 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Yoshi's Island DS
- Nintendo DS
- Price: $29.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Fast, challenging, and charming Mario game remake.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this colorful, charming game has a lot of youth appeal, but may be challenging for the youngest players drawn to its visual style. The game demands a lot of precise jumping while dodging, stomping, and shooting eggs at enemies. Many levels require strategizing and puzzle solving. The touch screen on the DS rarely comes into play; instead, gameplay spans both screens (leaving a small missing region in between that can hide important visuals).
What's it about?
YOSHI'S ISLAND DS is a follow-up to the beloved Super Nintendo game Yoshi's Island from 1995. The story is simple: An evil wizard is kidnapping babies, and the Mario Bros. second-fiddle Luigi is among the missing. The Yoshis, a group of dinosaur-like creatures with sticky tongues and the ability to transform enemies that they eat into eggs, decide to help some other Mario-world babies in a rescue attempt.
Players guide the Yoshis (with a baby on board) across 50 colorful levels. Different babies give the Yoshis different abilities: Baby Mario can dash and smash hidden blocks, Baby Peach can ride gusts of wind, and Baby Donkey Kong can climb vines and swing on ropes, etc.; many levels have puzzles that require players to strategize and switch babies back and forth. If a baddie hits a Yoshi, the baby is thrown from its back and a countdown begins -- players have a short time to rescue the baby before losing a life.
Is it any good?
Don't be swayed by the images of pacifiers and diapers -- mastering Yoshi's Island DS is not child's play. The game makes good use of its two screens, although the touch sensitivity rarely comes into play: The screens work together to create a tall window into the jungles, deserts, and haunted ships that constitute the Yoshis' world. This trick complements the action, letting players see platforms high above or toss an egg from on high. Players can expect to spend a lot of time airborne, moving between floating platforms and using the Yoshis' ability to flutter kick and float.
The gameplay is top-notch, but the game stumbles in a couple of areas. Although the double-screen view looks nice, there is a missing section of space between the screens that can hide treasure and enemies. Also, some of the levels are punishingly difficult, and players may die dozens of times, particularly if they want to collect most or all of the treasures. But even when Yoshi's Island DS becomes frustrating, it's hard to put down.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why Nintendo remade this game, which is similar to a game from an old system. Are such remakes good for introducing young gamers to old games? Or are companies just recycling old material? Are you more likely to want a game simply because it features Mario or one of his pals? Do you like the challenging parts of the game or are you sometimes too frustrated with them?
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AGE
This game makes me smile every time i play it. I loved it. I've beat it twice. It's still a blast to play! Try it out!
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AGE
Cute!
I LOVED this game! It has fairly easy controls and it's really colorful, so it would probably catch little kid's eyes, too! plus it's really fun and challenging! YOU SHOULD REALLY GET IT! ^.^ 10 out of 10 stars! :D
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AGE
This game is excellent!! Bright, colorful graphics and great controls. Two thumbs up!
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AGE
Pretty good remake of one of my favorite games.
I'm a proud owner of the original game for the Super Nintendo, so I had to get this game. Well, I can't say it's as good as the original, but it's still a great and fun game. And some levels are challenging and require good thinking skills. And there's nothing inappropriate, so yeah. I recommend it to DS owners.
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AGE
A good game.
One of the best yoshi's island games so far.
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AGE
WOW
THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER AND MY 5 YEAR OLD SISTER ALLREADY BEAT IT AND THEY GAVE HER EXTRA LEVELS TO PLAY AFTER YOU BEAT IT.i LOVE THIS GAME BUT IT CAN GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATING.BELIVE ME I KNOW.SO TRY THIS GAME.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Nintendo |
| Release date: | November 13, 2006 |
| Price: | $29.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E |
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