Yoshi's Crafted World (NSW) Review

SuperPhillip Central closes out the month of March with a review of a recent release, Yoshi's Crafted World for the Nintendo Switch. As someone who adored Yoshi's Woolly World and obviously Yoshi's Island, how does Crafted World fare in comparison? The answer's in the SPC review!

Catching Yoshi on the flip side

Yoshi debuted in North America in 1991's Super Mario World, and ever since, the green dinosaur has been a major part of the Mario universe. His popularity granted him his own line of games, beginning with 1995's Yoshi's Island. Since then, Yoshi's series of games have had more ups and downs than a roller coaster, with some being of considerable quality while others being major disappointments. Depending on who you ask, perhaps all of them since Yoshi's Island have been disappointments. Yoshi's Crafted World is the latest game starring the Yoshi clan, and with it, it brings an exhaustive amount of creativity in its visual style and art direction, but is there more appeal in Yoshi's Crafted World than just on the crafty surface?

Before getting into that, I immediately noticed just how much of a visual delight Yoshi's Crafted World is. The game world is like a child's arts and crafts project--well, a child who's much more gifted than I was at that age (or maybe ever). I enjoyed the slow and methodical pace I had to use in order to find all of a level's collectibles because it allowed me to really appreciate and study the creative crafty concoctions on display. Everything from background hills and mountains being made up of green paper plates and grass crudely created out of construction paper in the first level of the game to the straw bamboo shoots in the Japanese-themed castle display such a clever art design that truly astounds and is a terrific treat.

Yoshi uses some flower power to progress through this early game level.

Levels have a front side and a flipped side, where you run through the same level, but you start at the goal and work your way to the start. You're still going left to right, but this time the camera is facing what was once the foreground of the level. I loved seeing things in the flipped version of levels that I couldn't notice when playing them in their original form. Such things were like Shy Guys napping in alcoves, platforms comprised of empty cereal boxes, complete with legible bar codes, and the child-like scribblings on the back of cardboard walls.

It's in these flipped levels that Yoshi must find and nab three of longtime pooch companion Poochy's three pups which are hiding in the flipped version of the game's 43 main levels. They aren't too terribly tough to find, as the pups not only bark when you're nearby them, but the Switch Joy-Cons or Pro Controller also vibrates as well in the pups' vicinity. The only real difficulty to these missions is gathering all three pups and reaching the goal in the level's time limit to earn a bonus collectible.

Speaking of difficulty, Yoshi's Crafted World isn't going to challenge most seasoned players of platformers... at least for the most part. If you're simply running through levels to reach the goal of each course, you're going to find the game to be a breeze. At the same token, you'll also be depriving yourself of being able to appreciate the level designs, not just with the aforementioned creativity in the arts and crafts design that permeates throughout the courses, but also in appreciating how well hidden secrets are. Lastly, and most importantly, you'll create roadblocks for yourself in advancing in the game.

You'll be sure to get dino-"sore" if you get rammed by that triceratops, Yoshi.

Throughout the world map, there are characters that require a set number of Smiley Flowers, one of the main collectibles within Yoshi's Crafted World. Once you give them their required amount of Flowers, you're able to advance forward in the game. These Flower goals don't require much of a grind at all, just a small amount of exploring levels to acquire the sufficient number necessary to progress on the world map. Thus, these Smiley Flower roadblocks make it so that exploring these deviously and cleverly created levels is encouraged, and not so much so that you have to comb every inch of level for hidden goodies.

Just like your typical Yoshi game hearkening back to the original Yoshi's Island on the Super Nintendo, Yoshi's Crafted World has several collectibles, but it works a little differently than past games. For one, there are a multitude of Smiley Flowers to earn in levels. This isn't just from discovering them in item clouds (rather hidden from sight or not) or placed in precarious locations, but also from achieving certain goals in levels, which are always the same in each level.

Levels also move between the background and foreground, adding even more impressive visual variety to the game.

