Yoshi's Island DS
North American box art for Yoshi's Island DS
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Artoon
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo DS, Virtual Console (Wii U)
Release date Nintendo DS:
USA November 13, 2006
Australia November 23, 2006
Europe December 1, 2006
Japan March 8, 2007
ROC March 8, 2007
South Korea November 8, 2007
Virtual Console (Wii U):
USA April 1, 2015
Japan April 8, 2015[1]
Europe May 7, 2015[2]
Australia May 8, 2015
Language(s) Deutsch
English (United States)
Español (España)
Français (France)
Italiano
한국어
日本語
Genre Platformer
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
Mode(s) Single-player
Input
Wii U:
Nintendo DS:

Yoshi's Island DS is a 2D platformer developed by Artoon for the Nintendo DS. The second original installment in the Yoshi's Island series, the game was released in North America on November 13, 2006, in Australia on November 23, 2006, in Europe on December 1, 2006, in Japan and Taiwan on March 8, 2007, and in South Korea on November 8, 2007. It is the sequel to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and tells the story of the Yoshis rescuing all the babies in the world that Kamek and the Toadies have kidnapped in search for the star children, a group of seven babies who possess powerful stars in their hearts. This is the first Yoshi's Island game to be developed by a third party studio, rather than in-house from Nintendo EAD, unlike previous games such as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its enhanced Game Boy Advance port, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3.

While the game is heavily derivative from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, including general gameplay, themes, and graphics, the game primarily differentiates itself from its predecessor by taking advantage of the Nintendo DS's dual screen to display levels while introducing multiple babies to carry on a Yoshi's back, who all have special abilities that are required to complete levels. Aside from carrying Baby Mario, Yoshis can additionally carry Baby Peach, Baby DK, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser; Baby DK and Baby Wario make their overall debut in this game.

A third original game, Yoshi's New Island, was released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS and continues the story told before Yoshi's Island DS. The game was rereleased for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America on April 1, 2015, in Japan on April 8, 2015, in Europe on May 7, 2015, and in Australia on May 8, 2015.

Story

 
The beginning of the game's intro, which shows the events that previously occurred in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the events being displayed from right to left.
 
Kamek and some Toadies stealing the babies

From the instruction booklet:

Baby Luigi has been kidnapped!
Our adventure begins one sunny day on Yoshi's Island. Yoshi is out enjoying the day with a leisurely stroll when, all of a sudden, two babies drop out of the sky. One of them looks very familiar to Yoshi. With a forlorn look on his face, the baby just gazes longingly at a mysterious castle that has appeared in the sky. Yoshi wonders if the castle holds other babies.
Once again, it's up to the Yoshi clan to save the day. This time, the stork is coming with them too.
A new journey begins. Can the Yoshis and babies triumph over Kamek and save Baby Luigi?

Kamek and his army of Toadies steal all of the babies in the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as in other nearby areas. The Toadies take the babies to Bowser's Castle, but the stork comes in and attacks two Toadies, making them drop the babies they are carrying. The two babies land on Yoshi's Island and are revealed to be Baby Mario and Baby Peach.

The Yoshis find the babies and decide to help them. They figure out that Baby Mario, once again, wants to save Baby Luigi and the other babies from Kamek and his Toadies. The Yoshis take the babies with them and go to rescue the kidnapped babies. Later on in the adventure, sometime after the defeat of Gilbert the Gooey, a group of monkeys kidnaps Baby Peach. The Yoshis and Baby Mario find another baby, Baby DK, who was left behind when the Toadies were kidnapping all the other babies. With the help of Baby DK, Yoshi is able to rescue Baby Peach from the monkeys. Baby DK joins the team when the monkeys are defeated.

Promptly after defeating Bessie Bass on a battleship, the Yoshis and the babies are swept away by a tidal wave in a storm. They eventually find Baby Wario, who is also left behind. Baby Wario then decides to join the party.

When Priscilla the Peckish is defeated, Baby Wario decides to join a team of Bandits in hope of getting money. Meanwhile, after the Yoshis defeat Six-Face Sal, it is revealed that future Bowser and future Kamek are the ones kidnapping the babies and that they are looking for the seven star children. The star children are young children that have magical stars in them. If one collects all the stars, then they become the ruler of the universe. Kamek kidnaps Baby Bowser (while Kamek of the past tries to stop him), and Baby Bowser and Bowser get into a fight, ending with Bowser causing his infant self to fall out of a window of the castle. Baby Bowser lands on Yoshi's back and joins their team, although they are worried that he might attack them.

Baby Bowser does not stay for the rest of the adventure. When Big Guy the Stilted is defeated, he leaves with Kamek, who then returns to Bowser's Castle and uses a Crystal Ball to check every baby they have kidnapped (with the exception of Baby Luigi, who hides from it) to determine if they are star children, which they are not. Bowser becomes furious, and he sends the Toadies to keep looking for more babies.

The team finally arrives at Bowser's Castle where Baby Wario and Baby Bowser are arguing over who gets to keep some treasure. They then notice the Yoshis and help them travel through the castle. When they finally get to the top of the castle, however, Baby Bowser tells the Yoshis to leave. When they do not leave, Baby Bowser thinks Yoshi is there to steal his treasure. Baby Bowser fights Yoshi, but Yoshi defeats him.

Bowser then comes in the room and is angry at what Yoshi did to his younger self. He then fights Yoshi, but gets defeated just like his younger self. Kamek then uses magic to help Bowser become giant. The four babies with four Yoshis fight against the Giant Bowser using Giant Eggs and are eventually able to defeat him. Kamek escapes when Bowser is defeated, with four Toadies carrying Bowser right behind him. Baby Bowser decides to escape with Bowser and Kamek, and holds on to his broomstick.

The Yoshis save all the kidnapped babies, and the storks take all the kidnapped babies back to their homes, except for Baby Wario, who gets the Stork to land so he can play on a raft holding the treasure stolen from Bowser's Castle. A flying rock hits Kamek's broomstick, and Baby Bowser lets go and falls down right in his treasure. Baby Wario and Baby Bowser start arguing about who gets to keep the treasure again.

It is then revealed that the seven star children are Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby DK, Baby Wario, Baby Bowser, and a newborn Baby Yoshi, who hatches from a Yoshi's Egg at the end of the game.

