Yoshi's New Island Reviews
Yoshi's New Island isn't the creative masterclass in platforming the original was, but it is the best platformer Nintendo's released for the Nintendo 3DS to date.
It may say “new” in the title, but there’s simply not enough to get excited about in Yoshi’s New Island. Fans of the original will probably be turned off by this inferior and all-too-familiar retread.
Yoshi's New Island is a fine salute to a SNES classic and an adorable, approachable platformer in its own right, but it's only likely to have value for players new to the genre - and even then, any appreciation of the game that they have is likely to be fleeting.
It's a shame Arzest routinely steps out of line when it comes to the visual and aural artistry of Yoshi's New Island, because the gameplay ushers the little spin-off that could into the current century.
It's just not as thrilling as some of its 2D platforming counterparts, or as innovative, especially at a time when the genre is going through something of a renaissance period.
Yoshi’s New Island is amazing from beginning to charming end. Don’t hesitate for a second to buy it folks, unless you hate smiling.
Yoshi’s New Island is a decent little package. The jumping can be a bit of a challenge to master, but the rest of the game is a breeze. Even with the difficulty not being very challenging, the number of worlds and levels can last most players a good eight hours or more depending on how much they want to collect in each level. It may not have the feel of a flagship title like Mario, but Yoshi still knows how to have some fun – just make sure to go into it knowing it’s not going to be a very difficult ride.
Yoshi's New Island is a solid little platformer, but it struggles to be much more than that. It will, at least, kill a few hours of time, even if that time will hardly be remembered afterwards.
Nintendo once again proves that they know the platforming genre better than almost anyone. While polished in its design, I can’t help but wish it was a little more challenging. You can fly through the levels rather quickly without breaking much of a sweat; extra challenges add some life for more advanced players but young ones are likely to get more out of the game.
Sweet hand-drawn aesthetic and cute Yoshi sounds, but lacks any challenge.
Read our review of 'Yoshi's New Island' to see why the iconic green dinosaur's latest outing is better left with a babysitter.
Yoshi’s New Island looks great, plays flawlessly, and is entertaining and challenging enough for any fan to enjoy—and ultimately, that’s all that matters. If you’re a fan, you’ll find what you’re looking for here, but those still waiting for the next great and unique Nintendo title will have to keep on waiting. Some of the pieces of the game feel poorly tacked-on, but at it’s core Yoshi’s New Island is a worthy sequel to a beloved series that has been out of gamer’s lives for too long.
Nintendo's latest 3DS platformer, while generally competent and sometimes fun, mostly just makes you wish you were playing a better game.
Nintendo didn’t do Yoshi’s New Island any favors by adhering so closely to the game that spawned this Mario subseries. For Yoshi’s Island fans, New might feel odd. Despite that, solid gameplay and diabolically well-hidden collectibles have me sticking around.
He should've stayed on his old island...
Nintendo are famous for reinventing the wheel with their games, and throwing new ideas into old series that should have long become tired and repetitive but, sadly, Yoshi’s New Island just isn’t one of these titles. It’s enjoyable enough and has its own sense of atmosphere as well as a few unique ideas, but overall this actually feels like one of the decent but highly-iterative sequels that Nintendo is usually unfairly criticized for making. It is still fun, though, and while it may not innovate or be a classic, its joyous aesthetic and “pick up and play” nature make it at the very least a good choice for getting through the daily commute.
The Yoshi's Island series is one of my favorite gaming series ever, which is why it's so painful to see Yoshi's New Island fall short in so many ways. It's not a bad game and certainly a serviceable one for younger audiences and new players. Unfortunately, for those that have followed Yoshi since his first starring role nearly 20 years ago, this game is a tremendous disappointment.
As you can probably tell from my time with it, Yoshi's New Island isn't a "must have," but that doesn't mean it's a bad game. It's very much by the books based on any genre standard, and there's pretty much nothing new here that you'll need to run out to experience. But even so, fans of the genre will still dig it.
Dinosaurs and babies might not mix in history, but on 3DS they do just fine together. There’s a wealth of rewarding gameplay for anyone with fossil fuel left in the tank for yet another coin-collecting, Shy Guy-stomping, Yoshi spotlight. One of my favorite Nintendo characters continues to impress with heaps of charm and an oh-so-sweet soundtrack, meaning anyone looking for a spring break distraction will find a cold-blooded welcome on Yoshi’s New Island.
No, Yoshi's New Island may not be the game we fans of the original want, but it's definitely the game its creators set out to make. And a lot of fun, too. It's hard to be cynical about that.