These goals task you with collecting 100 coins or more, having full health at the end of the level (which is made easier by the unlockable but completely optional cardboard costumes you can earn in-game--as these add extra hits to Yoshi), and finding all 20 red coins. Each goal you complete nets you a Smiley Flower, yet another way to make progress in Yoshi's Crafted World. Unlike Yoshi's Island, you need not get 100% in a level all in one go. Your progress in each level completed is saved, so if you collected 19 of 20 red coins in a level, you'll only need to find that last red coin missing instead of having to collect all 20 all over again.

And it's especially fortunate that you don't have to collect everything in one play-through of a level, as part of the actual challenge in Yoshi's Crafted World comes from merely finding and acquiring these hidden and out-of-the-way collectibles. Some are truly fiendishly placed, requiring keen observation and a little platforming prowess as well to find and collect. It was just another way Yoshi's Crafted World amazed me with its levels.

A new gameplay mechanic in Yoshi's Crafted World allows Yoshi to aim his eggs in the foreground and background. Thus, you have a whole new series of places where items can be placed, and this is particularly notable with Crafted World's series of souvenirs to find.

Characters on the world map will ask of you to find and hit with your eggs certain souvenirs from levels. Thankfully, you don't have to wonder which level houses what souvenir, as these are clearly marked on the level they're present in. What I'm not so thankful about is how many times you have to return to levels just to collect souvenirs. While this isn't at all required to reach the end of the game, souvenir hunting means you enter a level, scour it for the souvenir or series of souvenirs, hit them with eggs, and exit the level to give said souvenirs to the character who asked for them.

Smiley Flowers like this serve as currency to open new areas in Yoshi's Crafted World.

This means entering a level and sometimes having to play through the most of it due to a given souvenir being located near the level's end (a pain for levels that have a set pace such as auto-scrolling levels, where you can't just quickly rush through them), and doing this for each and every souvenir in the game. There are a LOT of these--sometimes up to ten per game area on the world map, and although it's nice you can exit a level once you collect the required souvenirs, it can absolutely bog Yoshi's Crafted World's pace down considerably.

Thus, instead of doing these all at once, I found it less of a hassle to acquire souvenirs as I was doing other goals. So, if I was missing a collectible in a level, I'd kill two Goonie Birds with one egg and search for the missing collectibles while also searching for the souvenirs. I'd do the same thing for the Poochy Pup missions, but I still needed to return to levels multiple times regardless. Most importantly, though, my advice is to not try to get 100% in each area of the world map before moving on to the next. You'll burn yourself out quickly on Crafted World if you do, as no amount of creativity in the level design will make up for having to revisit the same level for the umpteenth time as you search for yet another souvenir. Again, though, thankfully the souvenirs are mostly optional content, and even still, the 100% reward is more about the journey than the destination.

Souvenirs such as these gold ninja stars can hide anywhere, so be on the lookout!

Another thing I appreciate about Yoshi's Crafted World is eschewing the long-running tradition of Yoshi's Island-themed games of having eight levels per world. Instead, Yoshi's Crafted World splits up the levels between a plethora of areas and zones, usually consisting of two to three similar themed levels. Once you beat the first boss of the game and collect its gem, the world map greatly expands, allowing you multiple pathways that branch out considerably as you search for the next three gems.

Furthermore, the levels allow for a type of locale and theme before quickly moving on to the next, meaning no one idea lingers for too long. Sure, you have your typical grasslands, beaches, glaciers, forest, and such which are standard platforming level tropes of Nintendo games, but Yoshi's Crafted World also breaks away from that template. There are haunted houses with one of them that features crazed clowns with "axes" that chase poor Yoshi through them with little time to relax, circuses with literal hoops to jump through, river rides that take place aboard cardboard lilypads that are set in a bathroom interior, and even a level with low gravity in a crafted diorama of outer space. There also atypical levels that forgo platforming for vehicle-based romps, such as riding on a plane, on a solar-powered car, and even in a Yoshi-shaped robot.

Every object in the environment is made up of crafty components, such as these lilypads made of sponge and cardboard.

