Yoshi Touch&Go

[Nick]

Wow, this game is actually really good! I mean I was pretty skeptical about it, it looked like there wasn't much to it and mostly what I had heard about it was "you draw clouds to help the characters through the level". Big Whoop. It looked more like a minigame to me.

So anyway I was pretty bored yesterday and seeing as games over here (in the US) are basically half the price of what we pay in the UK I thought I'd grab a couple. Mario 64 DS being the other.

I now can't put the thing down for any time at all before I get a craving to beat my previous score. There's so much to take into consideration whilst you're playing, almost too much. And this game is actually not that easy. You play through the first level (there's only two but it doesn't matter) and that doesn't last too long, because it's ALL about the second level.

To run through what you can do with the touch screen... In the second level you play as Yoshi with baby mario sitting on his back and Yoshi runs forward automatically. Now firstly, yes you draw clouds for Yoshi to run on so that he doesn't fall down gaps. Also, however, you tap the screen and baby mario throws an egg in that direction which will kill enemies or collect coins etc, you touch Yoshi and he jumps and touch him again, and again to keep him in the air. With clouds you can circle enemies and they'll turn into a bubble with a coin or item inside and you can grab this and move it about to push stuff out the way, or simply collect it.

All this takes place on both screens so whilst you're trying to throw eggs at the top screen to kill enemies and collect coins, you're also trying to pay attention to the bottom screen where you're trying to not fall down gaps, kill even more enemies and collect even more items.

It gets even more intense though as you start to use clouds to block Yoshi so that you have more time or herd enemies together so that you can trap more than one in a bubble and get bonus points. Also you have limited eggs to throw so you need to conserve them until you find some fruit to eat (giving you more eggs)

And there's a few modes as well, some of which are madly hectic. And different Yoshis as you progress which are faster but have less eggs or vice versa.

This game is really, really addictive and I definately recomend it to anyone with a DS.

Also I'm sure I've left something out which I'll add in if I remember. Like the game looks good or something (which it does, with little icons to choose from on the scorebored instead of entering a name).

Hmm, wasn't expecting to write so much

Edit: I remembered one of the things I forgott... It tells you whilst you're playing if someone is in a pictochat room and you can skip straight there by touching a little icon that appears. I think thaat's a great idea as before I thought pictochat wouldn't really work, what with people playing games rather than sitting in an empty chat room waiting for someone to join.

[n0wak]

I think it's a great game for quick pick-up and play. Save for the marathon mode, you can turn the DS on, load up, play a full game, and shut it down in about the same amount of time it would take you to get to the main menu in WipeOut Pure (ok, I'm exaggerating, but not by much).

It's a really bad game for the expecting-a-long-40-hour-quest type gamers, though, a large number of which seem to be employed as game reviewers. But for a willing to repeat for a high-score quick play gamer, it's quite good. Yes.

[Nick]

Yeah I agree, and for me that's exactly what I want on a handheld device. I'd rather play an epic whilst sunk into my big comfy seat on a decent size screen.

[Marek]

The DS will need a couple of epic linear quest games eventually though, but yeah agreed totally. I played this game for a bit in multiplayer mode and hot damn it's a nice piece of side-scrolling stylus insanity. It has a really simple but addictive quality to it. I think it's because it immediately makes you feel super bad ass for being able to manage so many things with the stylus so fast.

[Chris]

Kind of like chewing ice?

[Marek]

No way it's even more badass. It's like chewing ice with a stylus.

[Nick]

No way it's even more badass. It's like chewing ice with a stylus.

Brilliant.

Also though, having said what I did about big games and all. If they do put the Secret of Mana on the DS like has been said, then I'll be getting that no question. And if they have wireless multiplayer on it...

[ysbreker]

why isn't this thread in the reviews forum?

*chews on some icecubes*