Tag / Mario

by lawrenceofcanadia

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island – Review

Every game from the Super Mario franchise has been hotly anticipated by fans of the series. After the success of Super Mario World, the bar was set extremely high for the sequel. The creators not only succeeded in producing a fantastic sequel (although it’s actually a prequel), but a game that proved so popular that its success spawned a series of spin-offs and sequels in itself. It really does seem like there is no stopping the Super Mario franchise!

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SMW2) is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the SNES in 1995, the Game Boy Advance in 2002, the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014. For this review, I played the version found on the SNES Mini.

The overworld map is different from Super Mario World, but does allow you to track your progress in each level (screenshot taken by the author)

Plot

SMW2 is a prequel to Super Mario World (SMW), and what a prequel it is! Magikoopa and the Koopalings intercept a stork that is carrying Baby Mario and Luigi. During the attack, Baby Mario is dropped but safely caught by Yoshi. The many Yoshies must bring Baby Mario back to the stalk. Oddly, it doesn’t explain why Magikoopa and the Koopalings are trying to intercept the brothers, or what they will do with them once they have captured them. Does Bowser know that they will grow up to be a thorn in his side?

Yoshi must carry Baby Mario through some dangerous levels whilst collecting gold coins, red coins, stars and flowers (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

Keeping with the Super Mario traditions, the game mostly consists of running and jumping through the levels whilst collecting coins and tokens, although this game involves more puzzle-solving and item collecting than other platforms. The levels and bosses increase in difficulty as the game progresses. There is no time limit which allows deeper exploration into each level and enables you to take your time.

Yoshi has the ability to eat most of his enemies, spit and throw objects at his enemies, and jump or stamp on them (as long as they don’t have spikes). He can also briefly levitate which greatly helps whilst jumping larger gaps.

Yoshi also collects eggs which he can use to fire at enemies and obstacles. These can be found by either hitting a white and green coloured block from below (red and yellow ones also occur), or by eating certain enemies and laying them as eggs. Green eggs can simply be used as a projectile to either kill enemies or aimed to collect coins and flowers. Red eggs produce stars for you to collect when thrown, and yellow eggs produce coins when they are thrown. Yoshi can also eat green and red watermelons and then spit the seeds and fire at his enemies.

There are several areas where Yoshi can touch an icon and be transformed into either a helicopter, car, drill or submarine where applicable. This enables Yoshi to reach bonus coins and flowers etc. that were previously inaccessible. A flashing star power-up is also available which makes Mario invincible for a limited amount of time.

Although Yoshi is basically invincible, he will die if he falls onto spikes and into lava etc. When he does get hit by an enemy, Baby Mario becomes encased in a bubble and begins to fly away. A countdown will begin and you need to retrieve him before the time runs out. Once caught, the timer will increase again to ensure that you have at least 10 seconds on the timer. Throughout the game you can also collect little stars that increase the amount of time you have to retrieve Baby Mario.

Like Super Mario World, Yoshi can eat most of the enemies (screenshot taken by the author)

How Does It Handle?

The game plays very well, as one would expect from a Mario platform game. One incredibly irritating aspect to the game is that sometimes the bubble Baby Mario is in, floats to areas of the screen that Yoshi cannot reach.

Graphics

The game’s illustration style is reminiscent of a colouring book coloured by crayons. The levels, backgrounds, sprites and animations look great, but I personally prefer the illustration and colour scheme of SMW. Alas, the music isn’t as memorable as SMW or Super Mario Kart (1992) for that matter.

Music & SFX

The music is good but not as memorable as it’s predecessor. Baby Mario’s crying makes you want to leave him and turn the game off.

Replay Value

As well as simply playing through the levels, there is an added challenge of collecting 100% of the flowers, stars and red coins from over 40 levels (plus several different bonus levels and games). This greatly extends the game’s life and adds replay value.

Personal Memories

Yoshi’s Island is a very good prequel and I enjoyed playing through it. There are plenty of new features and designs that clearly distinguish this from SMW, but it is easy to learn and familiar enough to not seem too different from other Mario games. However, I feel this game lacks the charm of SMW, and although it is challenging, I found the game too frustrating in places, making me not want to bother trying to achieve 100%.

Did I Complete The Game?

I have completed the main storyline, but am yet to achieve 100% throughout.