Gameplay

Gameplay typically consists of platforming throughout the game's levels, where a Yoshi needs to navigate through the various obstacles in order to reach the Goal roulette. Yoshis have various means of dealing with the obstacles, with basic actions being running, jumping either to dodge obstacles or defeat enemies, and Ground Pounding harder to defeat enemies or posts. Yoshis can Flutter Jump repeatedly in the air to increase distance and slow down descent speed. Unique to Yoshis and their primary method of dealing with enemies and obstacles are their extendable, sticky tongues, which allows them to swallow most enemies and turn them into essential, versatile projectiles: Yoshi Eggs. Eggs have a wide variety of purposes, whether they activate Winged Clouds, defeat enemies that cannot be eaten or stomped on, open up traps and obstacles, retrieve coins, reveal hidden Winged Clouds, and more. Eggs by default come in green, changes color when bouncing off walls and the color indicates how many times eggs bounce off walls before they are destroyed. Green eggs can bounce off walls three times, Yellow Eggs two, and Red Eggs instantly get destroyed when they touch a wall. If a Yellow or Red Egg hits an enemy, it spawns coins or a star respectively. Yoshis can retrieve bounced eggs by using their tongue at them before they get destroyed, though some items such as colored Egg Blocks can give Yoshis different colored eggs. Yoshis can carry up to six eggs, and eggs get discarded if a Yoshi creates more eggs. In addition, Yoshis can obtain eggs by hitting Egg Blocks or retrieving them from Egg Plants.

Yoshi's Island DS retains the health system in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. When a Yoshi is hit by an enemy or an obstacle, the baby is knocked loose from his back, crying, and the star power–the source of the protective bubble that keeps the Toadies from taking the baby–goes down by one star per second. If that number goes down to zero, Toadies take away the baby and a life is lost. The Yoshi, however, still has a small amount of time to recover the baby even after the Toadies have grabbed. The Yoshi can rescue the baby by touching the bubble with its body or its tongue. If the Yoshi hits the bubble with an egg, the bubble gets knocked down, making the baby easier to reach. The star power starts at ten in each level. If a baby is recovered with less than ten stars, the star power slowly increases to ten. Additionally, groups of five stars can be found in Winged Clouds and crates, and goal roulettes give twenty additional star power, allowing the star power to max at thirty. Remaining star power also counts toward the score at the completion of the level. Although Yoshis cannot be defeated in normal circumstances, they instantly lose a life if they touch spikes, lava, fall into bottomless pits, get crushed, or eaten by Lunge Fish or Boss Basses.

New to Yoshi's Island DS is the addition of extra babies and Stork Stops, who affect the gameplay in various ways. By default, Yoshis carry Baby Mario, who retains gameplay most similar to the original entry and allows Yoshis to hit M Blocks. At Stork Stops, Yoshis can swap out babies once they have been unlocked. Carrying Baby Peach, for example, allows Yoshis to flutter jump further and ride winds thanks to the use of her parasol while Baby DK allows Yoshis to climb vines, explode eggs, and use the DK Dash Attack to charge through rocks and enemies; however, Baby Peach causes a Yoshi to lose the ability to bounce eggs while Baby DK is heavier to carry and thus reduces flutter jump distance.

Controls

 
The controls menu in which the player can choose from Hasty to Patient

From the Options menu, players can change the controls of the game. The player can choose from two sets of controls:      and     , and two modes: Hasty and Patient, Below are the controls of the game:

Shared controls

  •  : Used to move the Yoshis. Pressing it down makes Yoshi crouch or make eggs. If the down arrow is pressed in the air, Yoshi ground pounds.
  •  : Pauses the game and opens the "Options" menu.
  •  : Used to make Yoshi throw a Yoshi's Egg. In Hasty mode: Holding the button, makes Yoshi aim at his target. Letting go of the button makes Yoshi throw the egg, in Patient mode the player has to press the button again to make Yoshi throw the egg.
  •  : While Yoshi is aiming up and down, pressing the   button makes Yoshi lock on a specific location.

First set:     

  •  : Used to jump, pressing it again makes Yoshi Flutter Jump.
  •  : Used to Eat or spit an enemy. With Baby Mario, the player can dash by holding the button.

In this set: the   and   can be used instead of the   and   respectively.

Second set:     

  •  : Used to jump, pressing it again makes Yoshi Flutter Jump.
  •  : Used to Eat or spit an enemy. With Baby Mario, the player can dash by holding the button.

Minigames

Minigames are unlocked in Adventure Mode:

All minigames have a set time limit. Achieving a high score in any minigame awards Yoshi with lives. Harder versions of all the minigames can be unlocked by collecting all the character coins in a world.

Time Trial

Time Trial is unlocked once Adventure Mode has been beaten. It is similar to Adventure Mode, but the player is timed. Yoshi has 100 minutes to finish each level - even when the player presses the Start Button, the time keeps going. Red coins, flowers and stars, when collected, each subtract a set amount of time taken to finish the level: -1 second per star, -2 seconds per red coin, and -10 seconds per flower.

Island Musuem

Accessible in Adventure mode, the Island Museum is a live bestiary of the enemies in the game. Any enemies hit by Yoshi's Eggs appear in exhibits and are organized by the class they are in (eg, many water-based enemies appear in the aquatic-based exhibit).

Worlds and levels

The level selection of the game is heavily inspired from the original, where throughout the five worlds, a different colored Yoshi takes on one out of eight levels, with a mid-boss in the fourth level and the world boss in the eighth level. Levels contain multiple features; various items such as flowers, Red Coins, and stars are required towards 100% completion, unlocking extra levels and are found throughout all levels in the game while other items and features are found in specific levels such as keys and Egg Plants. If all normal levels are cleared, the secret course is unlocked. If every level in a world has 100% adding to a total of 800, the extra course is unlocked.

