SNES Game Review: Super Mario World 2, Yoshi's Island

Super Mario World set the SNES world ablaze with selling about 40 bazillion copies back in the early 90's.  Three decades ago as we embark now on 2020, it was seen as a graphical, overall success.  I rated it as one of my top five games of all-time for the SNES, and probably would rate it in the top 20 of all-time games period, in a blog last year that I did for it.  Five years later, Nintendo decided it wanted to do a sequel.  That sequel is far, far different than what anyone imagined at the time.  Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a game that features Baby Mario (which if social media existed en masse like today, would compare to the Baby Yoda memes) and his trusty sidekick Yoshi.  Yoshi and his.. well Yoshi pals (eight different colors) protect Baby Mario from.. Baby Bowser.  Yeah, it's a bit of a wacky story.  Wacky story aside, this game is actually quite intriguing.  What's good about Yoshi's Island?  What's not so good?  It's all below right now!

Credit: Mobygames

Positives:

1. The Super FX Chip designed to make the game graphically amazing makes it graphically amazing.  The Super FX Chip was one of the newer designed at the height of the SNES fandom.  It was a chip designed to improve graphics, gameplay and make it feel a lot better to the player.  Yoshi's Island with this chip hits it out of the park.  While yes it is a SNES game, it is also a big step up from the 1990 Super Mario World.  Yes this game is still a side scroller, but the game is much more graphically enhanced thanks to the Super FX Chip.

2. Yoshi gets his game, and it is an amazing set up for him.  This is a game that you have to rely on Yoshi.  For a lot of people, they love this, as Yoshi is one of the most notable characters in the Mario brand today.  Not only does he get his game, he also brings with him the Yoshi's of Super Mario World and they team up to save Baby Mario.  It's a fun side-scrolling adventure game that makes this sequel very well worth it.

3. Nintendo went all out on the level design here and they succeeded easily.  From the first level to the last level, they were absolutely spot on with the graphical designs, the hidden treasures, hidden bonuses, checkpoints, just everything in a nut shell.  They tailored it to Yoshi's strengths and succeeded.  Whenever Baby Mario was needed they made it simple for the player to utilize Baby Mario as well.

4. I know I have said this with just about every Nintendo made game, but the music is just superb in this game.  Every level is amazing, every boss fight is amazing for music.  The map music is probably some of the most splendid music however.  It is a very upbeat, very uplifting motto to the game.  Also, you can make up some lyrics in your head like some on YouTube have done over the course of time.

5. Okay, I have to bring this one up as more comical but also brilliant.  Nintendo in a couple of the levels of this game make it where if Yoshi touches these fuzzy ball type things (think of it similar as those things kids blow that fly into the air in summer) that he gets completely whacked out.  Moving with Yoshi in this is actually really funny as you feel like he is in a psychedelic fit with the graphics moving all up and down.  It's something that makes you laugh and enjoy.

Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy. 

Neutrals:

1. Personally, I didn't mind that Yoshi turns into a submarine, a helicopter, a car, or anything else on his trip to save Baby Mario from Baby Bowser.  It was.. weird but something that I think was geared towards young children to have them enjoy the game personally rather than an adult.  An adult may look at it as a weird and what the heck situation.  Kids would definitely enjoy the game a lot more due to this.

2. Some people have 100 percented the game and others haven't.  I have seen runs where someone 100 percent completes this game. It seems fun but to me it really doesn't matter whether you do or don't.  The game itself is quite great without doing everything 100 percent.

Negatives:

1. Yes there are a couple of negatives to this game, but the main one has to be Baby Mario's.. incessant yelling if you lose him for even a second.  It is absolutely horrid to hear that scream.  If you don't believe me, go on YouTube, type in Baby Mario crying or Baby Mario yelling.. and listen for yourself in that regard.

2. I felt the controls to be a bit slick in this game.  I do get Yoshi is carrying Baby Mario, but I felt they would have been better if not as slick like in Super Mario World.  If Yoshi can stop on a dime with a 200lb or so Mario on his back, why not an infant that weighs probably 10 lbs?  That's something that felt weird to me throughout the game.

Analysis, Rating and Ranking:

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a pretty good game in terms of being a sequel to Super Mario World.  It is a very unconventional sequel to the predecessor for the Super Mario World franchise. It takes some aspects of Super Mario World and make a lot better the graphics, platforming and more.  The music is top notch by Nintendo as well.  The flaws are there definitely but it is more minimal than most games.  Overall this is a very fine game that got it's rightful place on the SNES Classic when that came out.
Rating/Ranking: In final rating, I would rate Yoshi's Island 9.1 out of 10, with an all-time SNES rating of 12th out of 721.