What The Critics Said:

Edge: “…Yoshi’s Island is a welcome addition to the series – as playable, challenging and entertaining as the best of the other Mario games. Overall 9/10”.[1]

Gamefan: “One word immediately springs to mind – perfect. Perfect gameplay, perfect graphics, perfect music.  Overall 9.7/10”.[2]

Next Generation: “The most impressive features of Yoshi’s Island are its size and playability. Strewn with bonus levels of all kinds, much like the original, this game will keep your dinosaur friend hopping in several different directions. You’ll find yourself baffled at the task of completing this gargantuan game, but you’ll definitely enjoy trying. Overall 5/5”.[3]

Nintendo Life: “Yoshi’s Island isn’t just a great platformer: it’s a reminder of why this silly little hobby of ours is so wonderful. Sure, the game contains no political satire, no poetic justice, no character development. But if what Miyamoto and Tezuka crafted isn’t a work of art, then the definition of “art” needs to be amended. Overall 10/10”.[4]

Awards:

Action Platform Game of the Year – 1995 Game Fans Mega Awards

SNES Game of the Year – 1995 Game Fans Mega Awards

16-Bit Game of the Year – 1995 Game Fans Mega Awards[5]

My Verdict:

“A great and worthy prequel which I feel lacks a bit of the charm of Super Mario World. However, the graphics are gorgeous, and there is plenty to learn and find, differentiating it from its predecessors and most of its contemporaries. Don’t be fooled, this game is much tougher than Super Mario World and although there is plenty here to keep you coming back, rage quits will be frequent!”

Rating:

What are your memories of Yoshi’s Island? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] ‘Testscreen: SNES – Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island’. Edge. (November 1995). Issue 26:62-65.

[2] ‘Viewpoint: SNES – Yoshi’s Island’. Gamefan. (October 1995). Volume 3 Issue 10:18.

[3] Rating: SNES – Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario World 2’. Next Generation. (February 1996). Issue 14:178.

[4] Delgrego, K., (23rd July 2009). ‘Super Mario World: Yoshi’s Island Review’. Nintendolife.com. (http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/07/super_mario_world_2_yoshis_island_retro Accessed 11th on March 2020).

[5] ‘1995 Mega Awards’ Gamefan. (January 1996). Volume 4 Issue 1:106.

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by lawrenceofcanadia

Super Mario Kart – Review

Racing games aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, as gamers usually expect realism and serious competition. Super Mario Kart took already established and loved characters and put them in a family-friendly racing game. The result was the beginning of a huge series of games that saw children and adults alike competing for hours in heated but fun and entertaining tournaments. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Super Mario Kart!

Title screen (screenshot taken by the author)

SMK is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America and Japan in 1992, and Europe in 1993 on the SNES. It was later released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2009, and the Wii U Virtual Console in 2013. For this review, I played the version found on the SNES Mini.

Gameplay

This is a racing game with a difference. You can choose from eight classic Mario characters including Mario, Luigi, Toad, Donkey Kong Jr, Bowser, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Koopa Troopa. Each character has different characteristics, e.g., Top speed, acceleration and handling. You then race on a number of tracks based on Super Mario World (Donut Plains, Ghost House and Bowser’s Castle etc.). Throughout the race you can pick up various weapons and power-ups such as turtle shells, banana skins and super stars to assist you.

One of the tracks from Donut Land

SMK has two, one-player modes. The first is Mario Kart GP which is divided into two kart speeds: 50cc and 100cc. You can also unlock a 150cc mode when you win all the trophies from 100cc mode. Each kart speed has three trophies to attain: The Mushroom Cup, The Flower Cup and the Star Cup. The more challenging 100cc option also adds The Special cup which contains tougher race tracks. Each cup consists of five, five-lap races. Depending on where you finish in the races will depend on how many points you accrue. The racer with the highest amount of points at the end of the cup competition will determine who wins the trophy. If a racer finishes between 5th to 8th then the player will lose a life and will have to race that track again. You can gain extra lives by finishing in the same position three races in a row.

The second one-player mode is the Time Trial Mode. It’s pretty self-explanatory, you simply race each track and try to gain the fastest time possible.

One of the Ghost House tracks (screenshot taken by the author)

Although one-player mode is fun and challenging, this game really comes into its own in two-player mode. Hours of swearing at your best mate and calling them “cheating bastards” as I recall from my youth when I’d lose.

In two-player mode, you and a friend can compete in Mario Kart GP, Match Race and Battle Mode. In two-player mode, the same rules apply for Mario Kart GP as in one-player mode, but you compete simultaneously via split-screen. In Match Race you can pick and choose which tracks you wish to compete on for a single race without other CPU racers.

Battle mode is also head to head and sees each racer begin with three balloons spinning around their kart. You have a choice of four arenas in which you can pick up weapons and power-ups and attack your opponent. The first player that has all their balloons popped, loses. All of these features give the game loads of replay value.

