attempt to make the perfect shot.

Basically, that's it as to how the bulk of the gameplay works. Yoshi has a few other moves, such as running and the ground pound, but all his moves are simple and easy to remember. However, the gameplay is anything but simple. Yoshi's Island DS features five worlds with eight main levels each, for a total of forty levels. Now, that might seem short for a platform game; fortunately, each level is quite lengthy, and it will take you a good deal of time to make it through the main game.

Even better, the levels have an incredible variety of enemies and obstacles you must get through. Never will the levels seem repetitive; there's always something new and exciting for you to discover. Also, many of the levels are difficult on their own accord, so you won't be able to breeze through the main game in a single stroke. Some of the levels will push your gaming skills to the limits, making the end of the game that more fulfilling.

One of the more unique aspects of Yoshi's Island DS is how it incorporates both screens into the gameplay. Instead of using the second screen for a map or statistics, it uses both screens to form one tall screen. This makes playing much better since you can see so much of what is going on, and the ability to switch the screen you play on with the press of a button enhances the experience. As far as the gap between screens, well, you can see what it hides by pressing up or down, and often times it is used to conceal some very nifty secrets. It certainly doesn't cause any problems with the gameplay.

Fans of the original game will appreciate how so much of the quality gameplay has been left intact -- including Yoshi's occasional ability to morph into vehicles as well as the style of the boss battles, where Kamek takes a normal minion and makes it huge. But there is one major change: Baby Mario isn't the only baby that hitches a ride on Yoshi's back this time through. Peach, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser join the group in this version.

Surprisingly, this massive change is an excellent addition to the gameplay. Each baby has its own ability: for instance, Wario can use his magnet to attract coins or metal objects, and Peach's parasol allows her to float through windy areas. These permit for new types of challenges, and since baby switching stations are located in strategic spots inside levels, you will have to carefully plan which baby is best for you to use.

Even little things, like the fact that Yoshi runs fastest with Baby Mario, add to the intrigue the baby system provides. You might be worried that one baby would steal the limelight as the obvious best choice, but thankfully this is not the case. Most of the babies are evenly matched so you will need to switch frequently to do well, and the overpowered babies (Wario and Bowser) are only available in a few levels so they don't detract from the game. All this makes for wonderful gameplay, as well as a unique and delightful final boss experience.

But, once you reach the end of the game, you are actually still only beginning. Yoshi's Island DS is chock full of powerful replay value, because in each level the goal is to score 100 points. Players attain that magic number by collecting five flowers, twenty red coins (usually disguised as yellow coins), and thirty stars in one single play through. Unlike New Super Mario Brothers that let gamers replay levels to earn all three coins, Yoshi's Island DS requires they do everything at once -- often times an exceedingly difficult task.

For some levels, players will have to take a little extra time in order to make sure they have everything, which adds a small bit of replay value. However, most of the replay value comes in during the harder levels. Many of them will require extreme dedication in order to obtain that perfect score. A single super hard level could take up to an hour to complete!

Needless to say, with such colossal difficulty associated with obtaining a perfect score, this game can last a long time. And by completing the main game and scoring enough points on the levels of a world, you can also unlock up to two bonus levels per world, for ten extra levels. These bonus levels bring a whole new level of meaning to the word hard and give the game yet another boost of replay value.

Of course, the replay value only matters if you are willing to take advantage of it; if you don't have the dedication and maturity to work through the insane levels, you are going to miss out on much of what Yoshi's Island DS has to offer. It is still a worthwhile game even without that added replay value, but it will be much shorter and not quite so great. In that sense, this game fits perfectly for both experienced players and kids -- the lesser skilled will have a difficult time just finishing the main game, while mature players will be hard pressed to fully beat every single level.

In keep with the general kiddy style, the graphics are warm and friendly. All of the levels (even the supposedly “dark” and “evil” ones) host an array of bright colors and cartoon environments. Although the style is geared towards younger audiences, the graphics nonetheless are polished and pleasing to the eye; gamers of all ages will be able to appreciate their nice, 2-d quality.

And of course, the sound tops off the cordial atmosphere. From the lullaby playing on the start-up screen to the happy music complementing the bright levels that fill this game, it all contributes to the friendly mood of this game. Creepy castles even have soothing, melodious tunes to calm you as you venture through them. Sometimes, the liveliness of the music selection can be downright disturbing -- such as the time when smile inducing jungle harmonies are playing as you travel through an area swarming with vicious, flesh-seeking Chain Chomps.

For those of you who aren't particularly thrilled about the sound content in this game thus far, keep in mind that there are positive points to it. Generally, the songs are lengthy with a decent amount of variety, and there are several of them. As you progress through the game, rarely ever will the music become tedious to listen to. And it also is not catchy, so it is unlikely that the melodies will plague your brain after you're done with the game. For the most part, the sound in Yoshi's Island DS is excellent. Sure, it might not be the style of music you listen to in your free time, but it fits in well and is commendably done.

Other than the main game, there's not too much more to Yoshi's Island DS. It does have a Time Trial mode, where you complete levels as quickly as possible (and collect special items to lower your time), which can take the replay value of this game to a whole new level if you get into it. As can the mini-games: these short challenges force you to master Yoshi's different abilities to earn high scores, and they can occasionally be brutally hard if you set your sights on all the gold medals they offer. However, the lasting appeal of these bonuses is only so great; they are worthwhile additions to the game, just without much substance.

Yoshi's Island DS excels because of its tried and true 2-d platform action. Although every aspect of its design gives it the illusion of only being appropriate for three-year-olds, underneath its flowery exterior are some of the roughest challenges to hit the DS system. On its face, the main game provides delightful gameplay with a reasonable length and difficulty. But, if you dig deep, you will quickly realize that it's just as treacherous as games like Resident Evil or Halo. It's all up to you to unlock its full potential.

Storyline: 7.1
Controls: 9.0
Gameplay: 9.4
Graphics: 7.6
Sound: 7.6
Replay Value: 9.3
Overall: 9.3

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/16/07