Game Overview:

Yoshi’s New Island is set after the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island featuring gameplay that is similar to other Yoshi’s Island games. The game features Mega Eggdozers which are unusually larger than usual Yoshi eggs. These can be used to destroy several objects in the game.

Yoshi’s New Island is developed by Arzest. It is published by Nintendo. The game is now available for the Nintendo 3DS.

Check out the video walkthrough of Yoshi’s New Island below and let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

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It’s Yoshi’s Island’s greatness that makes the rest of the series’ tragedy so stark- Nintendo has since then attempted to follow up the game multiple times, always to mixed results- Yoshi’s Story on the Nintendo 64 and Yoshi’s Island DS were both average at best, but their mediocrity stood out strongly next to the standard they were being compared to, and made them look worse than they were. Even Nintendo’s attempts to port Yoshi’s Island haven’t been very successful- Yoshi’s Island was made available on the Gameboy Advance, in a version that was decidedly worse than the SNES original (and even worse when it was made available on the 3DS Virtual Console years later).

At this point, then, any Yoshi fan should be well used to thoroughly average platformers at best with every entry, unremarkable in every way except for in how spectacularly they fail to live up to the SNES game. But at the same time, when one gets a game that is so underwhelming and all around average as Yoshi’s New Island for the Nintendo 3DS is, it just hurts. It just hurts.

"Yoshi's New Island for the Nintendo 3DS is so average, it just hurts."

The good news here is that the game will be immediately familiar to anyone who has played Yoshi’s Island, down to the controls. Yoshi’s repertoire of moves hasn’t exactly grown or changed much in the 19 years since his first outing- you’re still going to be gobbling up enemies, jump and flutter to prolong those jumps, and throw eggs at your adversaries to clear the path for you as you carry Baby Mario to his destination, and try to rescue Baby Luigi. It’s pretty much the exact same thing as before, so you should be able to settle into the groove soon enough.

The mechanics of the original Yoshi’s Island were, of course, great, so it might not be clear why having more of them is a bad thing, especially considering how well they hold up anyway. And that’s the thing, the mechanics were great- when they were paired with that excellent level design that the original Yoshi’s Island is known for having. In a game that plays it as safe as Yoshi’s New Island does with its game design, they are thoroughly boring and unimpressive (a problem exacerbated by the fact that we have seen these at play at least two other times in similar games already- if they had at least been new, they would stand out on their own merit and sort of cover for the game’s weak overall design).

Of course, this might make it seem like Yoshi’s New Island is a carbon copy of the original mechanically, and that it has nothing new to offer. That is, in fact, false- Yoshi’s New Island does bring new stuff to the table. The trouble is, it’s so uniformly terrible or constrained that I wish it didn’t.

"Shockingly, this Yoshi game begins to feel like a low budget iOS knock off during these sections. The sequel to the mighty Yoshi's Island has been reduced to this."

Consider, for example, the ‘vehicle’ sections. You remember these from the original game, right? You transform into a hot air balloon, or a minecart, and navigate the environment that way. That was fun, right? Well, Yoshi’s New Island decides to switch things up- don’t get excited. It does so by forcing you to use the 3DS’s gyroscope for these portions. You are not given a choice. You have to use the motion controls to navigate. And while using the 3DS’s gyroscope is hardly a crime (some games, such as Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, and Face Raiders actually use it amazingly well), using it in sequences which require precision is inexcusable. It’s a detriment to game design- shockingly, this Yoshi game begins to feel like a low budget iOS knock off during these sections. The sequel to the mighty Yoshi’s Island has been reduced to this.

The one good thing I have to say about these sections is that there aren’t a whole lot of them, so on the whole, the game still sticks with its mechanically sound but unremarkable tried and tested mechanics. But while this works to the game’s benefit with the gyroscopic sections, it actually constrains a new mechanic that probably would have developed into something genuinely interesting if the game had not artificially limited it by only having it show up far and few times in between and let it gestate.

I am talking about the Big Egg mechanic- you can eat larger enemies, and create larger eggs, either regular or metal. You can then use these eggs to smash open new pathways in the environment, which adds a new wrinkle to the gameplay, and opens the potential for you to revisit older levels and find new secrets… except it doesn’t, because the large egg enemies only show up at predetermined locations in the game, so you always know there is a secret hiding somewhere close by when they do. What a waste of potential.

"The good news is, the game looks surprisingly great, especially in motion. It is also helped and enhanced visually by the 3D effect"

The levels themselves are standard- from my criticism throughout the review, you might be tempted to think that they are bad, but they are not. They’re not bad at all. They’re just not good either. They just are. They’re pretty inoffensive in their existence, and that in itself is the most obnoxious thing about them- the fact that they are so safe and as a result unexciting. The levels are what let this game down so much- mechanically, it is largely sound, except for when it ironically tries to deviate from the standard too much. If the levels had been as bold and daring as they had been in the original Yoshi, New Island would have in fact been a much better game.