Battle Mode (screenshot taken by the author)

Game Development

Wikipedia claims that in an interview with Super Mario Kart creator Shigeru Miyamoto, that SMK was originally developed as an experiment to see if they could create a game capable of displaying the same game on the same screen simultaneously. Whilst I have heard this before, sadly, I haven’t been able to verify this quote, as Wikipedia’s links are broken. If this is true, then this experiment was fortuitous for Nintendo because it culminated in the creation of one of the most popular sub-series of games ever created, with the initial instalment selling over 8 million copies.[1]

If you would like to learn more about the origins of Super Mario Kart, I can recommened listening to episode 17 of season 2 of The Life and Times of Video Games podcast.

How Does It Handle?

What can I say? This game is great! The gameplay is easy to learn. A nice little touch, to stop you dominating the grid all the time, is that if you are in first place, you will get less effective power-ups and weapons. The further back in the pack your are, the better your weapons and power-ups.

Graphics

The graphics are bright and colourful. Each character is unique and easily identifiable. The tracks are designed in Mode 7 which lends itself very well to these types of games (although nowadays looks a bit low-res).

Music

The music sounds perfect for the game. The title music has a fun Caribbean beat to it.

Personal Memories

I had a blast revisiting this game, and it was as fun as I remembered. My blood was pumping as I scraped wins, and dodged banana skins. My favourite character to play with is Yoshi. I tried other players too (I really dislike playing with Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr) and found that I also like playing with Mario and Koopa Troopa.

Did I Complete The Game?

Although I completed 50cc mode, as of yet I cannot seem to win the Star Cup in 100cc mode.

What The Critics Said:

Electronic Gaming Monthly: “This is the best driving game to come along for some time. Mario Kart may look like an F-Zero clone on the surface, but there are many interesting upgrades ranging from power-ups to special combat battle modes using a split-screen layout. Replay options and plenty of tracks add to the appeal of this super game. Overall 8.5/10”.[2]

Gamerpro: “Here’s one that’s a winner. Super Mario Kart makes wheel-spinning, bumper-grinding, motor racing actually cute! The little guys definitely have a lot of drive. Overall 4.75/5”.[3]

Electronic Games: “Super Mario Kart has a fast-paced feelwith plenty of in-depth play. While the gameplay isn’t totally revolutionary, the action does deviate from what we’ve been exposed to in the past to make this new driving adventure something worthwhile to add to the collection, whether you’re a fan of driving titles, or Mario. Overall 93%”.[4]

Superplay: Matt Bielby – “Quite simply the best racing game yet on the Super Nintendo, and one of the funniest, most playable ones on any system. The balloon-bursting option is a delight! Guaranteed to be one of the most played carts in the Superplay office for the rest of the year. Overall 93%”.[5]

Superplay: Jonathon Davies – “Everything we could have hoped for, and more. It’s completely impossible to fault. In fact, this is the sort of thing the Super Nintendo is all about –  sheer perfection (ahem). (Make sure you find yourself a decent opponent, though). Overall 93%“.[6]

My Verdict:

“A simple concept but a fantastically fun game, especially in two-player mode, that will keep you coming back for more. Tons of replay value, with countless evenings with friends and family is what this game is all about.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Super Mario Kart? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] (14th April 2010). ‘IGN’s Top 100 Games of All Time – Super Mario Kart’. http://www.top1ign.100.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120414133232/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_23.html Accessed 24th February 2020).

[2] ‘Review Crew: SNES – Super Mario Kart’. Electronic Gaming Monthly. (November 1992). Volume 5 Issue 11:26.

[3] ‘Bro. Buzz, ‘Pro Review: Super Nes – Super Mario Kart’. Gamerpro. (December 1992). :80-2.

[4] Stevens, S., ‘Video Game Gallery: SNES – Super Mario Kart’. Electronic Games. (December 1992). Volume 1 Issue 3:79-80.

[5] Import Review: SNES – Super Mario Kart. Superplay. (November 1992). Issue 1:29-30.

[6] Davies, J., Import Review: SNES – Super Mario Kart. Superplay. (November 1992). Issue 1:29-30.

by lawrenceofcanadia

Super Mario World – Review

The Super Mario Bros. franchise is one of the most popular series of games ever to grace the planet. The brothers, who are plumbers by trade, seem to be regularly called upon to defeat the evil Bowser, and rescue Princess Toadstool (Super Mario 2 is different, as it was originally intended to be a different game). So get ready for a whole new adventure, of sliding down drainpipes, squashing Goombas, dodging Bullet Bills, discovering the secrets of the Ghost Houses, and the introduction of a new ally named Yoshi.

Title Screen (screenshot taken by the author)

Super Mario World is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Nintendo, and released for the SNES in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991, and Europe in 1992. It would later be released for the Game Boy Advance in 1991/2. The version I chose to review can be found on the SNES Mini.

Plot

In Super Mario 3, Mario and Luigi saved the Mushroom Kingdom from King Bowser. In need of a vacation, they visit Dinosaur Land for some much needed R&R. During their vacation, Princess Toadstool disappears…again! While searching for her, the brothers find a dinosaur egg which soon hatches, and they are introduced to Yoshi.

