Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
In all of video-game history, there's one video-game I can decidedly say played a big part in my childhood, and that game was Yoshi's Story. I've always been a big fan of video-games since I was like four, but Yoshi's Story I think was the moment where I realized I was really into video-games as a hobby.
My first Nintendo Power memory wasn't this issue, but one of the earlier issues that first introduced Yoshi's Story, and the preview of it (this was way back when where you could only get previews through magazines, so there was a mystical, foreign element to seeing such an odd looking game that blew my mind as a kid because of its unique style), and of course I followed Nintendo Power's coverage of the game till this issue, when the game came out.
I was always a big Yoshi fan...loved Yoshi's Island as a kid, loved using Yoshi in Mario Kart and Mario Party, I was just a straight up Yoshi kid. I have to admit, there's this joke about Yoshi fans I've seen around the net and, well, I gotta admit, in my case it's pretty much true. I'm just glad the Internet wasn't around back then because I was pretty quirky, and no doubt I would've likely turned into one of those Yoshi fans who have a strange, fetishistic obsession with the character, haha.
Anyway, I was fucking HYPED when Yoshi's Story came out. I even got some matching dolls for Christmas:
I knew I had the Red Yoshi, and I think I had Green as well, maybe Blue too? I really forgot, anyway, I loved Yoshi's Story as a kid, yet I haven't played it in years. Finally, I decided to grab it off the Wii VC.
***
So far, I've played a few levels and, well, I still think it's a pretty solid game. Actually, in a way, I think it's both archaic, yet in some instances quite ahead of its time. When it was released, 2D Platformers were on their way out (not for long), so it felt a bit too dated when stacked up next to Mario 64 and Zelda. Nowadays, though, I think a game like Yoshi's Story, especially as a downloadable, budget-title, would be quite well-received.
First, let's talk presentation. There's no doubt that, at its core, Yoshi's Story is a kid's game. And not even the regular Nintendo kid, his little brother. Part of the reason I hesitated to replay it for so long was because I felt a bit embarrassed by how childish it looks and sounds, but then I realized that I find a lot of gritty games to be equally embarrassing. Like most AAA-titles make me cringe with their over-the-top scores, "dramatic" voice-acting, and models that strive to be realistic, but just end up looking creepy. Actually, Yoshi's Story doesn't escape that last part either---the graphics have a really weird feeling to them at times, especially the Lava and Castle Worlds, and it's got that usual "Nintendo Creepy" that rears its head.
But one thing I sort of appreciate, is how distant it feels from the main Mario-verse. Yeah, you got Yoshi, Shy Guys, Bowser Jr., and a few other assorted foes (Kamek is oddly missing from this entry, although his Toadies still appear to kidnap Yoshi when they lose), but the rest of the enemies are unique creations, or look radically different from their normal Mario appearance, like Spike (called "Gabon", their Japanese names, in this) and Blaarg. It's the only Yoshi-series game that really feels this way to me; when I play Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's New Island, I think, hey, this is a Mario spin-off. But Yoshi's Story on the other hand, I think, hey, this is a Yoshi game. It helps that Mario is nowhere to be found for once, outside of a cameo on a newspaper.
I don't think Nintendo's ever been able to nail this idea of making Yoshi feel like his own character since then, even in Smash Brothers I feel like he's still more or less treated like a Mario character, despite having his own Icon. Like thanks to the Wario land and WarioWare and Donkey Kong Country, Wario and Donkey Kong I fully see them as being unique franchises who sometimes visit their old 'pal Mario. But not Yoshi. It seems Nintendo feels this way as well---while Wario and Donkey Kong have greatly branched out from their Mario roots, and Nintendo has been pushing much of the expanded Donkey Kong 'verse back out of the Mario games, as seen by Mario Kart 8 which exorcised everyone but Donkey Kong and one old stage, and of course none of the expanded Wario 'verse making appearances in Mario titles, Yoshi on the other hand has quickly made his way back to a prominent role in the main series, and many elements from his games tend to pop up as well. I don't want Yoshi to be gone from Mario, but I wish they could make his games feel more...distinct. Yarn Yoshi might actually accomplish this, though.
Back to the presentation aspect, the graphics are really crisp still (well, as crisp as the Wii on an HD TV can look...), especially the backgrounds comprised of various paper-crafts and such. It's quite an ambitious aesthetic for the time, and looks more like something Nintendo would produce nowadays. The 3D models are a little weaker, they sort of stick out, but they've got lots of little cute animations to spice them up, especially Yoshi, who is absolutely adorable. There are lots of little context animations like growling at foes that really make Yoshi a cute character, as opposed to a plain mount. Like I'm replaying NSMBU right now, and Yoshi is BORING in it. He's lifeless whenever Mario rides him, and doesn't show like any emotion, it's really off-putting to me. All the different-colored Yoshi having slight pitch differences is also a nice touch.
