Yoshi's New Island (3DS)

[Cyalume]

I hate how ultra-casual and safe Nintendo is starting to become. There's really nothing there to excite me in the material presented: The music, the soft color scheme, even the art direction somewhat are collectively making me want to go to sleep. That isn't particularly the experience I'm looking for when playing a game like this, the sequel to Yoshi's Island, which by comparison was much more engaging.

I don't like the music, but I suspect this only in part due to the music itself, the other part lending itself to the fact that a games console (handheld or not) is still managing to use chiptunes for gods sake, even in this day and age. How cheap could it possibly be to fit and process low quality MP3 files?

[Detective Shadzter]

Nintendo UK's site just says Spring 2014.

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-3DS/Yoshi-s-New-Island-766852.html#Overview

[Conando]

That music is way too calm.  WAY too calm.  It totally lacks any sense of adventure.  It makes the game feel like you're just taking a stroll in the park.  Even the boss theme is totally unthreatening and lacks any sort of punch.  The original's music was way more upbeat and fun to listen to.  If anything, this new stuff seems like it should be in a menu, not actual gameplay.

 

But hey, I guess the boring music fits perfectly with this incredibly boring looking sequel.

 

The music was the only beef I had with Yoshi's Island DS. I just don't know what was up with it, it didn't compare to the original or even Yoshi's Story (which WAS a calmer game).

[Salamander]

I don't know, I think Yoshi's Island DS also suffered from being a world shorter than the original - pretty bad news when in every other presentational respect it tried to seem as close to the original as possible - and from underwhelming boss fights, including arbitrary nonsense like an ant lion and enchanted platforms (yes, that was actually the boss) and a particularly poorly-judged attempt to recreate the original final boss.  I think it had a better premise than Yoshi's New Island, though - Yoshi's Island DS had multiple baby characters, Yoshi's New Island has... giant eggs?

 

Given that I actually like the new art style and am ambivalent on the music, they could still pull through for YNI if the gameplay is good enough, although changing the title to just about anything would help.  Right now I definitely don't feel that they're doing enough that's actually new (unlike, say, Super Mario 3D World and A Link Between Worlds, which were also graphically highly derivative but were full of new ideas as well).  It's like they've forgotten that the original New Super Mario Bros. was so-called because they hadn't had a game in that style for quite a long time.  Just slapping "New" in the name doesn't actually make it new unless you do something new.

[YoshiUnity]

Well... Here's that teaser trailer from the last direct.

 

 

Now with multi-colored Yoshis... and more shitting giant eggs.

 

Also, here's the boxart.

 

At the last direct, Nintendo said the game will have more to show than just shitting huge eggs. How much, I don't know, but i really think there's more here than a few level tropes, and Yoshi walking and hoping around.

 

I'll still remain optimistic though. Hoping not only to see more abilities but some hint of level variety.

[SchemingMinor]

Well... Here's that teaser trailer from the last direct.

 

 

Now with multi-colored Yoshis... and more shitting giant eggs.

 

Also, here's the boxart.

 

At the last direct, Nintendo said the game will have more to show than just shitting huge eggs. How much, I don't know, but i really think there's more here than a few level tropes, and Yoshi walking and hoping around.

 

I'll still remain optimistic though. Hoping not only to see more abilities but some hint of level variety.

 

Art style is nice, I'll give them that. Yoshi's New Island still remains amazingly underwhelming for me, though. They better pull some amazing new thing out of their ass or get baby Waluigi if they want to surprise everyone about this game, because so far it looks like the blandest, most generic take on a Yoshi platformer as of yet.

[Salamander]

Rewatching that trailer, I observe that red coins are still identical to regular coins until collected, unlike in the original (and I think YIDS), where you could just about tell they were different if you looked hard enough.  This is genuinely a big deal for me because the difference made it possible to pick out red coins in a crowd if you looked hard enough, whereas in YNI it seems that you'll need to collect every single coin because there's no way of knowing if it's red or not.  Wait, is it clear if I'm complaining or not?  I'm complaining.  The slight difference made it fair.  Now you just have to use trial and error.

 

On the cover art, I like the way the flower enemy is on top of the right border; I really like it when cover elements spill out of their frames.  Other than that, the cover is... well, it's a nice piece of art, but it sure doesn't say much about the game.  They'd better be really going all-out with the giant eggs and their usage if they're really the game's only gimmick, which is what the cover seems to be suggesting.

 

...The Hell of it is, I'll almost certainly still get it.  Even if it's mediocre, I'll probably still enjoy it, and besides, I want to see this thing first-hand even though I don't really expect to be surprised.

[Nintendoga]

Besides the giant eggs, I still fail to see anything NEW about this.