The elephant in the room here is the graphics- Yoshi’s Island was a beautiful game, and the subsequent sequels absolutely butchered the look. A lot of people groaned at the plasticky look of New Island back when it was unveiled, but the good news is, the game looks surprisingly great, especially in motion. It is also helped and enhanced visually by the 3D effect- it doesn’t use it to any great degree at all, but it’s a nice visual touch that makes the graphics look nicer.

This, then, is the issue- Yoshi’s New Island feels like an attempt to recreate Yoshi’s Island, but missing the point entirely. It’s as if someone tried to bring a dismembered person back to life by painstakingly reassembling their body- you’d have mimicked the frame entirely, but you’d be lacking the essence, the soul, entirely. That’s what Yoshi’s New Island is- a game that feels like Yoshi’s Island without the soul. It almost represents some sort of alternate universe reality, where Miyamoto made the game with some good mechanics and nice visual style, but failed to back it up with good, well thought out, daring game design. Yoshi’s New island is certainly not a bad game, and if you are a series fan, it is even worth checking out sometime. If you have kids, it is also perhaps a great way to introduce them to some good 2D platforming (especially given how hard it is to play the original Yoshi’s Island legally these days). It’s just not a very good game either- it just… is. Completely safe, completely inoffensive, just content to exist without trying to stand out much either way.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS.

It’s pretty much a given now- if there is a new major Nintendo release for the 3DS, there will be special edition hardware to go with it. Just last year, we got special themed 3DS hardware for Fire Emblem: Awakening, Mario and Luigi: Dream team, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Pokemon X and Y, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

That tradition seems to be carrying on this year, with Nintendo announcing that a special Yoshi themed 3DS XL (pictured above) will be launching on March 14 in North America to celebrate the launch of Yoshi’s New Island. The system will be launching at $199, just like a standard 3DS XL.

Yoshi’s New Island is the latest Yoshi game, following up from Yoshi’s Island DS, Yoshi’s Story, and Yoshi’s Island; another Yoshi game is planned for the Wii U some time in the near future. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for our full coverage of the game.

Yoshi’s New Island is the 3rd entry into the Yoshi video game chronology, serving as a sequel to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) and Yoshi’s Island DS (Nintendo DS). Yoshi’s New Island is being produced by Nintendo legend, Takashi Tezuka who (having worked on both the previous Yoshi video games) has worked on Super Mario Bros. one to three as director, and numerous The Legend of Zelda titles as both director and supervisor. The game is scheduled for release in North America and Europe on March 14th 2014, and March 15th 2014 in Australia.

• 1. Development
• 2. Gameplay
• 3. Story
• 4. Characters

Development

Yoshi’s New Island was first announced in April of 2013 via a Nintendo Direct webcast. Despite being announced during the webcast, the game went without a name until E3 2013. When Nintendo took to the stage they announced that the game would be titled Yoshi’s New Island, this announcement was accompanied by a trailer.  The game’s signature art will remain thoroughly intact, the oil painting style and cartoonish crayon characteristics were so iconic that any change to the imagery would have been too jarring.

Gameplay

The gameplay for Yoshi’s New Island will remain largely unchanged from the previously established formula, including the old but effective mechanics as well as introducing some new features as well. The core gameplay will once again centre around the 2D platforming aspect of the game which will see the player transporting various baby characters from within the established Mario universe (see character list) through a variety of stages.

Yoshi will make use of the ground pound attack, his flutter jump, extending tongue to eat and transform enemies into eggs as well as the ability to hurl eggs. One of the new gameplay mechanics is the inclusion of ginormous eggs that are formed after Yoshi ingests a larger than normal enemy. These huge eggs have the same effect on the game world as when a player would eat a Mega Mushroom from previous Mario titles, meaning they can inflict massive damage on the area around them.

Yoshi also have the ability to transform their body into various shapes at certain times, including the Yoshi Helicopter, Yoshi Jackhammer, Yoshi Submarine and the Minecart Yoshi. Throwing accumulated eggs is a returning feature, making precision throws will reward the player with health pick ups and puzzle solving opportunities.

Story

After the conclusion of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, the couple who received Baby Luigi and Baby Mario claim that the children are not theirs. The Stork begins looking for the parents of the babies but once again encounters the powerful Magikoopa, Kamek. With Luigi being captured and Mario falling onto the nearby Egg Island, he is found by a group of kind Yoshi’s who endeavour to take Baby Mario to find his brother and defeat Baby Bowser who has his own plans for Egg Island.

Characters

• Yoshi
• Super Yoshi
• Baby Mario
• Baby Luigi
• Kamek
• Baby Bowser
• Poochy
• The Stork
• Winged binoculars

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Today at Nintendo Direct, Nintendo ended up dating several major 3DS games, while also giving us new extended looks at these games in the process.