There's also some cute proto-Paper Mario designs utilized for the in-between level slides. I always like when games mix different art-styles depending on the context, as opposed to using plain, stock 3D Art for menu logos, and it's much appreciated. Another Mario game that did this to great effect was Mario 3-on-3 Hoops, which had really nice sprite work for its menus as well as solid 3D models during gameplay.
Finally, sound design is also very cute. This game does the "remix the same song multiple times" gimmick that Yoshi's New Island did, but unlike New Island, the basic melody is a very catchy, solid tune, and the remixes incorporate a bunch of different styles such as a goofy rap-version, and a funky Jamaican-verse. The game has a few other musical tunes, though, such as the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"-esque Baby Bowser Castle theme, which are also quite nice. It's an experimental soundtrack overall, but it easily DESTROYS the soundtrack of basically every Yoshi game afterwards.
This game also gave a voice to Yoshi, and the Shy Guy, and while I can see why some people disliked the utilization of the Yoshi voice in the remake of Yoshi's Island, and in future Mario games, in Yoshi's Story I think it's absolutely perfect, because it fits the feeling of the rest of the game. Yoshi makes countless adorable sounds, and even hums along to the music at points, it's just another big part of the game that makes it so endearing. It's cute, but not cloying, which later games sort of went---his voice in Mario Kart Wii for example, where he basically can speak somewhat, is just bizarre. The newer games seemed to have toned down his voice though, and he doesn't seem to talk as much as before.
Second, let's move on to gameplay. Well, Yoshi's Story had a LOT to live up to, being seen as a sequel to Yoshi's Island, arguably the GOAT of classic platformers in some circles. I think when it first came out, everyone just wanted to see a straight-up sequel to YI, and were massively disappointed when it went in another direction. Nowadays? I think we're all sick of half-baked YI sequels that we're looking forward to Yarn Yoshi which actually looks a bit more creative and innovative. Control-wise, Yoshi Story Yoshi seems a bit quicker and agile, since he's dumped Mario, except when it comes to throwing Eggs. Unlike in YI, Yoshi in YS must stand in one place while aiming, although has much more control, so the Egg Throw isn't as useful nor fun. On the other hand, it's used a bit less here, with Yoshi's tongue, now capable of being aimed, being his main asset. But despite being able to move a bit quicker, the game is more focused on taking your time and exploring, you've even got a treasure-tracker "sniffing" move. I think the game sort of falters here, because you're really given no indication of where to sniff, so if you're looking for the hidden fruit, you gotta basically sniff around.
But I think Yoshi's Story gets a bad rep, much like Kirby's Epic Yarn does, because it's one of those games where your enjoyment is based on how much you put into it. A lot of people bring up the "you can beat the game in six levels!", but I think that really narrows the definition of what beating a game entails. Sure, you beat Baby Bowser, but you still have 18 levels unexplored. The game has a pretty deep, sophisticated scoring system for a platformer, and it's a shame the game wasn't made in the age where scores can be shared across the net, because there's a lot under the surface for people who love to challenge themselves for the fun of it. Doing a solo-fruit run challenge, such as the Melon Only Challenge, really expands the scope of the game, and if you just run through each level gobbling up the first 30 Fruit you find, you really miss out. The levels all have their own feeling to them, some being somewhat "open-world", like the Jungle Hut level, where exploration is awarded, not through over-the-top congratulations or gimmicky "lore building", but, well, the happiness of just playing a cute game.
Of course, I don't blame people who didn't "get the game", a lot of the little niche elements of it are hidden beneath its surface, and it came out at a time where traditional platformers with scores and such were quickly on their way out. It was an anomaly...while Mario and Zelda were getting new games that redefined the whole video-game culture, Yoshi got this rather basic game that seemed old and outdated, and different in a bad way. When I was a kid, I enjoyed the game, but a lot of the elements confused me. I just ran through eating all the fruit, I didn't pay attention to weird numbers I was getting, why it mattered what fruit I ate, or anything like that, I just liked playing as Yoshi. It's sort of a game that I think needed the internet to help its popularity a bit, as thanks to GameFAQS, and later Youtube, a community was built around the "competitive, score attack" aspects of the game that most people ignored or didn't see a point to.
Really, I think the game would benefit IMMENSELY from getting remade for the 3DS or the Wii U. For one, the game would really look great with some polish, and I could definitely see some nice 3D effects being added due to how the levels are designed. Second, it'd make the whole scoring system be a bit more notable---I mean, the game is a great fit for online leader boards. Yeah, I said the fun of getting good scores was just for the happiness aspect of having fun, but it wouldn't hurt being able to brag about it either!