Worlds and levels
 
white
 
Welcome Back to Yoshi's Island! (0-0)
 
World 1
 
  Ba-dum BUM! (1-1)
 
  Hit the M Blocks! (1-2)
 
  Mario's Fleet Feet (1-3)
 
  Castle of the Big Burt Bros. (1-4)
 
  Catch the Breeze (1-5)
 
  Glide Guys Take to the Skies (1-6)
 
  Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo (1-7)
 
  Gilbert the Gooey's Castle (1-8)
 
  Welcome to Yoshi Tower! (Secret 1)
 
  Return of the Moving Chomp Rock! (Extra 1)
 
  Flip Cards (Flip)a
 
World 2
 
  Baby DK, the Jungle King! (2-1)
 
  Underground Mysteries (2-2)
 
  Windblown Wilderness (2-3)
 
  Hector the Reflector's Haunted House (2-4)
 
  Boing! (2-5)
 
  Donuts and Eggs (2-6)
 
  Yoshi on Stilts (2-7)
 
  Big Bungee Piranha's Lair (2-8)
 
  Yikes! Boiling Hot! (Secret 2)
 
  Moving Statues, Standing Statues (Extra 2)
 
  Scratch and Match (Scratch)a
 
World 3
 
  Up the Creek (3-1)
 
  The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear! (3-2)
 
  Island of Peril (3-3)
 
  Bessie Bass's Battleship (3-4)
 
  Heeeeeeere's Wario! (3-5)
 
  Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick! (3-6)
 
  Tap-Tap's Sunken Cave (3-7)
 
  Castle of Priscilla the Peckish (3-8)
 
  A Light in the Dark (Secret 3)
 
  Number Ball Special (Extra 3)
 
  Match Cards (Match)a
 
World 4
 
  Rock 'n' Fall (4-1)
 
  High-Speed Cart Race (4-2)
 
  In the Clouds (4-3)
 
  Six-Face Sal's Fort (4-4)
 
  Friend or Foe? (4-5)
 
  Slip Slidin' Away (4-6)
 
  Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone (4-7)
 
  Castle of Big Guy the Stilted (4-8)
 
  Hurry and Throw! (Secret 4)
 
  Let There Be Light! (Extra 4)
 
  Roulette (Roulette)a
 
World 5
 
  Rompin', Stompin' Chomps (5-1)
 
  Goonie Heights (5-2)
 
  Spear Guys' Village Found! (5-3)
 
  The Fort of Moltz the Very Goonie (5-4)
 
  The Cave That Never Ends (5-5)
 
  Find the Number Ball! (5-6)
 
  Superhard Acrobatics! (5-7)
 
  At Last, Bowser's Castle! (5-8)
 
  Welcome to Yoshi Tower! (Secret 5)
 
  Quit it Already, Tap-Tap! (Extra 5)
 
  Slot Machine (Slot)a

a - Bonus Challenge

Characters

Playable characters

Yoshi Playable levels Baby carriedb
Image Color
  Green Yoshi The first level of each world
At Last, Bowser's Castle!
c
Baby Mario
  Pink Yoshid The second level of each world Baby Peach
  Light Blue Yoshi The third level of each world
  Yellow Yoshi The fourth level of each worlde Baby DK
  Purple Yoshid The fifth level of each world Baby Wario
  Orange Yoshi The sixth level of each world
  Red Yoshi The seventh level of each world
  Blue Yoshi The eighth and final level of each worldf
  Black Yoshi Secret levels
  White Yoshi Extra levels

b - The certain baby the Yoshi carries in the battle with Giant Bowser.
c - Green Yoshi is the most played as Yoshi in the game, being playable in six levels, replacing Blue Yoshi in At Last, Bowser's Castle!
d - Less bosses are fought by Pink Yoshi and Purple Yoshi than any other Yoshi, with only one, Giant Bowser.
e - The fourth level of each world is always a fort and has Mid-Boss battles, so more bosses are fought by Yellow Yoshi than any other Yoshi, with a total of six (including Giant Bowser).
f - World 5 is the exception, where Green Yoshi takes its place, making Blue Yoshi the least played as Yoshi in the game. However, the eighth and final level of each world is always a castle and has Big Boss battles.

Babies

New to the sequel at certain spots are Stork Stops, which let Yoshis change babies, providing different unique abilities. All four hidden babies in order can be unlocked by completing boss levels of the Adventure Mode.

Baby First level appearance Yoshi riddeng Description
Image Name
  Baby Mario Ba-dum BUM! Green Yoshi M Blocks become tangible, providing stepping stones. A Yoshi can also dash at a faster speed, allowing the Yoshi to escape from certain enemies, such as Shark Chomps and slowly collapsing ceilings. Yoshi can flutter jump normally. The eggs bounce off walls.
  Baby Peach Catch the Breeze Pink Yoshi With Baby Peach's parasol, Yoshi is able to flutter further and higher. Baby Peach's parasol can also be used to catch wind currents. The eggs do not bounce off walls.
  Baby DK Baby DK, the Jungle King! Yellow Yoshi Baby DK can climb vines and chains, carrying Yoshi with him. He can also do a DK Dash Attack, defeating most enemies. The eggs do not bounce off walls, but they go faster and create a miniature explosion that can grab more coins, defeat enemies, or activate winged clouds.
  Baby Wario Heeeeeeere's Wario! Purple Yoshi Baby Wario is accompanied by a magnet that attracts coins facing it (even through solid walls) and can move Magnet Blocks and Magnet Platforms. The eggs bounce off walls.
  Baby Bowser Friend or Foe? Baby Bowser can breathe fire, but Yoshi cannot swallow any enemies, meaning he cannot make eggs (although Yoshi can collect and throw eggs). A fire blast often is the equivalent of an egg, being able to break winged clouds and destroy dirt walls as well as melting ice, but the blasts do not bounce off walls; however, the eggs do.

g - The certain Yoshi the baby rides in the battle with Giant Bowser.

Other characters

Character Description
Image Name
  Stork The stork appears at Stork Stops, where he brings the babies to the Yoshis.
  Baby Luigi The only NPC baby, reprising his role from previous games, Baby Luigi is taken hostage and must be rescued.

Normal enemies

These enemies can also be seen in the Island Museum after they are hit by eggs (even if the eggs do not defeat them) in the actual levels.

