Yoshi's Island is a Nintendo platformer peak with inimitable watercolor flair. Inventive, gorgeous, absolutely essential.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Revolutionary platformer featuring Yoshi carrying baby Mario, North American version. Published by Nintendo, released in the United States in 1995. Yoshi transforming enemies into throwable eggs, unique watercolor and pencil levels, creative transformations and ingenious bosses. North American version of the Yoshi's Island masterpiece on Super Nintendo.
Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Crayon-and-pastel settings, soft outlines and characters drawn as in a children's book: the aesthetic stands as an adorable oddity. This handcrafted signature, warm and inventive, turns every level into a coloured page. This unique graphic choice remains one of the most beloved in the entire library.
Tender and inventive, the music of Yoshi's Island signed by Koji Kondo wraps the crayon world in an unforgettable childlike gentleness. From the soothing "Flower Garden" to the livelier themes, every tune breathes carefreeness and whimsy. This melodic freshness, deeply endearing, remains a peak of video-game tenderness.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Bearing a sequel's number, this pastel odyssey trades speed for an egg-throwing mechanic and a floating jump of great finesse. Protecting Baby Mario imposes a singular tempo, between gentleness and spikes of tension. Visually timeless and brimming with ideas, this platformer retains an inventiveness few games have matched since.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Playing as Yoshi carrying baby Mario, gulping enemies to turn them into eggs and aiming at targets with gleeful precision: this crayon-styled masterpiece overflows with ideas and tenderness. Every level reinvents its mechanics with wild inventiveness. Gorgeous, clever and deeply satisfying, a platformer apart that charms as much as it challenges, timeless down to its very linework.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Swallowing an enemy, turning it into an egg and then aiming for a distant platform builds a loop of skill and collection that's astonishingly rich. Flowers, red coins and a perfect score push you to retrace every level to perfection. Wildly inventive, this colorful journey keeps a grip that the hunt for a flawless run sustains.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾1,2 MB📅06/10/1995
Published by Nintendo
Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island (SNES) price, value & rarity
The North American SNES version of Yoshi's Island, distributed under the dual title Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island, Nintendo EAD's 1995 masterpiece with the Super FX 2 chip. A mass-produced NTSC best-seller, the cart stays very common. Collecting value is drawn almost entirely from the high-grade sealed market and the first US print, with US CIB remaining abundant and accessible.
Is Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island still worth playing in 2026?
Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island, known as Super Mario - Yoshi Island in Japan, marks a total break with Super Mario World, namely Yoshi escorting baby Mario through watercolor backdrops, with egg throws and per island special abilities. The art direction refused DKC pre rendered 3D to defend a hand drawn line that has not aged a day. The Nintendo R&D1 level design is probably the most inventive on the system. Essential for any 2D platformer lover.
