Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

"Nostalgia... and new sound effects."

Now, those who were there in the SNES days will no doubt have played Yoshi's Island. It was a brilliant, beautiful game with a great plot. I spent many of my youthful childhood days playing Yoshi's Island and lobbing eggs around.

Now, many years on, I am fully grown and demand more from games. I saw the Yoshi's Stiry tech demo and was impressed (Who remembers THAT one, eh?) and then we get... Yoshi's Island...

YOSHI AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR IDENTITY CRISIS!
Well, it always amazed me the amount of Yoshi's there were in this game. Yoshi after Yoshi, but a shortage of the green ones! Why?

Following Yoshi himself is the vivid landscapes, which even today are a breath of fresh air compared to the violent persona of others floating around. It always looked like a kids colouring book, and it still does. But unfortunately, on a GBA, the game doesn't get to show it's muscle power. It's so small, so squashed, so tiny... yep, the bulk of this game is straight port. And it's not really worked in it's favour...

ONE UP! THREE UP! TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT UP?
One thing is the new updating of the status screens and secret clouds has made this game disappointingly simplistic. By the time I finished World 2, I had had a Bonus Game on all but one level, and racked up a stupifying 187 extra lives! World four, I'd hit 268 extra lives! Now, I'm no genius but I am guessing this was not meant to happen.

The scratch card game is predictable, the system of getting one ups on levels cleared at 100% is a bit silly really... why make it so easy? By the time you hit World Four, unless you REALLY have a big downturn or lose your sight permamantly there isn't much of a way you'll ever lose... and you'll probably NEVER see the Game Over screen.

YOSHI SPEAKS!
OK, lets move onto the best things about this game.

Yoshi has tons of new sound effects, and it's fantastic. The emotion, the strain, the sound effects pumped into this game are like steroids, it's given the game depth. Muscle. It's made it fun to go through again. Which may sound daft, but seriously, wait until you've run through the game. It's oddly fun, and it really does put a smile on your face to her Yoshi go ''Who-hoo-ho-ho-HOOOOO!''

The music hasn't changed. Nor have the enemies. But this occassion you welcome them into your heart like an old friend, and they don't play with your emotions. It's like a comfort blanket! And after a huge session on Resident Evil, Turok or Pikmin, it's a perfect way to unwind and will make you laugh and smile. Nothing like it, therapy in video game form!

LIVING DEAD OR ROTTING CORPSE?

So, we're all left with a game which has some really bad cons, but equally major pros. It's a fun game, it's samey and for old timers it's too simple but it's still absolutely mad. The idea is as fresh as the day it rolled out of Nintendo (As if we'd expect anything less of a game from Nintendo) - it's fun, frantic and mad. Newcomers who've never played it will be bowled over by this games quirky but unique style - old timers will find it familiar, but like welcoming back an old friend with a BIG HUG - Tellytubbies style!

I have to give this game a good rating because it IS still so fresh. It's STILL one of the best ways to unwind, it's casual laid-back feel and style is soothing and fun (Like watching cartoons). You would have to be made entirely of stone not to let this game make you smile - it's a winner, and compared to the really BAD rehashes and ports coming out, this one just about pulls itself off. Hats off to Nintendo - now, about a NEW Yoshi game...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/02, Updated 09/22/02