The first of these was Yoshi’s New Island, which already has a release date for March. Next up were Kirby Triple Deluxe and Mario Golf World Tour, both releasing on May 2. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy was announced for later this month for North American shored (the rest of the world already has it), and soccer RPG Inazuma Eleven was announced to be releasing today for North America exclusively on the Nintendo eShop.

A new game that was announced today was Pokemon Battle Trozei, which looked like a rather addictive and neat mix of Candy Crush and Puzzles and Dragons, but with a Pokemon flavor. Yes, this is going to sell millions, especially since it looks loads better than the mediocre DS game.

A new Nintendo Direct presentation is in-bound as Nintendo has announced that it will hold the same tomorrow at 5 PM EST. The show can be accessed through both the US and UK site.

So what will be on offer? Nintendo will be discussing Wii U and 3DS titles that will be launching by Spring end. One of those games will undoubtedly be Mario Kart 8, which is heading to the Wii U in May 2014. Perhaps we’ll be getting an update on the next Super Smash Bros. as well? With the frequency of details that have been coming out, one can certainly hope.

Other games we expect to see revealed include Yoshi’s New Island along with details regarding the Western version of Kirby Triple Deluxe which will head to North America and Europe either in Q2 or Q3 of this year.
What are you hoping to see at tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

According to reports, Yoshi’s New Island will be releasing with a 3DS XL bundle in North America on the day of its launch.

A retail listing for a Yoshi’s New Island 3DS XL bundle recently surfaces on British online retailer Base, and it detailed a 3DS XL bundle that has, of course, the system itself- with a green Yoshi-themed pattern. The system, according to this listing, will come with Yoshi’s New Island pre-installed on it.

The listing quotes a price of £199.99, and a release date of March 14th, which is the North American and European release date for Yoshi’s New Island.

Yoshi’s New Island is a sequel to the 1995 SNES platformer, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. New Yoshi’s Island sees us controlling the little green dinosaur and escorting Baby Mario through a series of levels to safety.

There’s no confirmation from Nintendo on the bundle yet, but we’ll follow up on the reports and give you any new info we get. Stay tuned.

Nintendo’s investor briefing did more than reveal a release month for Mario Kart 8 and plans for more Wii U GamePad titles. The company also revealed several first and third party titles releasing in 2014 for the 3DS. Some games still lack a definitive release date but they will be out this year – and some, like Kirby: Triple Deluxe, are already out in Japan. Check them out below.

First party

• Bravely Default (Feb. 7)
• Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (Feb. 28)
• Yoshi’s New Island (March 24)
• Disney Magical World (April 11)
• Super Smash Bros. (2014)
• Kirby: Triple Deluxe  (2014)
• Mario Golf: World Tour (2014)

Third party

• Cut the Rope: Triple Treat
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• Conception II: Children of the Seven Star
• Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return
• Siesta Fiesta
• One Piece: Romance Dawn
• 1001 Spikes
• Moon Chronicles
• Retro City Rampage
• The Lego Movie Videogame
• Lego The Hobbit

Which game are you most looking forward to and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Yoshi’s New Island, the next installment in the mascot platforming franchise, coming exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS, will be releasing in Europe on March 14, 2014, same as North America.

The game will be available either to download over the Nintendo eShop, or as a physical purchase from stores.

Yoshi’s New Island was announced in a massive Nintendo 3DS focused Nintendo Direct last year, where Nintendo also announced The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. This new game is being produced by Takashi Tezuka, who served as creative director on 1995’s original Yoshi’s Island for SNES; the original Yoshi’s Island is one of the most widely revered and beloved games of all time, and no Yoshi game since then has even come close to achieving the same kind of critical acclaim or commercial success.

The new game includes all of the classic mechanics, as well as some new 3DS specific ones. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more information.

Today’s Nintendo Direct was a veritable gold mine of information on upcoming Nintendo games.

Among the new titles detailed was Retro’s upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Hitting Wii U in February, the game, which was just confirmed to have Cranky Kong as a playable character at VGX, was now also confirmed to have Funky Kong, now taking the place of Cranky and running the shop in game. Essentially, this means that the entire cast of the original Donkey Kong Country games will be in Tropical Freeze.

Nintendo also reiterated details on the upcoming Pokemon Bank and PokeTransfer apps, announcing that anyone who uses the app before Fall 2014 will get a free Celebi. Celebi is a super rare Pokemon almost impossible to get legitimately, so that is a pretty darn tempting gift.

Nintendo also showed off more of Yoshi’s New Island, which will be launching on 3DS this Spring, and confirmed that it ill be produced by Takashi Tezuka, the creative director of the original Yoshi’s Island for SNES.

Finally, they showed off the new Chibi Robo game. Called Photo-Finder, Chibi Robo will have to help start up a new museum this time. Players are given silhouettes of needed objects, then use the Nintendo 3DS camera to find matching objects, known as NostalJunk, in the real world. A demo will be hitting the eShop soon, with a January 9, 2014 release following.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more Nintendo info.