Why Nintendo’s Yoshi Series Peaked on the SNES.
Released in 1995, Yoshi’s Island was initially marketed as Super Mario World 2. Despite being marketed as the sequel to the illustrious 1991 title, Yoshi’s debut platformer took place when Mario was just a baby. It may have received this localized title in order to sell more copies in the west. Due to being an incredibly polished platformer, it became one of the most successful and best games on the SNES.
Featuring the classic 2D Mario gameplay with a spin, Yoshi’s Island involved the titular dinosaur transporting Baby Mario to reunite with Baby Luigi and get them home to their parents. Dealing with Baby Bowser and his servant, Kamek, Yoshi had to cross through six worlds to bring the baby brothers back together.
Unfortunately, the Yoshi series never quite hit the lofty standards of its original release. Granted, when a game is comparable to SNES side-scrollers like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Castlevania IV, Kirby Super Star, and Donkey Kong Country, it’s understandable that it’s a hard…
