I don't know about anyone else, but Yoshi's Island has been the pinnacle of the Yoshi games for me and nothing else has gotten close. I've played, but not finished, Yoshi's Story and Yoshi's...
I don't know about anyone else, but Yoshi's Island has been the pinnacle of the Yoshi games for me and nothing else has gotten close. I've played, but not finished, Yoshi's Story and Yoshi's Crafted World, and while they were fun, they just didn't capture my attention enough to see it all the way through (although I do plan on revisiting Crafted World). I've also replayed Yoshi's Island a few times and always had a blast.
It's hard for me to put into words why the first game is so enjoyable compared to the other iterations. I think part of it is the story, which felt very compelling, and the crying baby mechanic really motivated me to protect little Mario. I also loved the variety of things to do in all the levels, from the vehicle transformations to the Super Baby Mario components, to the mini-game huts you had to unlock. It seems like in the games since then they've moved away from a lot of this stuff that gave Yoshi's Island its charm.
I think part of the reason the later Yoshi games don't feel as engaging is that they've increasingly aimed to appeal to players who prefer a more relaxing, low-stress experience rather than...
I think part of the reason the later Yoshi games don't feel as engaging is that they've increasingly aimed to appeal to players who prefer a more relaxing, low-stress experience rather than frequent challenges. While that approach can make the games more accessible, it often risks making them less exciting for long-time fans who enjoy a bit more depth and difficulty.
Yoshi himself also doesn't feel quite as satisfying to control as he did in Yoshi's Island. In that original game, he moved quickly, and you could throw eggs without interrupting your flow. Later titles, like Yoshi's Story and Crafted World, force you to stop and aim, breaking momentum. Meanwhile, Island DS and New Island suffer from heavier, less intuitive physics that disrupt the smooth platforming the original nailed.
Level design has also followed a trend toward longer stages, but not always in a good way. Crafted World especially stands out for requiring you to collect flowers just to progress. To make matters worse, full completion demands replaying the same levels multiple times to clear one of the many craft objectives at a time or to find all three Poochies under a time limit in the flipped versions. It turns what could be creative replayability into repetitive busywork.
The music direction has taken a hit too. Starting with Yoshi's Island DS, the series began using simpler melodies and childlike instruments that sound more like preschool music. They fit the cute aesthetic, sure, but they also feel a bit too mellow and uninspired for older fans. Sadly, it looks like The Mysterious Book is continuing down that path.
I kind of feel like more modern Mario is so focused on being accessible that they are no longer fun. Yoshi’s Crafted World, for instance, just feels like being given busywork. The focus on...
I kind of feel like more modern Mario is so focused on being accessible that they are no longer fun. Yoshi’s Crafted World, for instance, just feels like being given busywork. The focus on searching and finding everything is especially bad. It’s nice to find a secret along the way but when secrets are the point then they stop being fun bonuses and start becoming a chore to find.
I'd argue this is a problem with video games as a whole, not just mario. It used to be only the nerds played video games, nowadays it's weirder if you don't play a little fortnite or call of duty...
I kind of feel like more modern Mario is so focused on being accessible that they are no longer fun.
I'd argue this is a problem with video games as a whole, not just mario. It used to be only the nerds played video games, nowadays it's weirder if you don't play a little fortnite or call of duty or FIFA or whatever the current popular title happens to be. Companies don't want a niche fanbase, they want their game to be the one that everyone is playing.
Take a look at The Elder Scrolls series. Pretty much everyone agrees that Skyrim is extremely dumbed-down compared to previous titles, which leads to less roleplaying freedom and less enjoyment for older fans.
An example near and dear to my own heart would be Elden Ring. It's really just a more accessible version of Dark Souls, and yet that completely ruins it for me. I have played and replayed all three Dark Souls titles countless times and I'm still not tired of them. Elden Ring was okay once and I have not had any desire at all to return to it.
Nintendo especially has enjoyed massive success since the launch of the original Nintendo Switch and unfortunately I only see their first-party games getting even dumber and dumber in an attempt to appeal to literally everyone with thumbs.
I don't know about anyone else, but Yoshi's Island has been the pinnacle of the Yoshi games for me and nothing else has gotten close. I've played, but not finished, Yoshi's Story and Yoshi's Crafted World, and while they were fun, they just didn't capture my attention enough to see it all the way through (although I do plan on revisiting Crafted World). I've also replayed Yoshi's Island a few times and always had a blast.
It's hard for me to put into words why the first game is so enjoyable compared to the other iterations. I think part of it is the story, which felt very compelling, and the crying baby mechanic really motivated me to protect little Mario. I also loved the variety of things to do in all the levels, from the vehicle transformations to the Super Baby Mario components, to the mini-game huts you had to unlock. It seems like in the games since then they've moved away from a lot of this stuff that gave Yoshi's Island its charm.
I think part of the reason the later Yoshi games don't feel as engaging is that they've increasingly aimed to appeal to players who prefer a more relaxing, low-stress experience rather than frequent challenges. While that approach can make the games more accessible, it often risks making them less exciting for long-time fans who enjoy a bit more depth and difficulty.
Yoshi himself also doesn't feel quite as satisfying to control as he did in Yoshi's Island. In that original game, he moved quickly, and you could throw eggs without interrupting your flow. Later titles, like Yoshi's Story and Crafted World, force you to stop and aim, breaking momentum. Meanwhile, Island DS and New Island suffer from heavier, less intuitive physics that disrupt the smooth platforming the original nailed.
Level design has also followed a trend toward longer stages, but not always in a good way. Crafted World especially stands out for requiring you to collect flowers just to progress. To make matters worse, full completion demands replaying the same levels multiple times to clear one of the many craft objectives at a time or to find all three Poochies under a time limit in the flipped versions. It turns what could be creative replayability into repetitive busywork.
The music direction has taken a hit too. Starting with Yoshi's Island DS, the series began using simpler melodies and childlike instruments that sound more like preschool music. They fit the cute aesthetic, sure, but they also feel a bit too mellow and uninspired for older fans. Sadly, it looks like The Mysterious Book is continuing down that path.
I kind of feel like more modern Mario is so focused on being accessible that they are no longer fun. Yoshi’s Crafted World, for instance, just feels like being given busywork. The focus on searching and finding everything is especially bad. It’s nice to find a secret along the way but when secrets are the point then they stop being fun bonuses and start becoming a chore to find.
I'd argue this is a problem with video games as a whole, not just mario. It used to be only the nerds played video games, nowadays it's weirder if you don't play a little fortnite or call of duty or FIFA or whatever the current popular title happens to be. Companies don't want a niche fanbase, they want their game to be the one that everyone is playing.
Take a look at The Elder Scrolls series. Pretty much everyone agrees that Skyrim is extremely dumbed-down compared to previous titles, which leads to less roleplaying freedom and less enjoyment for older fans.
An example near and dear to my own heart would be Elden Ring. It's really just a more accessible version of Dark Souls, and yet that completely ruins it for me. I have played and replayed all three Dark Souls titles countless times and I'm still not tired of them. Elden Ring was okay once and I have not had any desire at all to return to it.
Nintendo especially has enjoyed massive success since the launch of the original Nintendo Switch and unfortunately I only see their first-party games getting even dumber and dumber in an attempt to appeal to literally everyone with thumbs.