My first Nintendo Power memory wasn't this issue, but one of the earlier issues that first introduced Yoshi's Story, and the preview of it (this was way back when where you could only get previews through magazines, so there was a mystical, foreign element to seeing such an odd looking game that blew my mind as a kid because of its unique style), and of course I followed Nintendo Power's coverage of the game till this issue, when the game came out.
I was always a big Yoshi fan...loved Yoshi's Island as a kid, loved using Yoshi in Mario Kart and Mario Party, I was just a straight up Yoshi kid. I have to admit, there's this joke about Yoshi fans I've seen around the net and, well, I gotta admit, in my case it's pretty much true. I'm just glad the Internet wasn't around back then because I was pretty quirky, and no doubt I would've likely turned into one of those Yoshi fans who have a strange, fetishistic obsession with the character, haha.
Anyway, I was fucking HYPED when Yoshi's Story came out. I even got some matching dolls for Christmas:
I knew I had the Red Yoshi, and I think I had Green as well, maybe Blue too? I really forgot, anyway, I loved Yoshi's Story as a kid, yet I haven't played it in years. Finally, I decided to grab it off the Wii VC.
***
So far, I've played a few levels and, well, I still think it's a pretty solid game. Actually, in a way, I think it's both archaic, yet in some instances quite ahead of its time. When it was released, 2D Platformers were on their way out (not for long), so it felt a bit too dated when stacked up next to Mario 64 and Zelda. Nowadays, though, I think a game like Yoshi's Story, especially as a downloadable, budget-title, would be quite well-received.
First, let's talk presentation. There's no doubt that, at its core, Yoshi's Story is a kid's game. And not even the regular Nintendo kid, his little brother. Part of the reason I hesitated to replay it for so long was because I felt a bit embarrassed by how childish it looks and sounds, but then I realized that I find a lot of gritty games to be equally embarrassing. Like most AAA-titles make me cringe with their over-the-top scores, "dramatic" voice-acting, and models that strive to be realistic, but just end up looking creepy. Actually, Yoshi's Story doesn't escape that last part either---the graphics have a really weird feeling to them at times, especially the Lava and Castle Worlds, and it's got that usual "Nintendo Creepy" that rears its head.
But one thing I sort of appreciate, is how distant it feels from the main Mario-verse. Yeah, you got Yoshi, Shy Guys, Bowser Jr., and a few other assorted foes (Kamek is oddly missing from this entry, although his Toadies still appear to kidnap Yoshi when they lose), but the rest of the enemies are unique creations, or look radically different from their normal Mario appearance, like Spike (called "Gabon", their Japanese names, in this) and Blaarg. It's the only Yoshi-series game that really feels this way to me; when I play Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's New Island, I think, hey, this is a Mario spin-off. But Yoshi's Story on the other hand, I think, hey, this is a Yoshi game. It helps that Mario is nowhere to be found for once, outside of a cameo on a newspaper.
I don't think Nintendo's ever been able to nail this idea of making Yoshi feel like his own character since then, even in Smash Brothers I feel like he's still more or less treated like a Mario character, despite having his own Icon. Like thanks to the Wario land and WarioWare and Donkey Kong Country, Wario and Donkey Kong I fully see them as being unique franchises who sometimes visit their old 'pal Mario. But not Yoshi. It seems Nintendo feels this way as well---while Wario and Donkey Kong have greatly branched out from their Mario roots, and Nintendo has been pushing much of the expanded Donkey Kong 'verse back out of the Mario games, as seen by Mario Kart 8 which exorcised everyone but Donkey Kong and one old stage, and of course none of the expanded Wario 'verse making appearances in Mario titles, Yoshi on the other hand has quickly made his way back to a prominent role in the main series, and many elements from his games tend to pop up as well. I don't want Yoshi to be gone from Mario, but I wish they could make his games feel more...distinct. Yarn Yoshi might actually accomplish this, though.
Back to the presentation aspect, the graphics are really crisp still (well, as crisp as the Wii on an HD TV can look...), especially the backgrounds comprised of various paper-crafts and such. It's quite an ambitious aesthetic for the time, and looks more like something Nintendo would produce nowadays. The 3D models are a little weaker, they sort of stick out, but they've got lots of little cute animations to spice them up, especially Yoshi, who is absolutely adorable. There are lots of little context animations like growling at foes that really make Yoshi a cute character, as opposed to a plain mount. Like I'm replaying NSMBU right now, and Yoshi is BORING in it. He's lifeless whenever Mario rides him, and doesn't show like any emotion, it's really off-putting to me. All the different-colored Yoshi having slight pitch differences is also a nice touch.