Aquatic enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Blooper Bloopers periodically jump from the water. They do not turn into an egg when swallowed. Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick! Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
  Boss Bass Boss Bass try to leap out the water to swallow Yoshi. If the Yoshi is swallowed, it loses a life. Yoshi cannot defeat this enemy. Moving Statues, Standing Statues Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
    Cheep Cheep Cheep Cheeps are enemies that only the Submarine can encounter. The blue ones swim forwards and the gold ones pursue Yoshi, though both stop periodically. Island of Peril Bessie Bass's Battleship
  Egg-enut Egg-enuts dangle a fake Yoshi's Egg. If Yoshi comes close, it starts flailing. Egg-enuts can be stunned if Yoshi throws an egg at it. Up the Creek The Cave That Never Ends
  Flopsy Fish Flopsy Fish swim in patterns, but some jump from the water. Yoshi on Stilts Bessie Bass's Battleship
  Lunge Fish Lunge Fish hide in the water. If Yoshi approaches them, they attempt to swallow the Yoshi. If the Yoshi is swallowed, it loses a life. Lunge Fish can be stunned with eggs; Yoshi cannot defeat this enemy, however. Yoshi on Stilts Castle of Priscilla the Peckish
  Nep-Enut Nep-Enuts rise from the water and block Yoshi's path. Shooting an egg at them causes them to lower, allowing Yoshi to pass. Up the Creek Up the Creek
        Pirate Guy Pirate Guys act the same way as Shy Guys; they walk into Yoshi. Some Pirate Guys are found in stacks. Pirate Guys can be spawned from pipes, providing Yoshi some eggs. The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear!
(red)
The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear!
(blue)
The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear!
(green)
The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear!
(yellow)
Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
(red)
Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
(blue)
Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
(green)
Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
(yellow)
  Spray Fish Spray Fish spray water temporarily at Yoshi and block his path. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair Big Bungee Piranha's Lair
        Toober Guy Toober Guys are floating Shy Guys. They are usually stationary enemies. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair
(red)
Big Bungee Piranha's Lair
(blue)
Big Bungee Piranha's Lair
(green)
Big Bungee Piranha's Lair
(yellow)
Bessie Bass's Battleship
(red)
Bessie Bass's Battleship
(blue)
Bessie Bass's Battleship
(green)
Bessie Bass's Battleship
(yellow)
Botanical enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Blow Hard Blow Hards fire Pokeys at Yoshi. A thrown egg stuns it, but it cannot be defeated. Return of the Moving Chomp Rock! Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Bungee Piranha Bungee Piranhas fall from the ceiling and grab Yoshi. Return of the Moving Chomp Rock! Superhard Acrobatics!
    Crazee Dayzee Crazee Dayzees walk slowly into Yoshi. If a Crazee Dayzee is spat out, they are only defeated by colliding into another enemy. Ba-dum BUM!
(yellow)
Hit the M Blocks!
(white)
Donuts and Eggs
(yellow)
Donuts and Eggs
(white)
  Drool Hard Drool Hards drop Pokeys onto Yoshi. Return of the Moving Chomp Rock! At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Eggo-Dil Eggo-Dils fire their petals in five directions. If Yoshi ground pounds near one, all its petals fall, although they eventually respawn. Return of the Moving Chomp Rock! Superhard Acrobatics!
  Hanging Blow Hard Hanging Blow Hards spit Pokeys that descend the vine. Up the Creek At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Sanbo Flowers Sanbo Flowers spit out Pokeys. They attack only when Yoshi does not have the maximum eggs. Ba-dum BUM! At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Nipper Plant Nipper Plants are spawned when Nipper Spores touch solid ground. They walk slowly into Yoshi. Ba-dum BUM! Goonie Heights
  Nipper Dandelion Nipper Dandelions hold Nipper Spores which are released from wind gusts. Ba-dum BUM! Number Ball Special
  Nipper Spore Nipper Spores turn into Nipper Plants when they touch solid ground. They do not yield an egg when swallowed. Ba-dum BUM! In the Clouds
  Piranha Plant Piranha Plants grow larger when Yoshi approaches them. They bite Yoshi, but they spit him out after a few seconds. Ba-dum BUM! Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Pointey Pointeys rise from the ground when Yoshi approaches them. They are harmless, although stepping on them, throwing eggs at them, or using Baby DK's DK Dash Attack defeats them. Hit the M Blocks! Hit the M Blocks!
  Pokey Pokeys are projectiles from various enemies. Hit the M Blocks! Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Wild Ptooie Piranha Wild Ptooie Piranhas spit Pokeys at Yoshi. They need to be hit by an egg three times to be defeated. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Windbag Windbags blow gusts of winds, pushing Yoshi. If hit by egg, they shrink for a short time. They can also blow Nipper Dandelions, releasing Nipper Spores. Ba-dum BUM! Number Ball Special
Shy Guy enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Dancing Spear Guy Dancing Spear Guys jump into Yoshi. Yoshi can also lose Baby Mario if he touches their spears. Moving Statues, Standing Statues Spear Guys' Village Found!
    Fat Guy Fat Guys walk into Yoshi. If they are jumped on they start running. Fat Guys yield larger eggs if swallowed. Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
(red)
Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
(green)
Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
(red)
Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
(green)
  Fly Guy Fly Guys do not attack Yoshi; instead, they carry items like red coins. Ba-dum BUM! Rompin', Stompin' Chomps
        Glide Guy Glide Guys walk into Yoshi. If they encounter a wind current, they are blown into the air. Ba-dum BUM!
(red)
Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo
(blue)
Catch the Breeze
(green)
Ba-dum BUM!
(yellow)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(red)
Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
(blue)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(green)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(yellow)
  Petal Guy Petal Guys walk into Yoshi. These enemies are usually disguised as flower patches and only start moving when Yoshi comes close. In the Clouds Goonie Heights
        Shy Guy Shy Guys walk into Yoshi. If Yoshi is low on eggs, Shy Guys can come out of certain pipes. Ba-dum BUM!
(red)
Mario's Fleet Feet
(blue)
Ba-dum BUM!
(green)
Ba-dum BUM!
(yellow)
Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
(red)
Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
(blue)
Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
(green)
Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
(yellow)
        Shy Guy on Stilts Shy Guys on Stilts walk into Yoshi. If they are jumped on, they lose their stilts and become regular Shy Guys. Underground Mysteries
(red)
Underground Mysteries
(blue)
Underground Mysteries
(green)
Underground Mysteries
(yellow)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(red)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(blue)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(green)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(yellow)
  Shy Stack Shy Stacks do not attack Yoshi; however, if one of them is eaten, the ones above it fall off of the stack. The Goonie Coast Isn't Clear! Superhard Acrobatics!
  Spear Guy Spear Guys walk into Yoshi with their spears. They can only be eaten from behind. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! Spear Guys' Village Found!
  Woozy Guy Woozy Guys flip themselves into Yoshi. Castle of the Big Burt Bros.
(red)
Ba-dum BUM!
(blue)
Catch the Breeze
(green)
Catch the Breeze
(yellow)
Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
(red)
Goonie Heights
(blue)
Rompin', Stompin' Chomps
(green)
Superhard Acrobatics!
(yellow)
Subterranean enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Bill Blaster Bill Blasters fire Bullet Bills at Yoshi. The blasters themselves cannot harm Yoshi. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! Superhard Acrobatics!
  Blargg Blarggs rise out of lava and try to hit Yoshi. Castle of the Big Burt Bros. Find the Number Ball!