I previously and initially talked about the low challenge of Yoshi's Crafted World, and how most of the actual difficulty comes from finding everything in a level. However, that's nothing compared to the post-game content that is available upon beating the game. While I won't spoil too much, the levels that unlock upon besting the final boss and acquiring the final gem can be absolutely maddening to complete 100%, and I mean that in a fair and very enjoyable way. You also earn new goals in the boss levels, making it so battling the bosses once again is worthwhile instead of just doing so for the sake of it. Trying to clear bosses under a certain time limit or without taking any damage are especially tough challenges, and let's not even talk about that ONE boss in the post-game...

There's no real reason to re-face these bosses... until you reach the post-game, that is!

If you're looking for a superb-looking Switch game--heck, just a superb-looking game, in general--then Yoshi's Crafted World will definitely delight. Everything from the plush-like softness of Yoshi's character model to the way the background comes into focus when Yoshi aims an egg back in the far distance makes for a stunning display. Performance on the Switch in docked form is fantastic with crisp colors, defined edges, and stellar textures. Things aren't so great in handheld play, but serviceable enough. There's just the issue of the game in handheld play looking awfully blurry in comparison to docked form.

Additionally, on the presentation side of Yoshi's Crafted World, the music is probably the most disappointing feature in the game. While the compositions are well done, the instrumentation uses a classroom instrument-like sound, which is very low energy and not too exciting. Plus, we have a Yoshi's New Island situation where the main theme is used immensely throughout the game, just with different instruments and in different keys here and there.

It's okay that Shy Guys are on this Blarrg's diet--they're Keto-friendly.

Yoshi's Crafted World is the type of game that is like a cozy bed. You just want to put your face into its adorable pillows, feel all warm and fuzzy under its creative covers, and take a relaxing and rejuvenating rest in. Or it's like a cute doll. You just want to hold it and squeeze it until its saccharine sweet cuteness just pours out. Whichever simile you prefer, Yoshi's Crafted World delivers a lovely and endearing game with sensational levels--some of the best Yoshi has ever been able to run and jump in--accessible mechanics for all ages (making it so Yoshi automatically makes an egg when an enemy is tongued up without needing to press down is a much welcome addition), and stunning arts and crafts environments. Although the challenge level isn't high or punishing, there's enough here content-wise to last most players a long time regardless, especially if you're gunning for 100% completion.

[SPC Says: A-]

Top Ten Green Video Game Characters

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. These characters are certainly not going to be pinched for not wearing green today, as SuperPhillip Central is here to count down the top ten video game characters who either wear green or full-blown ARE green with this list. The only major rule being imposed on this list is that each character or series of characters must originate from video games, so, apologies to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--as much as you're beloved. Take this green-tinted journey with me as I count down some of the most inspired characters in green garb and/or green skin.

10) Jade (Beyond Good & Evil)

We start this countdown of green clad characters with Jade from Beyond Good & Evil, who boasts and impressive resume despite appearing in just one game so far (hopefully soon to be two with the upcoming sequel). Not many video game characters can boast being a photo-journalist, a hero who rescues orphans, and one who exposes the corruption of the government all in the course of one game. What I especially like about Jade is that she's not some piece of eye candy made for the horny 18-35 male demographic--she's an actual person that everyone can relate to and enjoy playing as. She's a strong female character, and it was awesome to see back in the early 2000's, and it's still awesome to see today.

9) Rash and Zitz (Battletoads)

While the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles won't be making an appearance on this list, the characters concocted and created by Rare to serve as rivals to the heroes in a half shell are here (well, except the one that's brown--you don't qualify, Pimple). The Battletoads appeared in their own titular NES game, and as anyone who has played the game will tell you, Battletoads is hard as hell. Is there a level after the Turbo Tunnel? I've seen no evidence that there is, as I've never gotten past it! (Just kidding... about wondering if there are levels after Turbo Tunnel, that is.) The Battletoads series is one that many fans have craved to see a return of, and they got their wish this past E3 with the announcement of a brand new game in the series. Finally, all that teasing and hinting has paid off.

