N-Philes

Yoshi Touch & Go

Posted by Jordan Mammo.

When Nintendo announced Yoshi Touch and Go, a title based on an E3 tech demo, many gamers doubted that the concept had enough mileage to be incorporated into a full game, much less one on par with previous Nintendo platformers. While it's true that this is no Yoshi's Island, you have to realize that it doesn't try to be. What it is, though, is a good example of classic game design done right.

Yoshi Touch and Go wastes no time and immediately throws you into the action. Baby Mario begins his freefall and it's up to the player to make sure his descent is a safe one. During this portion of the game, players can draw clouds that will direct Mario towards various coin collections and away from the baddies flying around. Drawing circles around enemies will trap them in bubbles and turn them into coins. The bubbles can then be flung up at Mario or placed in his way so that they're collected and added to the score total.

Keeping an eye on the top screen is obviously very helpful. While it seems logical enough, players may sometimes find themselves so caught up in drawing intricate cloud paths that weave through enemies that they fail to notice when Mario, for one reason or another, slips by and doesn't end up where he was intended to go. Seeing the Italian infant fall past the path carved out for him basically guarantees that you won't be getting the score you were hoping for.

On this note, the score attained during this section of Yoshi Touch and Go is important for a couple of reasons. Obviously, in Score Attack, the points you gather will be added to your total. In addition, the amount of points you have before baby Mario reaches the forest ground will determine what color Yoshi appears to save you. Higher scores mean that Yoshi can carry more eggs and walk at a faster pace during the on-foot section of the game.

It's during this part that the gameplay really starts to open up and, although you still cannot control the main character directly, you're given more options with which to play around. You can tap Yoshi to make him jump into the air, and each tap thereafter causes him to perform his now-trademark flutter kick. Tapping the screen launches an egg in that direction, and drawing cloud platforms and bubbles makes a return from the previous section.

The ground portions may, at first glance, look just like an updated Yoshi's Island, but what you'll discover quickly is that the game plays more like a puzzler than a true platformer. As in the first section, the focus here is on raking in points and performing combos. And since you can still bubble opponents, it's even possible (though tough) to form a string of enemies and hit all of them in succession, garnering you some extra points. Speed and multi-tasking become essential and the more you play, the better you'll become.

This is really the essence of Yoshi Touch and Go. Simply getting to the end of a level isn't very fun or challenging, not to mention impossible in the Marathon and Challenge modes. If that's the type of experience you're looking for, you may want to look elsewhere. Instead, the game is more of a platform/puzzle hybrid, with the emphasis placed on replaying the modes, challenging yourself to beat high scores, and continuing to improve your skills.

The game's four modes all share the same basic premise, but they each offer a different twist in order to try and keep the gameplay fresh. They still end up feeling very similar to each other, but what's different is new enough to make you either like or dislike that specific play option.

While the challenge is part of what makes Yoshi Touch and Go enjoyable, another is that it's just plain fun to control. Though Nintendo and other developers have had trouble getting some 3D games to work smoothly on the DS hardware, games like Yoshi Touch and Go feel right at home with the touch screen. Perhaps it's because titles like this were built around the touch screen and not ported over from the N64, but the controls are so intuitive that anyone will be able to pick up the game and quickly understand how it's supposed to be played.

Aesthetically, the game carries over the same visual style seen in Yoshi's Island except that now the colors are more solid and the environment less sketchy. Even though we've seen the design before, the world is very striking and a joy to look at. On the other hand, the music is very low key and, although it's barely noticeable at times, suits the game well since it's calm and never ruins your concentration.

This game gets an N-Philes score of B.

To be honest, if I went into Yoshi Touch and Go expecting a full-fledged sequel to Yoshi's Island, I'd probably be pretty disappointed right about now. However, if you try the game with an open mind, you'll discover a truly unique, fun, and innovative experience. Yoshi Touch and Go is a pick-up-and-play title that will surely keep players coming back in attempts to beat their highest score, and with the game revolving around the "simple to learn but tough to master" concept, coming back to play isn't a very hard thing to do.

Posted in: Reviews

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