I finally beat my last DS game, a couple months before my projected date. Yoshi’s Island is the third DS Mario game I have played (not counting Mario Kart), and although it might not be the best, it definitely gets the title for the hardest and the one with the most unlockables. Unlike the other two games, however, in this game you play as Yoshi, Mario’s little reptilian friend, and partner up with baby versions of our favorite Mario characters.

I have to say that I love the graphics in this game. They have a very unique look, and I love them. They really bring back fond memories of the original Yoshi game. The graphics are hard to explain, and the best I can do is to say that they look hand drawn, and in the case of the backgrounds, drawn with a crayon. The babies look great, and the enemies and bosses really enhance the game. The audio is also great, the songs have a lullaby quality and the sound effects are very crisp. I find myself laughing at the sound effects every once in a while, which is a good thing.

The gameplay is very similar to other Mario games with a twist: multiple playable characters. While you always play as a Yoshi, you can switch between babies at certain points in the levels. The babies are Mario (of course), Peach, Donkey Kong, Wario and Bowser. Each has his own ability and is needed at certain points of the game to finish the levels. Mario can run fast, Peach can float on wind currents using her umbrella, Donkey Kong can swing on vines and climb chains, Wario uses a magnet to attract coins and other metal objects, and Bowser shoots fire. Each baby is necessary, and each offers a completely new and unique ability.

The game is rather long, and offers more to unlock than the other Mario games. In each level there are 20 red coins, 30 stars and 5 flowers to find. There are also a few mini games to be unlocked throughout the stages, and after getting 100% on each level in a world, an extra stage. Not to mention the secret stages unlocked by beating the game! That’s a lot. This game is hard, and completing it 100% will take anyone a long time. If you’re a Mario fan, or just a platforming fan, grab this game, it’s well worth it. I loved it.