  Bullet Bill Bullet Bills are fired out of Bill Blasters to hit Yoshi. They only travel in a straight line. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! Superhard Acrobatics!
  Dizzy Dandy Dizzy Dandies fall down and roll at Yoshi. They resemble flowers. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! The Cave That Never Ends
  Gargantua Blargg Gargantua Blarggs rise out of the lava and block Yoshi's path. If Yoshi throws an egg at them, they sink back down into the lava. Gilbert the Gooey's Castle Gilbert the Gooey's Castle
  Gobblin Gobblins sit on Warp Pipes, blocking Yoshi's path. To defeat them Yoshi must throw six eggs at them. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair Superhard Acrobatics!
          Gooey Goon Gooey Goons come down from the ceiling and swing at Yoshi. Gilbert the Gooey's Castle Castle of Priscilla the Peckish
  Hot Lips Hot Lips spray lava at Yoshi. If a Yoshi touches the lava spray, he loses a life. Six-Face Sal's Fort Find the Number Ball!
      Lantern Ghost Lantern Ghosts walk into Yoshi. If Yoshi does not have the full amount of eggs, Lantern Ghosts can come out of certain pipes. Hit the M Blocks!
(white)
Hit the M Blocks!
(red)
Hit the M Blocks!
(green)
Find the Number Ball!
(white)
Find the Number Ball!
(red)
Find the Number Ball!
(green)
  Podoboo Podoboos jump out of lava. If they are eaten Yoshi can spit them out three times to kill any enemy. Yoshi on Stilts Hurry and Throw!
  Scorchit Scorchits shoot fire at Yoshi. This fire is able to melt ice. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! At Last, Bowser's Castle!
Land enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Bandit Bandits run into a Yoshi and stealing the baby it is carrying. It takes three jumps, a ground pound or a DK Dash Attack to defeat them. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! High-Speed Cart Race
  Beach Koopa Beach Koopas walk into Yoshi. If they encounter an empty Koopa shell, they jump into it to become a Koopa Troopa. Bessie Bass's Battleship Bessie Bass's Battleship
  Bumpty Bumpties bounce a Yoshi away if it touches him. They cannot be swallowed. Slip Slidin' Away Teeth-Chattering Chill Zone
  Burt Brother Burt Brothers bounce into Yoshi. They cannot be eaten, so a ground pound is required to defeat them. Castle of the Big Burt Bros. Castle of the Big Burt Bros.
      Crabble Crabbles walk into Yoshi. They require three eggs to be defeated. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair A Light in the Dark
  Debull Debulls charge into Yoshi. If they hit a wall they are briefly stunned. The only two ways to defeat one is to lead it off a cliff, or with Baby Bowser's fireball. Boing! Superhard Acrobatics!
  Fleeper Fleepers jump onto a Yoshi's back and steal the baby it is carrying. Boing! Rompin', Stompin' Chomps
  Green Glove Green Gloves throw eggs at Yoshi. It takes three jumps, a ground pound, or a DK Dash Attack to defeat them. Glide Guys Take to the Skies Superhard Acrobatics!
  Koopa Troopa Koopas walk into Yoshi. They can only be eaten as Beach Koopas. Glide Guys Take to the Skies At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Para-Koopa Para-Koopas fly or walk into Yoshi. If they are jumped on, they become normal Koopas. Glide Guys Take to the Skies At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Slugger Sluggers bat eggs at Yoshi. It takes three jumps or a ground pound to defeat them. Glide Guys Take to the Skies Superhard Acrobatics!
  Snap Jaw Snap Jaws descend down vines to hit Yoshi. Yoshi on Stilts Use the Magnet to Get Rich Quick!
    Tap-Tap Tap-Taps walk into Yoshi. The orange ones walk off platforms while the gray ones turn around when they reach the edge of one. Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo
(gray)
Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo
(orange)
Quit it Already, Tap-Tap!
(gray)
Quit it Already, Tap-Tap!
(orange)
  Ukiki Ukikis are harmless monkeys and prefer to flee away from Yoshi. Baby DK, the Jungle King! Baby DK, the Jungle King!
Airborne enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
    Cloud Drop Cloud Drops are small, weak enemies that fly in a set horizontal or vertical pattern. Glide Guys Take to the Skies The Cave That Never Ends
  Fang Fangs are common cave enemies. They are usually stationary, but if Yoshi approaches them, they attempt to fly into him. Yikes! Boiling Hot! Find the Number Ball!
  Flightless Goonie Flightless Goonies move quickly. They can be encountered normally or if Yoshi eats and spits a normal Goonie. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! Goonie Heights
  Goonie Goonies drop enemies, including Shy Guys and bombs, onto Yoshi. If a Goonie is eaten and spat out, it becomes a Flightless Goonie. Yoshi can ride it. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! The Fort of Moltz the Very Goonie
  Gusty Gusties are fast, flying enemies that move in one direction. They are encountered usually in athletic levels. Welcome to Yoshi Tower! At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Item Balloon Item Balloons drop bombs or Pokeys. Some, however, carry helpful items including keys or Giant Eggs. Hit the M Blocks! At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Lakitu Lakitus throw Spiny Eggs at Yoshi. They can be jumped onto to be defeated, and this allows Yoshi to use their cloud. High-Speed Cart Race Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Rocket Guy Rocket Guys are Shy Guys riding on rockets that can harm a Yoshi. When the Yoshi is in the rocket, they must be avoided, because otherwise, touching one will cause it to lose a life. The Fort of Moltz the Very Goonie At Last, Bowser's Castle!
  Wall Lakitu Wall Lakitus hide in walls rather than clouds and throw Spiny Eggs at Yoshi. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair Rock 'n' Fall
Haunted House enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Big Boo Big Boos float into Yoshi. They only attack when Yoshi's back is turned and if an eggs is deflected off a wall at it, it is defeated. Bessie Bass's Battleship Bessie Bass's Battleship
  Boo Boos float into Yoshi. They only attack when Yoshi's back is turned and if an eggs is deflected off a wall at it, it is defeated. Bessie Bass's Battleship Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs
  Boo Guy Boo Guys float into Yoshi. If Yoshi does not have a full amount of eggs they can spawn from certain pipes. If spat out, Boo Guys continue rolling until they hit a wall. Hector the Reflector's Haunted House Hector the Reflector's Haunted House
  Flightless Skeleton Goonie Flightless Skeleton Goonies run into Yoshi. Number Ball Special The Cave That Never Ends
      Invisighoul Invisighouls throw furniture at Yoshi. They cannot be defeated, although the furniture they throw can be eaten and turned into eggs. Hector the Reflector's Haunted House Hector the Reflector's Haunted House
    Potted Ghost Potted Ghosts rise from their pots. If their pots are hit by an egg, it flips over and can then be used as a platform. Bessie Bass's Battleship Superhard Acrobatics!
  Polterpiranha Polterpiranha try to eat Yoshi, and then spit him out a few seconds later. An egg is required to defeat them. Hector the Reflector's Haunted House The Cave That Never Ends
  Skeleton Goonie Skeleton Goonies drop bombs onto Yoshi. If Yoshi jumps on one, it becomes a Flightless Skeleton Goonie. Rompin', Stompin' Chomps At Last, Bowser's Castle!
Giant enemies
Enemy Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Chomp Chomps bounce in a set pattern, either back and forth or up and down. Rompin', Stompin' Chomps The Cave That Never Ends
  Gargantua Blargg The tall variety of Gargantua Blarggs rise out of the lava. They can destroy certain rock platforms. Yikes! Boiling Hot! Number Ball Special
  Incoming Chomp Incoming Chomps are found in the background. If they spot Yoshi, they leap into the foreground, where they plow through the ground. Rompin', Stompin' Chomps Rompin', Stompin' Chomps
  Shark Chomp Shark Chomps chase a Yoshi, destroying the ground. Baby Mario is required to outrun a Shark Chomp. Shark Chomps stop chasing Yoshi when they bite a hard object, which causes their teeth to crack and get defeated. Rompin', Stompin' Chomps Rompin', Stompin' Chomps
  Super Big Tap-Tap Super Big Tap-Taps roll after Yoshi, destroying platforms in their way. Baby Mario is required to outrun a Super Big Tap-Tap. Mario's Fleet Feet Quit it Already, Tap-Tap!