There's also some cute proto-Paper Mario designs utilized for the in-between level slides. I always like when games mix different art-styles depending on the context, as opposed to using plain, stock 3D Art for menu logos, and it's much appreciated. Another Mario game that did this to great effect was Mario 3-on-3 Hoops, which had really nice sprite work for its menus as well as solid 3D models during gameplay.
Finally, sound design is also very cute. This game does the "remix the same song multiple times" gimmick that Yoshi's New Island did, but unlike New Island, the basic melody is a very catchy, solid tune, and the remixes incorporate a bunch of different styles such as a goofy rap-version, and a funky Jamaican-verse. The game has a few other musical tunes, though, such as the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"-esque Baby Bowser Castle theme, which are also quite nice. It's an experimental soundtrack overall, but it easily DESTROYS the soundtrack of basically every Yoshi game afterwards.
This game also gave a voice to Yoshi, and the Shy Guy, and while I can see why some people disliked the utilization of the Yoshi voice in the remake of Yoshi's Island, and in future Mario games, in Yoshi's Story I think it's absolutely perfect, because it fits the feeling of the rest of the game. Yoshi makes countless adorable sounds, and even hums along to the music at points, it's just another big part of the game that makes it so endearing. It's cute, but not cloying, which later games sort of went---his voice in Mario Kart Wii for example, where he basically can speak somewhat, is just bizarre. The newer games seemed to have toned down his voice though, and he doesn't seem to talk as much as before.
Second, let's move on to gameplay. Well, Yoshi's Story had a LOT to live up to, being seen as a sequel to Yoshi's Island, arguably the GOAT of classic platformers in some circles. I think when it first came out, everyone just wanted to see a straight-up sequel to YI, and were massively disappointed when it went in another direction. Nowadays? I think we're all sick of half-baked YI sequels that we're looking forward to Yarn Yoshi which actually looks a bit more creative and innovative. Control-wise, Yoshi Story Yoshi seems a bit quicker and agile, since he's dumped Mario, except when it comes to throwing Eggs. Unlike in YI, Yoshi in YS must stand in one place while aiming, although has much more control, so the Egg Throw isn't as useful nor fun. On the other hand, it's used a bit less here, with Yoshi's tongue, now capable of being aimed, being his main asset. But despite being able to move a bit quicker, the game is more focused on taking your time and exploring, you've even got a treasure-tracker "sniffing" move. I think the game sort of falters here, because you're really given no indication of where to sniff, so if you're looking for the hidden fruit, you gotta basically sniff around.
But I think Yoshi's Story gets a bad rep, much like Kirby's Epic Yarn does, because it's one of those games where your enjoyment is based on how much you put into it. A lot of people bring up the "you can beat the game in six levels!", but I think that really narrows the definition of what beating a game entails. Sure, you beat Baby Bowser, but you still have 18 levels unexplored. The game has a pretty deep, sophisticated scoring system for a platformer, and it's a shame the game wasn't made in the age where scores can be shared across the net, because there's a lot under the surface for people who love to challenge themselves for the fun of it. Doing a solo-fruit run challenge, such as the Melon Only Challenge, really expands the scope of the game, and if you just run through each level gobbling up the first 30 Fruit you find, you really miss out. The levels all have their own feeling to them, some being somewhat "open-world", like the Jungle Hut level, where exploration is awarded, not through over-the-top congratulations or gimmicky "lore building", but, well, the happiness of just playing a cute game.
Of course, I don't blame people who didn't "get the game", a lot of the little niche elements of it are hidden beneath its surface, and it came out at a time where traditional platformers with scores and such were quickly on their way out. It was an anomaly...while Mario and Zelda were getting new games that redefined the whole video-game culture, Yoshi got this rather basic game that seemed old and outdated, and different in a bad way. When I was a kid, I enjoyed the game, but a lot of the elements confused me. I just ran through eating all the fruit, I didn't pay attention to weird numbers I was getting, why it mattered what fruit I ate, or anything like that, I just liked playing as Yoshi. It's sort of a game that I think needed the internet to help its popularity a bit, as thanks to GameFAQS, and later Youtube, a community was built around the "competitive, score attack" aspects of the game that most people ignored or didn't see a point to.
Really, I think the game would benefit IMMENSELY from getting remade for the 3DS or the Wii U. For one, the game would really look great with some polish, and I could definitely see some nice 3D effects being added due to how the levels are designed. Second, it'd make the whole scoring system be a bit more notable---I mean, the game is a great fit for online leader boards. Yeah, I said the fun of getting good scores was just for the happiness aspect of having fun, but it wouldn't hurt being able to brag about it either!
