MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	YoshiLand, by Ultramario
Review Author	toodles_team
Created	Mar 19 2009, 10:13 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

YoshiLand is a very well produced fangame. It's sort of like Super Mario World meets Yoshi's Story by way of SMB: The Lost Levels. It's quite a difficult game, but it's also a fun one, too.

Pros	-Engine is spot on -Secrets abound -SMW Yoshi doesn't get enough attention these days
Cons	-Occasional blind jumps -Power-ups can actually be a bit disorienting, such as the feather. -This may be intentional, but if the player activates a checkpoint and then warps, they begin at the checkpoint of the level they warp to.

Impressions

Gameplay 8 / 10	The engine is spot on here. Yoshi moves and acts exactly as he did in Super Mario World, as do the enemies he encounters. This is very important, as the game closely resembles it's source material. The only thing lacking is the ability to duck. This would certainly be useful in later levels, as the difficulty ramps up very quickly. After inadvertently warping to World 4, I found myself bombarded with bullet bills, piranha plants, chain chomps, and several other enemies all at once! The game is not impossible, but it's teetering on the edge of being a little too frustrating for its own good. Thankfully, the clever level design and nearly flawless engine save it, and YoshiLand remains a fun romp through and through.
Graphics 8 / 10	Nearly 100% Super Mario World in this department. Yoshi is all old-school in this game, complete with his orange arms. I'm surprised at how little I see the SMW graphics used in other games, as they are quite nice. YoshiLand maintains that classic feel without feeling too repetitive.
Sound 8 / 10	Unsurprisingly, the game uses mostly pulls it's music from Yoshi games, especially Yoshi's Story. They're Midis, but they're good Midis, so it's no big deal. Yoshi's Story music doesn't turn up much, so it feels pretty fresh. As this is a Yoshi game, I doubt anything else would sound appropriate anyway.
Replay 7 / 10	The game has a number of secrets to find, such as warps and hidden locations, so that certainly helps with replay value. The levels are pretty large, too, so there is plenty of reason to explore YoshiLand again.

Final Words

YoshiLand is a solid platformer that accurately imitates classic Super Mario World gameplay. It's quite challenging, but there is still a lot of fun to be had.

Report This Submission

Comments

	Ultramario Mar 24 2009, 4:08 PM
Thanks a lot Toodles. Quote This may be intentional, but if the player activates a checkpoint and then warps, they begin at the checkpoint of the level they warp to. Actually that's a glitch that somehow has gone unnoticed.

Pages: (1) 1 | Last Unread