The Overworld Map at the beginining of the game (screenshot taken by the author)

Gameplay

The game begins on a map of the Dinosaur Land where yellow and red dots indicate the levels that need to be traversed before you can progress. If the dot is red, it means that there is a secret area or alternative route that once found, will open up another secret area. Ghost Houses also tend to have secret areas too.

Collect 5 Yoshi coins in one level to gain a 1-up (screenshot taken by the author)

The game follows the standard Mario gameplay of running from left to right and jumping over obstacles, and either evading or killing a variety of enemies. Power-Ups include the standard Super Mushroom, Star of Invincibility, Fire Flower that allows you to throw fireballs, and a cape that allows Mario to fly and/or descend slowly. Mario and Luigi can also perform a new spin and jump move which allows you to destroy blocks you are standing on (or next to if you’re wearing the cape).

Yoshi has his uses too. He can eat pretty much anything. Some of the enemies he eats will stay in his mouth and can be spat out at other enemies. Depending on what he eats will depend on what he spits out. If he eats a Koopa Troopa (green shelled turtle), he will simply spit out a green shell, but if he eats a Koopa Paratroopa (red shelled turtle), he will spit out fire balls. If you are hit when riding Yoshi, he will squeal and you will simply dismount him without losing any power-ups you have. Yoshi will continue to run until you re-mount him or he runs off screen.

There are several underwater levels to challenge you but, unlike Sonic, Mario doesn’t need to find air bubbles to survive (screenshot taken by the author)

Another new feature means you can now store a power-up in a blue box at the top of the screen. You can make the power-up drop down manually to change your ability, or it will automatically drop when you are struck by an enemy.

Evading ghosts in the one of the many Ghost Houses (screenshot taken by the author)

Coins and Yoshi tokens can be collected as usual to increase point and gain extra lives. Every time you collect 100 coins you will gain an extra life. Each level contains five Yoshi tokens. If you collect all five in one level, you gain an extra life.

More of the Overworld Map (screenshot taken by the author)

Once a level is completed, you can still play it again, but with an addition that if you wish to exit the level before making it to the end, you simply pause the game and press select. You will then be taken back to the Overworld Map.

How Does It Handle?

It is not difficult to see why this game is considered one of the greatest. The controls are tight and there’s plenty of secrets to find. The game is easy to learn and fun for all ages to play. You will be drawn back to revisit the game time and again.

Graphics

Brightly coloured levels with beautifully illustrated and animated sprites. The levels are challenging but fun, and look great.

Music

The music will get stuck on a loop in your head. Interestingly, when riding Yoshi, extra drum beats are added to the music which is a cool little addition.

Replay Value

Super Mario World can be played in one and two-player modes which allow you to take it in turns to complete levels. As you progress through the game you will be given a percentage of how much the game is completed. However, you don’t need to have played all the levels and/or found all the secret areas to complete the game. For those of us that simply must find every secret of a game, this will add to the replay value, as you will be replaying levels trying to find alternative routes and secret areas.

Did I Complete The Game?

I have completed the story but have yet to achieve 100% on the game.

What The Critics Said:

Computer & Video Games: “What a truly terrific game! With seven worlds and over a hundred sub-levels, Mario IV has incredible depth of gameplay. Overall 96%.”[1]

Electronic Gaming Monthly: “The ultimate Mario adventure! Super Mario World is a perfect subtitle, with 96 areas to explore. Everything just plain blew me away! Overall 9/10.”[2]

Super Play: “An amazingly deep and playable platform game, and a credit to Nintendo. Unmissable. Overall 94%.”[3]

Awards:

Best Graphics and Sound (SNES) – Nintendo Power Awards 1991[4]

My Verdict:

“I had so much fun revisiting this game. It holds up very well. Beautifully illustrated and animated, and I love the music! There are loads of fun new features, and the game has great replay value. A true landmark of a game in the side-scrolling platform genre.”

Rating:

What are your memories of Super Mario World? I would love to hear your thoughts, and don’t for get to follow and subscribe so that you don’t miss my latest reviews! You can also find me on Instagram: @nicklovestogame.

[1] Glancey, P., ‘Review: Super Mario World’. Computer & Video Games. (March 1991). Issue 112:48-50.

[2] ‘Review Crew – Super Mario 4’. Electronic Gaming Monthly. (August 1991). 25:18.

[3] Brookes, J., ‘UK Review – Super Mario World’. Superplay. (December 1992). 2:84.

[4] ‘Nintendo Power Awards ’91 – For Graphics and Sound (SNES)’. Nintendo Power. (May 1992). 36:58.