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Yoshi's Story

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Yoshi's Story
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hideki Konno
Producer(s)Takashi Tezuka
Composer(s)Kazumi Totaka
Platform(s)Nintendo 64, iQue Player, Virtual Console
ReleaseNintendo 64
Virtual Console
Genre(s)Platforming
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Yoshi's Story (ヨッシーストーリー, Yosshī Sutōrī) is a side-scrolling platform game, published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 entertainment system. It is the sequel to the Super Nintendo game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. It was released on December 21, 1997 in Japan, March 1, 1998 in North America and April 9, 1998 in Europe. It was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console service in North America on September 17, 2007, in PAL regions on October 26, 2007 and in Japan on October 30, 2007. The game was developed by the Yoshi's Island team, designed by Hideki Konno, and produced by Takashi Tezuka. It was one of the first EAD-developed titles that was not produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, and one of a very few Mario series games that does not feature Mario. Critical reception to Yoshi's Story was mixed; the game received criticism and praise for its controls, levels, music, and childlike atmosphere, but it was commonly criticized for being too much a departure from its predecessor.

Gameplay

File:Yoshi story profilelarge.jpg
A screenshot of Yoshi's Story gameplay on Nintendo 64.

The game begins by allowing players to choose from either Story, Trial or Practice Mode. (An Options menu is available from the main menu, as well.) For the full single-player experience, the Story Mode contains the substance of the game. From there, the player will be able to select the level, Yoshi (there are 8 Yoshis in this game) and which fruit will be "lucky" (see below).

The levels are divided into six pages, each containing four stages. The stages are numbered by difficulty (1-4), and the choice of which level to play is made individually for each page. However, the availability of each difficulty level is based to some degree on the player's performance in the last-played stage. Each stage has three collectible hearts, and the number of hearts collected determines the highest level they will be allowed to choose on the next page, adding one to the amount collected. For example, if the player collects two hearts during a stage, they will be allowed to choose from difficulty levels 1, 2 and 3 on the next page.

Yoshi's Story borrows the basic elements of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Yoshi can jump, swim, eat things or collect items with his tongue, hold enemies in his mouth, lay eggs from enemies held in his mouth, throw eggs, and hover for a few seconds. However, there is one difference from Yoshi's Island: permadeath. Also, the game cannot be saved to continue with - or rather, story mode save data is erased at Game Over.

In each level, the goal is to eat 30 different fruits to advance. This must be done while avoiding enemies. When Yoshi comes in contact with an enemy, one or more "petals" are lost from the "Flower Meter.", and the game music also slows down and becomes more sad. The flower meter has a total of 8 petals. Eating fruit, while advancing the progress of the game, replenishes Yoshi's health (or "petals"), keeping the player in a comfortable state of platforming. In addition, a "Lucky Fruit" is chosen at the start of the game, and, when this fruit is found and eaten, all petals are restored to the "Flower Meter." Each Yoshi has a favorite fruit, which is determined by the chosen Yoshi's color. Eating this form of fruit restores 3 petals of health. [1]

Many bonuses permeate each stage. For example, Small Hearts will fall from the sky or be found in special areas. These allow Yoshi to achieve a "Super Happy" state. During this time, Yoshi is invincible, has a longer tongue, infinite eggs, and has a longer "Pound Range." (More enemies will be killed when Yoshi slams into the ground from the air.) In addition, Shy Guys will turn into the chosen Yoshi's Lucky Fruit if they are within the Pound Range, and all bubbles will pop.) Coins will also become visible if otherwise invisible, during this time. However, large hearts do not cause Yoshi to become invincible.

There are numerous enemies in the game that can cause damage, the most common of which are Shy Guys. If Yoshi runs out of petals, comes in contact with spikes or other hazards that trigger an instant death, or falls down a bottomless pit, it will be captured by Kamek's minions, or "Toadies". After losing just one life, the same Yoshi cannot be used again although the substitute Yoshi chosen can continue from the original Yoshi's last continue point. As usual all collectible items and enemies will be refreshed. The game will end if all of the Yoshis have been kidnapped.

Yoshis can be restored by finding a White Shy Guy and completing the level without losing it. After completing a level, the White Shy Guy can be selected from the "Select Yoshi" screen (despite not being a Yoshi), and a random previously-lost Yoshi will be restored. Helpers are available to assist the Yoshis in specific areas, as well. Throughout the game, the Yoshis are aided by Poochy, a character first introduced in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Poochy can sniff for hidden items and give the Yoshis extra height for their jumps.

In addition to the six Yoshis that are available at the start of the game, there are black eggs and white eggs that can be found in certain stages in the game. If they are found (individually), the black and the white Yoshis will be available afterward. Unlike the original six Yoshis, the Black and White Yoshis like multiple fruits, making the chances of obtaining a high score even greater. In addition, the Black and White Yoshis like peppers, and Shy Guys also replenish health when eaten by a black/white Yoshi. Besides what these Yoshis like to eat, Black and White Yoshis also shake the ground when doing a ground pound, and their eggs explode when you throw them. If a black or white Yoshi is lost while in story mode they will not return, and can only be obtained by finding the egg again.

