“Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island” for the SNES is a timeless masterpiece that deserves a deeper look. It’s more than just a game. It’s an entire philosophy of how to approach game design. Game designers should place a big magnifying glass over this game even if it’s not a game you particularly enjoy. There is such an overwhelming wealth of knowledge that a game designer can obtain from analyzing and dissecting “Yoshi’s Island”.
I believe “Yoshi’s Island” should be taught and studied at game design schools the same way films like “Blade Runner”, “Citizen Kane”, and “The Graduate” are studied at film schools. Every single aspect of this game from the level design, gameplay mechanics, boss fights, music, and graphics were created with attention to detail, love, and admiration. Those little nuances and small details separate a good game from a brilliant game.
Every genre (like first person shooters) can learn from Yoshi’s Island about how to take genres or formulas that are growing stale and taking them into more unique, creative, and ambitious directions. Heck, the 3D Legend of Zelda games have been using the same formula since Ocarina of Time, and that is one franchise that could really use some major shaking up to keep the formula from growing tired. Perhaps the 3D Zelda games should take a note from “Yoshi’s Island”.
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