[JezMM]

I really don't care for the music.  I mean Yoshi's Island DS had forgettable music (except the Athletic theme, but it was Brawl that made me appreciate that) but this doesn't even sound Yoshi-ish.  Okay I mean, it does sound suitable for a cutesey-wutesey platformer, but Yoshi's Island SNES didn't have cutesey-wutesey music.  The way I'd define Yoshi's Island music is "many different genres, but all kinda sounding like it's coming out of an old tinny radio" - in a good, warm way.  The main Ground theme was really cool, the athletic theme had a real 50's swing to it, the cave theme was just gorgeously pretty...

 

I dunno what the in-game context is for the trailer music, but if it's the Ground theme then hoo boy that's depressing.  Especially if they go the Yoshi's Island DS route and have every theme be a remix of that.

 

 

 

I mean, it's not bad music, there's some joy to be had in a game that looks and sounds perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon in the garden while still being an action game - but yeah I dunno.  I guess they had big shoes to fill following up the SNES soundtrack.  I'd be shocked to the core if this was Koji Kondo's work, very much doubt it is, even though he's absolutely the one they should get back to at least advise on a Yoshi soundtrack.

[StaticMania]

Rewatching that trailer, I observe that red coins are still identical to regular coins until collected, unlike in the original (and I think YIDS), where you could just about tell they were different if you looked hard enough.  This is genuinely a big deal for me because the difference made it possible to pick out red coins in a crowd if you looked hard enough, whereas in YNI it seems that you'll need to collect every single coin because there's no way of knowing if it's red or not.  Wait, is it clear if I'm complaining or not?  I'm complaining.  The slight difference made it fair.  Now you just have to use trial and error.

Yoshi's Island DS didn't make the red coins different from the regular coin sprite...no red tint.

[MegasonicZX]

Besides the whole giant egg thing (which by the looks of it might as well be a scripted event) nintendo really doesn't bother to add much to these, hopefully the actual game adds more to it than just that speaking as a person thats never played yoshi's island (but I have seen videos), honestly I would rather see a sequel to yoshi story.

[Doctor MK]

The box art looks nice admittedly, but overall? This game still looks completely soulless and devoid of any truly exciting features. Big eggs and giant Shy Guys just ain't gonna do it for me I'm afraid.

 

I'm more than willing to be proven wrong though. It'd be great to have another decent Yoshi game on the horizon.

[Blue Blood]

Giant Eggs can't seriously be being touted as this game's hook, can they? They're blatantly the kind of power-up that's useful only in the specific instances where the game provides them.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Giant Eggs can't seriously be being touted as this game's hook, can they? They're blatantly the kind of power-up that's useful only in the specific instances where the game provides them.

 

Reminds me of NSMB's "Holy crap it's a GIANT MUSHROOM, time to walk in a straight line" sections, and about as fun.

[StaticMania]

The box art looks nice admittedly, but overall? This game still looks completely soulless and devoid of any truly exciting features. Big eggs and giant Shy Guys just ain't gonna do it for me I'm afraid.

Giant Shy Guys were already a thing in the original game and technically so were giant Eggs...the only difference here is that they aren't so heavy as to making them come right back down as soon as  you throw it.

[Salamander]

Yoshi's Island DS didn't make the red coins different from the regular coin sprite...no red tint.

 

Thanks.  They totally should have the tint, though, but I guess I can't fault Arzest for their internal consistency at this point - that ship sailed when they made Yoshi's Island DS as Artoon.

[Sean]

Yoshi's Island on the GBA also removed the red tint if I recall right. Invisible red coins have been a thing since then.

[JezMM]

Besides the whole giant egg thing (which by the looks of it might as well be a scripted event) nintendo really doesn't bother to add much to these, hopefully the actual game adds more to it than just that speaking as a person thats never played yoshi's island (but I have seen videos), honestly I would rather see a sequel to yoshi story.

 

 

Giant Eggs can't seriously be being touted as this game's hook, can they? They're blatantly the kind of power-up that's useful only in the specific instances where the game provides them.

 

I'm guessing the footage we see is probably the very first usage of them in the game and thus super simple.  I ASSUME later uses will be more puzzley/complex/satisfying.  Still, as Blue Blood says, I'm sure they'll be very limited to the locations that they appear in, and it'll just be a case of "either get the puzzle right and win stuff or get it wrong and sadly move on to the next regular area".

 

Reminds me of NSMB's "Holy crap it's a GIANT MUSHROOM, time to walk in a straight line" sections, and about as fun.

 

Now to be fair, the Mega Mushroom only appeared on like, two courses.  Generally it was there as a reward to get from Toad Houses that you could then use to totally break the courses not designed around it.  Sometimes it was fun to just wreck the place, and presumably it was also intended to help out players who were struggling on a course (not that it was always useful).

[Salamander]

Yoshi's Island on the GBA also removed the red tint if I recall right. Invisible red coins have been a thing since then.