Bosses

As in the original game, each world has a midway fort and an end-wirld castle (the fourth and eighth levels of each world, respectively), with a boss battle taking place in each. Kamek uses his magic to enlarge common enemies.

Mid-bosses

Mid-boss World Location Description
Image Name
  Big Burt Bros. World 1 Castle of the Big Burt Bros. The Big Burt Bros. try to jump onto Yoshi. They must be hit by an egg six times to be defeated.
  Hector the Reflector World 2 Hector the Reflector's Haunted House Hector is invisible on the top screen but visible via a mirror on the touch screen, and must be hit six times to be defeated. Each time he is hit, he breaks a part of the mirror.
  Bessie Bass World 3 Bessie Bass's Battleship Bessie Bass jumps out of the water and tries to eat Yoshi. Yoshi must throw an egg at Bessie Bass' lips three times to defeat her.
  Six-Face Sal World 4 Six-Face Sal's Fort Six-Face Sal spits Pokeys at Yoshi. Yoshi must hit Six-Face Sal four times to defeat him.
  Moltz the Very Goonie World 5 The Fort of Moltz the Very Goonie Moltz the Very Goonie tries to land on Yoshi. Yoshi must ground pound his head three times to defeat him.

Big bosses

Big boss World Location Description
Image Name
  Gilbert the Gooey World 1 Gilbert the Gooey's Castle Gilbert the Gooey springs up and down and then swinging from side to side. All the spheres on Gilbert must be destroyed for him to be defeated.
  Big Bungee Piranha World 2 Big Bungee Piranha's Lair Big Bungee Piranha lunges down at Yoshi and eating him. When he is about to lunge down a cursor appears, a Chomp Rock must be moved to this cursor so Big Bungee Piranha's tongue is exposed. The tongue must be hit three times for Big Bungee Piranha to be defeated.
  Priscilla the Peckish World 3 Castle of Priscilla the Peckish Priscilla jumps out of her hole at Yoshi, also spitting out Pokeys. Yoshi must hit her with an egg three times to defeat her.
  Big Guy the Stilted World 4 Castle of Big Guy the Stilted Big Guy the Stilted tries to push Yoshi into lava. Yoshi must hit him into lava and then ground pound him three times to defeat him.
  Baby Bowser World 5 At Last, Bowser's Castle! Baby Bowser ground pounds the floor. Yoshi must throw eggs at him three times to defeat him.
  Bowser World 5 At Last, Bowser's Castle! Bowser jumps around and spits fireballs. Yoshi must hit him with Giant Eggs and then ground pound him three times.
  Bowser (giant) World 5 At Last, Bowser's Castle! After three hits, Bowser becomes giant and four Yoshis must throw Giant Eggs into his face six times to defeat him.

Yoshi's abilities

Morph Yoshi

A Yoshi can morph into several different types of vehicle with the help of a morph bubble. To revert to normal, the Yoshi must either touch a Yoshi Block or wait until the time runs out, as the forms last only for a certain period of time. The Yoshi, however, must touch the Yoshi Block to progress the level; otherwise, he is directed back to the morph bubble. While Baby Mario stays protected in a bubble, Yoshi is also invincible while in these forms, but if he is hit, he is stunned and knocked into a certain direction, making him lose time. Yoshi also cannot attack in these form.

Form Description
Image Name
  Helicopter The Helicopter form allows a Yoshi to fly for a short time.
  Submarine The Submarine form allows a Yoshi to swim underwater.
  Mole Tank The Mole Tank form allows a Yoshi to dig through small openings and crawl on walls.

Vehicles

There are five types of vehicles that Yoshis can use to progress through various levels.

