Yoshi's Island: Super NES

Colorful sketch of Yoshi's Island as shown in game book.
Illustrations/artwork: Shigeru Miyamoto

Whose up for a throwback?

I first played this game on the Super NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) back when the console was really popular. It's still popular today and still working. This is one of those games that can relax you when you're having a hard day and even help you blow off some steam during hectic weeks.

The baby kept floating away whenever you tapped a baddy but that was the least of your worries. Playing on levels where you couldn't see far in advance was a pain. Even though this game is considered a classic, Nintendo was kind enough to bring it back as an installment for their next gen portable gaming devices.

Make Eggs, Throw Eggs

That's the first stage you'll play after the introduction to gameplay. One of the best stages to run through when you're out of eggs and need to replenish ASAP [As Soon As Possible]. File One is like a starter/warm-up. The stages start off simple and gradually increase in difficulty. This scenario repeats for each map you unlock.

The Mechanics

A spread from the Instruction Booklet that explains
how the controls work. After all these years, I'm
just now noticing that Baby Mario is sitting
backwards on Yoshi's back.

Yoshi's Island is just like the other Super Mario Bros installments: it's a side scrolling platform game. Your goal is to make it from Point A to Point B intact. For each stage you must collect: 30 stars, 20 coins and 5 flowers (worth 10 points each).

Collecting all of these items will give you a score of 100. Do this for all levels within a particular map and you will get a bonus level along with a bonus game. Bonus games are a welcome sight because they provide a means of stocking up on extras like: extra eggs, fire melons, ice melons, watermelons, red coin finders and bonus stars.

Another biggie of gameplay is to keep Baby Mario close. Hitting an obstacle -- like enemies, spikes or even getting eaten -- will cause the baby to cry and float away. You have from the current star balance (circle with numbers in top left of screen) to the count of zero to catch the baby before having to start over.

Blast from the Past

The Super NES console is till alive, kicking and sitting next to my PS2 Slimline. When I need to calm down, Yoshi's Island is plugged in. Often times I find myself revisiting the classics to pass the time.

I've only ever played Yoshi's Island on the SNES console. Despite the previews for Yoshi's New Island and the Wii U next gen (generation) console, my attachment to the old school console is still present. So whenever you're in need of a good wind down, how about picking up a copy of your favorite old school gem (game) and playing a few rounds.

You may have started playing worse for wear but after a couple of sessions, you're stress is sure to melt away.

Simple Trickery

There are some games out there that give a whole new meaning to trick shots. This is one of the simple ones. Bouncing eggs off of obstacles is one of many ways to get to your prime targets.

An interesting trick I learned from my older siblings involves the Naval Piranha's Castle stage. Rather than run straight into the chamber, nudge Yoshi bit by bit till the Piranha Plant comes into view. Next, aim your egg and fire.