8) Reptile (Mortal Kombat)

Now, a casual onlooker might take one gaze upon Mortal Kombat's Reptile and say, "Okay, this is merely a recolor of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and so on." Nay, I say! While Reptile started off as a basic palette swap for those characters, Reptile has indeed evolved into his own, even becoming the type of creature he's named after through subsequent sequels. This all culminated with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance giving Reptile a full reptilian appearance with green talons and snake-like tail. Originally a hidden character in the series, Reptile is now a full fledged mainstay of the roster, appearing in the majority of Mortal Kombat games.

7) Frogger (Frogger)

How can anyone have a list of the top green video game characters without mentioning one of the O.G.s? Frogger, like many long-running video game series and characters, has had several ups and downs. From his arcade origins to the PS2/GameCube/Xbox era reboot that saw the four legged frog turn into a bipedal, fully voiced character, back to his arcade game roots, Frogger is a well known character in gaming. That's of course not to say the character and series are as popular as they once were, but if you make a list of the top arcade titles of the past, Frogger would definitely be up there. The brave little frog that could laughs in the face of danger, triumphantly and courageously crossing traffic-ridden streets, flowing rivers of logs and lilypads, all for his heroic duty of guiding his fellow amphibians home.

6) King K. Rool (Donkey Kong)

The most notorious villain within the Donkey Kong franchise (originating in 1994's Donkey Kong Country, as well as appearing in various spin-offs like Donkey Kong Land, DK King of Swing, and Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast), King K. Rool kommands--er--commands the Kremling army, a roster of reptilian forces that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Whether he's in the role of a king, a kaptain, a kommander, or even a mad scientist (or is that one of his siblings?), King K. Rool seldom gives up in his plan to destroy the Kongs once and for all. His arrival in the Super Smash Bros. series as a newcomer in the latest game in the series made many fans howl with delight, much like yours truly. A fantastic and long overdue addition for a delightfully entertaining character.

5) Blanka (Street Fighter)

There aren't too many characters in the Street Fighter series that are as beloved as Blanka, who debuted in Street Fighter II. Since that Super Nintendo classic, the human turned mutated beast Blanka has appeared in almost every Street Fighter game since. Always depicted with green skin and orangish-red hair, there's no mistaking Blanka when you see him, and if the appearance wasn't enough of a dead giveaway, his animal-like fighting style, complete with electric-based attacks should hammer the point home. Street Fighter V's third season recently brought Blanka back into the roster after a much derided absence.

4) Master Chief (Halo)

The hero of the Halo franchise, Master Chief is a soldier of few words, but as they say, actions speak much louder than words--as do the high-powered shots that M.C. lets loose from the various weaponry within the Halo franchise. Master Chief always is up for his next mission when duty calls, and whether that's against the Covenant, Flood, or whatever group that stands in his path from his objective. The strong, silent type, this character trait can either be seen as something that makes Master Chief stand out and more bad-ass, or a character without much depth. Whichever the case, there's no denying that Master Chief is lean, mean, and green fighting machine.

3) Yoshi (Yoshi)

With a brand new game hatching on the Nintendo Switch at the end of the month with Yoshi's Crafted World, it's a good time to be Yoshi. The dinosaur debuted in Super Mario World, as a mode of transportation for Mario. Obviously annoyed and frustrated with callously being leaped off from over bottomless pits and chasms, Yoshi went on to star in his own series of games. Starting off with Yoshi's Island and then its followup Yoshi's Story, Yoshi would become a regular member of the Mushroom Kingdom ensemble, also appearing in various Mario spin-offs, from sports titles to party games. This is all the while starring in his own titles, which would lead up to what I consider the game to finally have usurped Yoshi's Island's throne, Yoshi's Woolly World.

2) Link (The Legend of Zelda)

The hero of time, hero of wind, and just plain hero of Hyrule, Link is the legendary character possessing the Triforce of Courage within The Legend of Zelda series. Taking on foes like the beast Ganon, Calamity Ganon, Vaati, Yuga, and more, Link always puts on a brave face whenever Hyrule is in danger. Over 30 years of green tunics will associate such a color with our hero. It wasn't until Breath of the Wild that Link opted for a fashion conscious change of color with a blue tunic. Regardless, coming from one of the longest, most historic and beloved gaming franchises, Link from The Legend of Zelda continues to remain one of the most notable video game characters who adorn the green color.

