Much like Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2, Yoshi's Island was released at a time in which 3D graphics were slowly but surely taking off across the globe, making people wonder if the classic consoles still had what it takes to deliver a visual knockout.
The other high quality of Yoshi's Island was the graphics. It does borrow some ideas from the Mario franchise, but ultimately this is Yoshi's show, and what a damn fine show it was.
#Snes yoshis island series
This was a game made exclusively with Yoshi in mind, much like Rare's Donkey Kong Country series was just for Donkey Kong. That's why the game stands on its own from the other Mario platformers. Using a simple yet very effective aiming system, Yoshi could defeat enemies and bosses, as well as uncover new areas. He is able to swallow enemies, then turn them into eggs that serve as ammo. That doesn't mean that Yoshi was totally defenseless. Baby Mario will be on Yoshi at all times, and when he is attacked, Baby Mario floats away in a bubble, giving Yoshi only a small window of opportunity to rescue him. That's the theme behind the game: protection. Yoshi and his rainbow-colored friends decide to protect Baby Mario as well as find his brother. Mario does have a role in this game, not as the plucky hero but as a defenseless baby who is under the constant threat of Kamek and his henchmen. In reality, in terms of gameplay the two games couldn't be further apart.
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The title claims that this is a direct sequel to Mario's premiere Super NES outing, Super Mario World. While Yoshi had starred in his own games, like Yoshi and Yoshi's Cookie, Yoshi's Island was the game that truly solidified him as his own unique character within the Mario mythology. This is thanks to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, yet another magnificent platformer for the Super NES. Such is the case with Yoshi, a character first introduced as a sidekick character in Super Mario World, and now a popular game hero. It's funny how often the side characters become the heroes in their own stories, at times becoming even more popular than the main character.