Trial Mode

Story Mode is accompanied by the Trial Mode, where the player can attempt a high score in each completed stage. There are multiple ways to increase one's high score, the most used being the "Melon Quest." With this goal, the player must eat nothing but Melons throughout the stage, earning a high score and a "Melon" symbol at the end of the level. This goal, however, is considered difficult due the requirement of beating all in-level mini-games perfectly. A "good score" in Trial Mode is considered a point range between 5,000 to 7,000 points. This contrasts heavily with Story Mode, which allows the player to earn up to 40,000 points in a single level.

Other

A Practice level is also available from the main menu. This level contains most of the elements of the game. The game also has the 19-note Kazumi Totaka song in it.

Yoshi's Story was among the first generation of games to support the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak, and was the first Yoshi game to use it.

Plot

The Yoshis live in harmony on their island, Yoshi's Island. Through the Super Happy Tree, a magical tree on the island, the Yoshis are able to maintain a perpetual state of joy. However, Baby Bowser becomes jealous of this happiness and casts a spell to transform the entire island into a storybook. In addition, Baby Bowser steals the Super Happy Tree in an effort to ruin the Yoshis' happiness. Six eggs survived in the dismal environment and hatched. While confused, the Baby Yoshis were aware of the gloomy atmosphere and set out to retrieve the Super Happy Tree and restore happiness to the Yoshis.

Development

Originally titled Yoshi's Island 64, the game was developed by the Yoshi's Island team, directed by Hideki Konno and produced by Takashi Tezuka. This was one of the first EAD-developed titles that was not produced by Shigeru Miyamoto. It was renamed Yoshi's Story in August 1997. At the same time, the size of the game was changed to 128 megabits from an initially planned 96. Also, Yoshi was going to speak the same noise he did in Super Mario World and Yoshi's island but for an unknown reason it was removed and replaced by Kazumi Totaka's voice over for Yoshi (this new voice would become the standard voice for Yoshi, making its second appearance in the original Super Smash Bros., and eventually being used in the various Mario games Yoshi appeared in, a recent exception being New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which used the 1990 Yoshi voice, partly as an homage to SMW).

Marketing and sales

According to Famitsu magazine, Yoshi's Story sold 53,428 copies on the day of its release in Japan. As a result, it gained the number seven rank in Famitsu's top ten best-selling video-games.[2] The game sold an additional 118,502 copies in the region by January 4, 1998, dropping to the number eight spot.[3] By the end of that year, Yoshi's Story sold a total of 618,789 copies in Japan, making it the 27th best-selling video game in the country in 1998.[4]

Nintendo intended to release Yoshi's Story in North America by the 1997 holiday season, but the release was delayed until March 1998. A Nintendo official said that the delay was "based on us demanding A-plus quality."[5] Once the game was completed, Nintendo initially shipped 800,000 units to American retailers from Japan.[6] Retailers were concerned that there would be shortages (like there had been for GoldenEye 007), but a Nintendo official promised that the shipment would satisfy demand.[7]

In an effort to promote the game in the U.S., Nintendo direct-mailed advertisements to recent console buyers, put advertisements in gaming and children's magazines, and aired a 30-second television advertisement on NBC, Fox Kids, Kids' WB and Nickelodeon during children's programming.[6][7] On March 7, 1998, Nintendo launched the game in Lizard Lick, North Carolina, a town of 1,300 residents. The event featured tongue-themed contests for children and video terminals that let people try out the game.[8] The game was officially released on March 9, 1998, with a MSRP of US $59.95.[9] This causing enormous uproar to customers that completed the game an hour later.[original research?][citation needed]

An article in Financial Times said that the late release, an inadequate supply, and distribution errors had led to poor sales for Yoshi's Story. Within a month, the game was being discounted by more than 50%.[10] Even so, Yoshi's Story became a Player's Choice title on August 23, 1998 and its MSRP was reduced to US $39.95.[11] According to The NPD Group, Yoshi's Story was the 16th best selling video game in the U.S. in 1998.[12]

Critical reception

Yoshi's Story received mixed reviews from critics with an average score of 63% on Game Rankings. Upon its initial release, critics were generally displeased with Yoshi's Story. As a spiritual and literal successor to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the game was seen as being comparatively smaller in size and scope. Critics noted many disadvantages with the level design: there were only 24 levels in the game (as compared to the 50+ levels in Yoshi's Island), each of them could be completed in minutes, and only six of them needed to be completed to clear story mode. The critics also disliked many other things about the game such as the graphical details, the music, and the absence of vehicle morphing. Joe Fielder of GameSpot noted that Yoshi's Story "was obviously designed so that younger players could play through quickly and feel some sense of accomplishment" and called it "good for a rental at best."[19] GameSpot gave the game a "5.3" for "Mediocre" while Allgame and Game's Domain both awarded Yoshi's Story a "5.0" out of 10. IGN gave a score of 7.0 for "decent", making it one of the few positive reviews for Yoshi's Story. By contrast, Game Informer gave the game a "very good" score 8.5/10.[20] As of May 2010, Yoshi's Story maintains a "Meta Score" of 65 (out of 100) on the MetaCritic website[17] and a 68 (out of 100) on GameRankings.com., based on 8 and 7 reviews respectively[18]