1) Luigi (Super Mario)

One of the most popular second bananas in gaming, Luigi is often in the shadow of his more celebrated brother Mario--heck, the poor plumber gets such abuse in the Mario & Luigi game, often called "Green Mario", for Petey Piranha's sake! In 2001, his character received a cowardly, scared-y cat trait to distinguish him more from his brother, as seen in Luigi's Mansion. That only makes us want to root for Luigi even harder. Anyone can be brave in the face of danger like Mario, but it takes a true hero to overcome the odds, get courage from inside, and march through one's fear to save the day like Luigi does. Besides, what other video game character can win mini-games in Mario Party by doing absolutely nothing?

Attractive Attractions: My Most Anticipated Nintendo Land Mini-Games

The Wii U finally launches in North America on Sunday with the rest of the world following suit soon after. As someone who isn't able to get a Wii U until later on down the road, I am still enamored with the launch lineup. One of the games that excites me the most is none other than Nintendo Land. While not the real world Nintendo theme park that fans of the big N have wanted and wished for for years, Nintendo Land looks to be an extremely entertaining title.

I'm using this opportunity before the Wii U and Nintendo Land launches to write up a list of my most anticipated attractions from the compilation from least interested to most interested. Think of it as Rank Up! but without the official segment title.

12) Octopus Dance

The mini-game I am least excited for is based off of one of Nintendo's oldest properties, the Game & Watch. The Octopus Dance game has players essentially partaking in Simon Says as the AI does various poses which the player has to memorize, and then they have to repeat the computer's actions via the control sticks or gyro controls. This is all while doing it in rhythm. It seems like Octopus Dance is rather light on content and depth, so this game doesn't really appeal to me so much.

11) Yoshi's Fruit Cart

Don't let the simplistic presentation fool you-- there is a lot to like about Yoshi's Fruit Cart. By drawing a line on the GamePad's touch screen, players lead Yoshi through a level to gather all of the fruit and make it to the goal. The caveat here-- and the thing that makes the game something that could only be done on the Wii U-- is that players need to look at the TV screen to see where the location of the fruits are, as the GamePad screen does not show it to them. The dozens upon dozens of different levels interest me greatly.

10) Takamaru's Ninja Castle

The mini-game showcased in the North American general Wii U television advertisement, Takamaru's Ninja Castle is based off a Japanese-only Famicom Disk System game. By sliding his or her finger across the GamePad longways, players can launch shuriken at multiple waves of ninja. Alongside the normal ninja enemies, there are boss characters to battle. These sections has the player using a sword instead of shuriken. I enjoy shooting gallery-style games, and Takamaru's Ninja Castle looks to scratch that itch for me.

9) Donkey Kong's Crash Course

Get a crash course on using the GamePad to tilt a fragile vehicle through a hazard-laden, platform-filled obstacle course. Go too fast, and your vehicle might topple over. Go too slow, and time will expire. Ample checkpoints promise that repeated attempts don't get overly frustrating. The TV screen shows the entirety of a given level while the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view of your vehicle. With multiple levels to ride through, Donkey Kong's Crash Course may seem intimidating to beginning players, but it appears to be a solid challenge regardless.

8) Captain Falcon's Twister Race

Not even using the F-Zero name in its title, Captain Falcon's Twister Race has the player's Mii riding in a windup Blue Falcon as they tilt the Wii U GamePad to steer through a windy track full of obstacles, boosts, and ramps. Perhaps my thirst for a new F-Zero is making me more enthused for this particular mini-game than I should be, but I could always use a good and not-so-complex racing game for the Wii U launch.