 

I have a pretty vivid memory of playing the game with red-tint red coins, and I never owned a SNES, so I'd be surprised if that was the case.  I'm still going to complain relentlessly about it, though.  I think the tint is just simple politeness.  I'm going to be honest and say that I always found it a chore to try and 100% a level and any little courtesy was appreciated.  Maybe I should've been trying to 100% each level right after I first completed it - ah, but you couldn't do that in parts of Yoshi's Island DS, sometimes you needed to unlock a new baby in a later level first.

 

I'm guessing the footage we see is probably the very first usage of them in the game and thus super simple.  I ASSUME later uses will be more puzzley/complex/satisfying.  Still, as Blue Blood says, I'm sure they'll be very limited to the locations that they appear in, and it'll just be a case of "either get the puzzle right and win stuff or get it wrong and sadly move on to the next regular area".

 

I'd say there's pretty much a 100% chance that the Giant Eggs will be how we defeat Giant Bowser this time around, but I would hope to see them in some other boss battles as well.  Like right off the top of my head an obvious gimmick is that a boss has a large detachable part, you fire eggs at the join until it breaks off, you swallow it, giant egg, insta-kill.  (You miss, the boss regenerates.)

 

Actually, since the giant eggs are basically spectacle, then if they're smart they'll employ them as much as dramatic devices as gameplay ones - like, say you have to go through a puzzle to spawn a giant Shy Guy so that you can smash down the fortress gates, for instance, or I don't know knock the moon out of the sky.  If the giant eggs don't do anything particularly inventive or surprising or even particularly controllable, then they should be the end rather than the means of any puzzle.  If the giant eggs really are the game's landmark new feature, as seems to be the case, I'd also expect there to be plenty of other giant enemies besides Giant Shy Guys, although the whole gimmick kind of just raises the question of why you can't just eat the bosses.  It's slightly annoying that the game has basically invalidated in its very premise the possibility of ever having a Shy Guy boss, unless it's a Giant Giant Shy Guy... which I hope they do, actually.  You'd have to defeat it using giant eggs as well, most likely.

 

It's kind of embarrassingly easy to think up possible uses for the giant eggs, so it'll be really pathetic if the game doesn't do a good job.  I shall hope to be surprised, although by definition I cannot expect it.

[Detective Shadzter]

EU release date and pre-order gift announced. More game details, too.

Drop into Egg Island on 14th March when Yoshi's New Island arrives on Nintendo 3DS
23/01/2014

23rd January 2014 – An enchanting adventure featuring ground pounds, flutter jumps, and countless enemies to devour and turn into eggs awaits when Yoshi’s New Island, the latest instalment in the Yoshi platform series, launches for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on 14th March 2014. Rendered in a variety of art styles that illustrate the fairy tale charm of the Yoshi universe, Yoshi’s New Island invites you to gobble up or stomp on enemies big and small in a bid to help safely reunite Baby Mario with his brother!

The tale of Yoshi’s New Island is a sequel to the Super Nintendo title Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and is set in a new location, Egg Island. In this new chapter in the series, Baby Luigi has been whisked away once again, leaving it up to the Yoshi clan to keep Baby Mario out of harm’s way and embark on a mission of discovery.

Yoshi fans who wish to book their Egg Island adventure by pre-ordering a copy of Yoshi’s New Island before the game’s launch can receive an added ‘egg-stra’ in the form of a handy Yoshi Egg Game Case – the perfect carrier with which to store copies of your favourite Nintendo 3DS games or another cherished small item. Whether you have followed Yoshi-dedicated games since the days of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, or are new to egg-throwing escapades of the Yoshi clan, set out on a magical journey when Yoshi’s New Island releases exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on 14th March.

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2014/January/Drop-into-Egg-Island-on-14th-March-when-Yoshi-s-New-Island-arrives-on-Nintendo-3DS-849098.html

[Salamander]

The U.K. is now also confirmed to be getting the game on March 14th.

 

There's an official press release here, thanks to NintendoEverything.  It doesn't mention any new gameplay gimmicks - not even giant eggs! - but does mention "a variety of art styles," so good, that's still on the cards, as that could actually give the game an identity.  Apparently the game is also set on "Egg Island," like it matters, but there's a sudden plot twist that will have fans gasping:

 

"In this new chapter in the series, Baby Luigi has been whisked away once again, leaving it up to the Yoshi clan to keep Baby Mario out of harm’s way and embark on a mission of discovery."

 

I didn't say it would be a gasp of surprise or joy or anything.

 

Edit: Oh, wow, that was close.  Posted in the same minute!

[JezMM]

In the spirit of the continued Year of Luigi, they should've had Mario get captured and Baby Luigi rides Yoshi.

[Marcello]

Man, How many times can you accidentally kidnap the wrong baby? Kamek needs some new glasses. Maybe some that you can actually see through.

[Detective Shadzter]

Can't find any retailers with the Yoshi egg game case gift yet. 

[PaddyFancy]

Can't find any retailers with the Yoshi egg game case gift yet. 

 

Oh I reckon its gonna be GAME only again.