While “Yarn Yoshi” was absent from Nintendo’s showing at E3 this year, they didn’t leave Yoshi fans hanging. Yoshi’s New Island for the 3DS looks ready to scratch that 2D platforming itch.
While this game doesn’t rely on the novelty of the two screens in the way Yoshi’s Island for the DS did, it does have a noticeably stunning visual presentation. Initial screens of this title may look flat and muddy, but I have to say seeing it in person with the 3D on will squash any concerns of the visuals. It really looks like a moving painting, as if you can almost see the thick brush strokes on the characters and the backgrounds.
Unfortunately for me, aside from the visuals there doesn’t seem to be much new to shake up the formula. Being a somewhat seasoned Yoshi’s Island guy, I did notice that Yoshi seems to move a bit slower than I would have expected. There are also a few extra frames of animation to his egg throwing ability that initially threw me off. I am used to the aiming reticle popping up instantly for me to fire an egg, but in the game he takes a few extra milliseconds to pull out the unhatched projectile, causing me to fire prematurely a number of times until I locked into the grove and the pacing.
The DS title had a lot going for it, with the interplay between screens and the abilities Yoshi got from having different baby characters on his back. The only real “gimmick” in the demo I played seems to be the large egg mechanic seen in the early screens and videos for this game.
The game introduces sections in the level where you can hit a floating icon of binoculars; this will provide a zoomed out view of the level where you can move back and forth and see things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. The purpose of this is to then use a giant egg to ricochet around the level, freeing up obstructions you otherwise couldn’t get past.
The zoomed-out view will show you a series of coins that form an arrow you likely wouldn’t notice, to throw a large egg which will break through a bunch of obstructions and revealing a new path.
Even though the demo was short and the levels very basic, Yoshi’s New Island seems to rely wholly on the backbone of gameplay that made the original Yoshi’s Island for the SNES so great. I am excited to play more, if anything else than for the presentation alone. It’s visually unique and pretty enough to warrant a peak.
Yoshi’s New Island launches eggs in 2014.
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