7) Balloon Trip Breeze

It's pertinent to note that only the single-player mini-games have been listed thus far. The final of these solo mini-games is Balloon Trip Breeze, based off of Balloon Fight. Creating wind gusts to blow the player's Mii around the auto-scrolling levels, the player collects balloons and dodges air mines that will pop one of their three balloons. Pop all three, and it's game over. Similar to Donkey Kong's Crash Course, the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view while the TV screen displays a larger portion of the level. Each level ends with the player landing on an island.

6) Animal Crossing: Sweet Day

Animal Crossing: Sweet Day features the asymmetrical gameplay that Nintendo has been touting so much since the Wii U's initial unveiling two E3s ago. One player controls two guards with both analog sticks, one for the left stick and one for the right stick. That player's job is to capture all of the other players who are trying to collect candy and take it back to a drop off point. The more candy one has on them, the slower they move. The game ends in one of two ways: 1) The GamePad player captures every animal, or 2) The players collecting candy drop off enough.

5) Luigi's Ghost Mansion

Dressing one's Mii up as Mario, Luigi, Wario, or Waluigi?! Where do I sign up for that? Luigi's Ghost Mansion has a promising premise. Like Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, this game also uses asymmetric gameplay. The four players dressed up as the four plumbers attempt to find the location of a ghost controlled by the player with the Wii U GamePad. The ghost is completely invisible, but can be seen occasionally when a player's flashlight gleams on it or when lightning brightens the room. The players searching for the ghost have their controllers rumble when they are nearby the ghost. If the ghost player grabs and sucks the life force out of all players, that person wins. If the ghost gets sucked up by the other players, they win. I think Luigi's Ghost Mansion is a remarkably clever little game, and I am excited to try it out for myself.

4) Pikmin Adventure

Since Pikmin 3 isn't getting a release until next year, Nintendo Land's Pikmin Adventure mini-game will have to do for now. This is a cooperative-based game. The GamePad player controls Olimar. Meanwhile, up to four players with Wii Remotes control little Pikmin. Working together to bash baddies and break through obstacles, the players pass through colorful levels as they head to the end where Olimar's ship awaits. Before they can reach the Dolphin, however, they must deal with a powerful boss. The cooperative aspects of Pikmin Adventure seem enjoyable enough to me, making this mini-game my four most anticipated.

3) Mario Chase

We first saw this game under a different guise as Chase Mii at E3 2011. Now it has been given a Mario aesthetic as up to four Miis dressed as Toads try to capture the Mii dressed as Mario. The Mario Mii player can see where the Toads are on the Wii U GamePad screen. The fun comes from the players chasing after the Mii in the Mario costume communicating with one another. "No, over there!" "Not here! THERE!" If time runs out, the Mario player wins. If he or she is tagged by a Toad, then obviously the Toad brigade wins. It's an intriguing and seemingly entertaining take on tag, for sure.

2) The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest

Set in a patchwork Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest can be played alone or with some buds. It's an on-rails game where the GamePad player shoots bows and arrows at foes from afar while the other players utilize Wii MotionPlus to attack nearby baddies. The whole team shares a handful of hearts, so it is pertinent to play nicely and work together. With a fair amount of levels included, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest excites me as someone who 1) Loves The Legend of Zelda, 2) Enjoys teamwork, and 3) Likes on-rails experiences.

1) Metroid Blast

Unquestionably the Nintendo Land mini-game that I want to play the most (like right NOW), Metroid Blast takes third-person shooting to the Wii U. The game was originally known as Battle Mii, an E3 2011 tech demo. There are three modes in Metroid Blast. One has the GamePad player utilizing Samus's Gunship to destroy the opposing ground force Mii players and vice versa. Another has players scrambling to collect credits while the last is akin to the Gears of War series's Horde mode, where players work together to defeat wave after wave of enemies. Hearing reviews that the third-person controls are some of the most fun to use definitely has me excited. Another reviewer stated that Metroid Blast was one of the few Nintendo games in a long while to have him "feel like a bad ass." Mighty strong words, and ones that cannot stop me from feeling hype.

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I have ranked the Nintendo Land attractions from least hyped to most anticipated. Which attractions excite you the most, or do you not even plan on playing Nintendo Land at all? Why or why not? Spark up the conversation in the comments section below.