In the United States the average MSRP of a Nintendo 64 cartridge was $59.99, which at the time was $10 more than an average game for Sony's PlayStation console.[21] The price had been attributed to the higher cost of manufacturing cartridges for the console.[21] Despite the combination of the MSRP and the generally negative reviews given by critics, Yoshi's Story sold well in the marketplace earning it the Player's Choice re-release.

Nintendo released Yoshi's Story through the Virtual Console service on the Wii console. The game made second place in Virtual Console downloads behind Super Mario Bros. on the week of its release. However, the critics' reviews of the Virtual Console version of Yoshi's Story were lower than those of the N64 version.[22][23] GameSpot gave the Virtual Console version of the game a "4.0", lower than GameSpot's score of the original version.[22] The review gave Yoshi's Story five demerits: "Derivative," "Shallow," "Short," "Stripped" and "Too Easy." In IGN Editor Lucas M. Thomas' review for the Virtual Console version, he gave it a 6.0 score for "Passable", saying that the gameplay was "nonsensical" and "unengaging."[23] Thomas commented that the game's "system of grocery-hunting was far and away removed from the style of play presented in the SNES Yoshi's Island, and far and away removed from that game's sense of fun."[23] He also felt that the absence of Baby Mario and 50+ levels made the "premise [feel] disconnected. Boring." and that Yoshi's Story was "not the sequel to Yoshi's Island that it could have been."[23]

Game Boy Advance demo

File:Yoshi's Story GBA Tech Demo.png
Screenshot of the Yoshi's Story GBA Tech Demo.

For the unveiling of the Game Boy Advance in 2000, Nintendo developed an original technical demonstration, or "tech demo," that was based directly on the first level of Yoshi's Story. This tech demo was developed specifically to show off the Game Boy Advance's graphical power. While the gameplay was slower, it looked identical to the Nintendo 64 game.[24]However, a full version of the game was never released for the Game Boy Advance.

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References

  1. ^ Aldo Merino. "Yoshi's Story". Nintendojo. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  2. ^ "IGN: Yoshi Sells". IGN. 1998-01-13. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  3. ^ IGN Staff (January 16, 1998). "Yoshi Stays Put". IGN. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  4. ^ "1998年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP100" (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  5. ^ Snider, Mike. "Nintendo games will miss holidays." USA Today. 29 August 1997.
  6. ^ a b "Nintendo Thinks 800,000 Yoshis Will Last Two Months." Multimedia Wire. 18 March 1998.
  7. ^ a b Sporich, Brett. "Unlike with 'GoldenEye,' Nintendo sees no shortage for 'Yoshi's Story.'" Video Business. 2 March 1998.
  8. ^ Barnett, Cynthia. "Town basks in publicity." The News & Observer Raleigh, NC. 8 March 1998.
  9. ^ "Nintendo 64 unloads price breaks on seven games." The Kansas City Star. 23 January 1998.
  10. ^ Abrahams, Paul. "Nintendo's errors could well end up costing it the game." Financial Times. 17 October 1998.
  11. ^ "Nintendo 64 Smashes the $100 Price Barrier; Video Game Fans Treated To Early Holiday Gift With N64 Price Drop." Business Wire. 16 August 1999.
  12. ^ "NPD Reports the U.S. Video Game Industry Hit an All-Time High in Annual Sales for 1998." Business Wire. 25 January 1999.
  13. ^ "allgame ((( Yoshi's Story > Review )))". Allgame. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  14. ^ "Yoshi's Story for Nintendo 64 Review — Nintendo 64 Yoshi's Story Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  15. ^ "IGN: Yoshi's Story Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  16. ^ "Ultimate Review Archive." Game Informer. Issue 100. August, 2001. Page 56. Original review published February, 1998.
  17. ^ a b "Yoshi's Story (N64:1998) Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  18. ^ a b "Yoshi's Story Reviews". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  19. ^ Yoshi's Story Review
  20. ^ "Ultimate Review Archive." Game Informer. Issue 100. August, 2001. Page 56. Original review published February, 1998.
  21. ^ a b Jake Richter (2004-02-14). "The Nintendo 64". The Richter Scale. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  22. ^ a b Frank Provo (2007-09-24). "Yoshi's Story review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  23. ^ a b c d Lucas M. Thomas (2007-09-18). "Yoshi's Story Virtual Console Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  24. ^ Harris, Craig. "Yoshi Demo". IGN. 6 December 2001,
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