Transport Abilities
Image Name
  Kangaroo The kangaroo hops on its own, but pressing and holding left or right determines which way and how far it should go. The kangaroo floats when the   is held.
  Stilts The stilts allow a Yoshi to walk the same way a Shy Guy on Stilts does. The stilts allows Yoshi to safely traverse hazardous terrain.
  Cart The cart moves on a track on its own. Players cannot change the direction or the speed. Yoshi can jump out of the cart, but cannot Flutter Jump; he always lands back in the cart or on a higher track.
  Skis The ski is found in some ice-and-snow levels. Yoshis cannot change the direction of skis, but they can still jump.
  Rocket Some huts lead to space launch pads, allowing Yoshi to hop into a rocket. Pressing left and right turns the rocket and pressing   or   gives extra thrust. If the rocket makes contact with anything, the Yoshi loses a life.

Items and objects

It has been requested that this section be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Missing various objects for the sections (tagged on July 9, 2021)

Blocks

Block Effect
Image Name
  Egg Block An Egg Block gives Yoshi an egg if he hits it when he has less than six eggs.
  Expansion Block An Expansion Block is a block that grows bigger when a Yoshi hits it.
  Message Block When the Message Block is hit, it tells the player how to use certain moves.
  M Block An M Block is a block that can only be used if a Yoshi has Baby Mario on its back. An M Block can contain coins, or seeds that create giant sunflowers.
  Yoshi Block A Yoshi Block is a block that transforms a Yoshi back from his vehicle form after it uses a morph bubble.

Collectibles

Collectible Effect
Image Name
  Character coin These coins are hidden in a level, and a Yoshi must have a specific baby to collect them. When they are collected, harder versions of the minigames can be played.
  Coin If 100 coins are collected, an extra life is rewarded to the player.
  Flower A flower is a collectible that increases the score at the end of the level. All five need to be collected for the maximum score.
  Red coin A red coin is a collectible that increases the score at the end of the level. All twenty need to be collected for the maximum score.
  Stars Stars increase the time that a baby is protected in the bubble when they are knocked off of Yoshi's back. They contribute to the score given at the end of the level. Thirty need to be collected for a maximum score.

Eggs

Egg Effect
Image Name
  Red Egg A Red Egg functions as a normal Yoshi's Egg, but it can only rebound off a wall once. If a Red Egg hits an enemy, two stars appear.
  Yellow Egg A Yellow Egg functions as a normal Yoshi's Egg, but it can rebound off walls only twice (if it rebounds once, it becomes a Red Egg). If a Yellow Egg hits an enemy, a coin appears.
  Yoshi's Egg When Yoshi ducks after stuffing an enemy in its mouth, the Yoshi swallows the enemy and creates Yoshi's Eggs. Egg Block and a few other objects also give Yoshi's Eggs. Yoshi can throw eggs to defeat enemies, destroy gravel, hit switches and activate Winged Clouds. Yoshi's Eggs can be rebounded off walls three times, but only if he is carrying certain babies, such as Baby Mario. When the eggs rebound from walls, from every rebound, they change from green to yellow to red.

Hazards

Hazard Description First appearance Last appearance
Image Name
  Lava Molten rock that causes Yoshi to lose a life upon contact. Castle of the Big Burt Bros. Castle of Big Guy the Stilted
  Lava fall Lava that flows out of a pipe. Castle of Big Guy the Stilted Castle of Big Guy the Stilted
  Spinning Spikes Giant, slow-moving flails that are usually powered by groups of Shy Guys. Castle of the Big Burt Bros. Gilbert the Gooey's Castle
  Waterfall Water that flows out of a pipe. Big Bungee Piranha's Lair Big Bungee Piranha's Lair

Miscellaneous

Items

Item Effect
Image Name
  Key Keys are used to unlock locked doors.
  Morph bubble When Yoshi touches a morph bubble, it transforms.
  Super Star A Super Star transforms Baby Mario into Superstar Mario. Baby Mario is the only baby who can use this.

Objects

Object Effect
Image Name
  Bouncy Giant pink spheres that bounce the Yoshis.
  Crate A crate contains stars, coins, or a key. It can also be pushed and used as a platform.
  Giant sunflower A giant sunflower grows when its seed hits the ground, the seeds can be found in M Blocks or Winged Clouds. Yoshi can then jump on the sunflower's leaves to reach higher places.
  Goal roulette The goal roulette is the end of the level.
  Magnet Block A giant metal block that Baby Wario can move with his magnet.
  Magnet Platform A metal platform that can be raised or lowered with Baby Wario's magnet.
  Middle Ring The Middle Ring is the checkpoint in each level. When a Yoshi goes through it, if it dies in the level, it is returned to the Middle Ring. The Middle Ring also contributes ten stars to the star total.
  Stork Stop When a Yoshi waits on a Stork Stop for a certain amount of time, the stork arrives and allows Yoshi to change which baby it is carrying.
  Winged Cloud When a Winged Cloud is hit with an egg, it creates a pathway for Yoshi to use, reveals a switch, acts as a switch, gives coins or stars or an extra life.

Bonus Challenges

Any flowers the player collects in a level appears in the goal roulette at the end of a level. After a Yoshi passes through the ring, the spinning slows. If it stops on a flower, the Yoshi is able to play a mini-game and can possibly earn 1-Ups. There are five different flowers in each level.

These are the Mini-games that may pop up if a Yoshi is able to get a flower in the goal roulette. They can also be played via the World Map screen if the player obtains a total of at least 700 points in a world.

Similarities to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

  • The first piece of Ba-dum BUM! is same as the one from Make Eggs, Throw Eggs.
  • In both Watch Out For Lakitu and Spear Guys' Village Found!, an Itsunomanika Heihō can be encountered in a bush just before the goal roulette.
  • The first mid-boss, Big Burt Bros., is a dual version of Burt the Bashful, the first mid-boss in the original game.
  • The first world boss (Salvo the Slime/Gilbert the Gooey) is a blob-like creature, parts of whom can be eaten by Yoshi.
  • The second mid-boss (Bigger Boo/Hector the Reflector) is a ghost whose size changes throughout the battle.
  • The third mid-boss (Froggy/Bessie Bass) is an aquatic enemy capable of eating Yoshi, and both fights require Yoshi to fire eggs at a part of the mid-boss' gastrointestinal tract directly above him.
  • The jungle world boss (Naval Piranha/Big Bungee Piranha) is a Piranha Plant, and Nipper Plants are present during the battle. Both bosses also turn gray and crumble into dust upon defeat.
  • The fourth World Boss (Hookbill the Koopa/Big Guy the Stilted) is a giant variation of an enemy that appeared in earlier levels.
  • In the fifth world, one of the bosses that Yoshi fights (Raphael the Raven/Moltz the Very Goonie) is a bird enemy, and the battle takes place in the sky rather than an enclosed environment.
  • One boss (Hookbill the Koopa/Bowser) is a giant Koopa who Yoshi defeats by throwing eggs at his face to flip him on his back before ground-pounding his belly.
  • At least one world boss (Roger the Potted Ghost/Priscilla the Peckish & Six-Face Sal) is a completely unique species, not based off of any particular enemy in the game. Incidentally, Yoshi's Island DS introduces a regular enemy based on the unique boss from the first game.
  • Multiple similarities exist with the final normal levels of each game:
    • The final level is set in Bowser's Castle, and is explored by Green Yoshi instead of Blue Yoshi.
    • Both levels start outside the castle walls and require Yoshi to clear through a flock of Skeleton Goonies and use an aircraft-themed power to get inside.
    • Both levels require Yoshi to choose one of several different pathways, each with their own gimmick.
    • One path requires Yoshi to flee from a giant golden Tap-Tap in a volcanic cavern.
    • The first part of each final battle is against Baby Bowser, who creates shockwaves as an attack, and the last is against a giant version of Bowser, age unconsidered, who uses falling boulders and fireballs as attacks.
    • Both final battles require the use of Giant Eggs carried into the field by Item Balloons, and Bowser's castle is destroyed during the transition to the final phase of both battles.

References to other games

References in later games

Staff

Main article: List of Yoshi's Island DS staff

Yoshi's Island DS was developed by the company Artoon, instead of Nintendo EAD like other Yoshi games were. The game was directed by Hidetoshi Takeshita and the lead programmer was Yuki Hatakeyama. Takashi Tezuka, served as one of the senior producers of the game, with Naoto Ohshima being the other one.

Reception

Yoshi's Island DS received mainly positive reviews from critics. It was praised for having similar gameplay to its predecessor, as well as the artwork, although the gameplay's being too similar to its predecessor is frequently cited. Some critics also considered it the best portable Yoshi game released.

In a positive review, Craig Harris of IGN has praised the game for its design.[3] He has described the game more of a nostalgic reminder of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island rather than an advancement of the series. As a result, he suggested that the designs stuck too close to original formula, ruining surprises for veteran players of Yoshi's Island. He praised the different babies, although he felt that Baby Wario "was a last-minute edition and not tested properly". Although he noted that the dual screen gave the players a bigger view, but criticized the blind spot between the dual screens.

Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer was reluctant to praise Yoshi's Island DS in the same way as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, as he considered the game to be a "distended version of Yoshi". He acknowledges Artoon's effort in the game and the variety of babies and levels. He also criticizes the developers' abuse of the blind spot between the two screens and that the developers failed to establish trust for the player to explore. He finally stated that "Artoon is cribbing from the same notes. It's a shame, because there are times when you catch glimpses of the sort of thing the Japanese team is really capable of[...]."

Yoshi's Island DS was placed 46 on Gamesradar's Top 50 DS games. The small feature called it a fresh and new experience, a beautiful 2D world, and that they'd never tire of playing the game.[4]

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo DS Tom Bramwell, Eurogamer 7/10 "The problem is that it's a sensation that you felt all the time in Yoshi's Island. You gave up counting the ways. Counting them here would result in a much smaller number, like, ooh..."
Nintendo DS Frank Provo, Gamespot 9.1/10 "It's hard to top a masterpiece, but that's just what Nintendo and Artoon have done with Yoshi's Island DS. By incorporating one major new feature and leaving everything else alone, they've produced a sequel that seems fresh and new while remaining every bit as awesome as the original. If you enjoy side-scrolling platformers, you have to play this one."
Nintendo DS Craig Harris, IGN 8/10 "Don't let the negative tone throw you -- Yoshi's Island DS is a great game. It's just a egg throw's distance away from having the same impact the original Yoshi's Island did more than a decade ago. It sets out to emulate everything that made the first game so great, and does a really good job doing that. But it runs into the problem of not doing enough to make it its own game. No huge surprises, and no significant additions to the genre...it's just a solid recreation of the Yoshi's Island elements in a two-screen-high format. It's fun and challenging with a couple of unpolished quirks."
Nintendo DS Kaes Delgrego, Nintendo Life 7/10 "As a stand-alone game, Yoshi's Island DS is an enjoyable platformer. But to compare it to the SNES classic would be akin to comparing Sean Lennon to his father: expecting him to live up to the walrus would be entirely unrealistic."
Nintendo DS Tom East, Official Nintendo Magazine 87% "Yoshi's Island DS might be too similar to the first game, but that's not entirely a bad thing - the original was amazing and so is this. One of the best platformers on the DS."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 81
GameRankings 81.15%

Sales

In its first week in Japan, the game sold approximately 300,000 copies. As of March 31, 2008 Yoshi's Island DS has sold 2.91 million copies worldwide.[5]

Media

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  Yoshi's Island DS - Title screen theme
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Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Yoshi's Island DS.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Yoshi's Island DS pre-release and unused content
  • Yoshi's Island DS, initially titled Yoshi's Island 2, was originally going to be compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This, however, was scrapped from the game for unknown reasons.
  • Early screenshots showcasing a battle with Big Guy the Stilted seemed to suggest that Big Guy was once going to be organic, as he had no patches on him in that picture (although one patch is visible near his right foot, which may mean his graphics were slightly incomplete).

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ヨッシーアイランドDS
Yosshī Airando DS
Yoshi Island DS

Chinese (traditional) 耀西之島DS[6]
Yàoxī zhī Dǎo DS
Yoshi's Island DS

French Yoshi's Island DS
-
Korean 요시 아일랜드 DS
Yosi Aillaendeu DS
Yoshi Island DS

Spanish Yoshi's Island DS
-

Trivia

  • The box art shows Baby Bowser riding Yellow Yoshi, and Baby Wario riding Light Blue Yoshi; they do not ride these Yoshis in the game other than when Baby Wario is in the final boss fight, however. This is because the babies are only playable in the last four levels on the world map, as opposed to the Yoshis they ride, which are in the first four.
  • The instruction booklet erroneously states Baby Donkey Kong is the only baby with more than one special ability, as Baby Mario has three abilities.

References

External links