Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)

3.5/5

Yoshi's Crafted World is exactly what you expect from the 2.5D Yoshi games. The main story will be really cute but really easy, with a LOT of collectibles. The challenge comes in getting 100% completion as you unlock additional levels and challenges the further you get.

The draw for this game lies in it's graphics and presentation. Everything is made of various crafts, and the characters look directly made of felt. It's a fantastic look and used in some really fun and creative ways. One of the big downsides of this game which usually isn't a complaint in a Nintendo game is the music. Some of the tracks in this game are really hard on the ears.

Gameplay consists of the usual sidescrolling levels sometimes going into the foreground or background for a little extra variety. Usually once per hub or world, there will be a level that plays a lot different to really mix things up. These could be controlling a papercraft mech yoshi, a rail shooter while on a boat, steering an auto moving car left or right to go faster or slower, among others. These were almost always a very welcome mix up and really cute and clever levels. Each world or hub has a boss level at the end which also all play differently from each other.

As most all Yoshi games the real meat to these games are in the collectibles, which this game has a TON of. Going for finishing just the main quest this game can be completed in probably ~13 or so hours. Achieving 100% took me about 35 hours. Each level has a set number of flowers to find, a flower for getting 100 coins, a flower for finishing with full health, then a flower for finding the 20 red coins. THEN once you finish a level you play it in reverse to find 3 poochy pups for 1 flower each, and an additional one finding all 3 within a set time limit. THEN there are little robots that will ask you to find collectibles in the levels by shooting an egg at them. These can be a very large item hanging out in the background, or 5 little trinkets sprinkled throughout. Most levels contain a multitude of these additional collectibles, and you can only find one per attempt at the level. These really drag on, but are required if going for the 100% completion as you'll need EVERY flower in the game.

Overall this was a really enjoyable game to turn my brain off in between more serious games. If you are looking for a cute, fun distraction you can't go wrong.

If nothing else, this is the most creatively beautiful game I've ever played. The stage designers and artists outdid themselves replicating not only the look, but the textures of textiles and crafting materials. It's just so impressive. My toddler loved watching me play and still carries around my Yoshi amiibo making the "blauwn" noise.

Mechanically, the game is fine, but after awhile the levels start to drag on. Completing missions became a real chore, too...while it makes sense for younger gamers to keep missions separate, experienced gamers want to bounce through and collect all the things.

Overall, this game looks like it was made for kids, feels like it was intended to made for kids, but even with Mellow Mode, the level of difficulty is clearly intended for older gamers. That being said, I can't wait to see what the creative team comes up with next for Yoshi and co.

Yoshi's Crafted World is a fun platforming game with a rather unique art style that I've only encountered in one other game Tearaway on the PS Vita. The world within Yoshi's Crafted World is made to look like it was made out of art and craft supplies, giving a bright DIY feel to it.

Unfortunately, the games unique and creative art style is not reflected in its plot, as the story s pretty standard for a platformer- the antagonists tried to steal a magical item and in the ensuing fight with the Yoshis, parts of the item are scattered across the world. It is now a rrace against time to find the missing pieces. Yes, Yoshi's Crafted World is not going to win any prizes for its story.

Fortunately, the level design and game mechanics make up for the plot. There are several different zones, that vary from jungles to space. Each zone has three levels in which Yoshi can collect flowers and coins as he progresses through the level. These flowers are used to unlock other zones and the coins are used to buy cosmetic items for Yoshi. Something that have to praise the developers for is the variety in the levels. Rather than have all levels being completed by simply moving left to right through the level, the developers have spent time creating varied levels, such as a racing level and level where you are chased by a spooky figure. The boss levels are not the most challenging I've encountered, once you have memorised the attack patterns and land three successful hits, any of the bosses you encounter will go down.

Overall, Yoshi's Crafted World is fun platformer that just feelsa little too short for the asking price. I would recommend you pick this game up if it is on sale but at full price, you don't quite get your monies worth.

I played it in co-op with my three years old daughter, actually starting when she was still three and kinda stopping when she was almost five. As usual, it's a lovely game, visually amazing, full of secrets and things to do. It is quite easy for me, but absolutely challenging for her, and there's still a bit of challenge for me in terms of secrets to find. It was amazing to look at her slowly but steadily learn how to play, having so much trouble at the beginning (both in mastering the action and, frankly, the number of buttons) but becoming quite proficient in platforming action by the end of the game. She constantly wanted my help in the beginning, she almost didn't want me to play with her after the final boss. It's so fascinating to look at how quickly a kid learns this stuff.

We played for approximately 20 hours, doing quite a lot of endgame stuff after the end credits and unlocking the secret levels, but the interest slowly faded for both of us. I'm sure there will be days when she will still ask to play Yoshi but, generally speaking, we moved on: it's Snipperclips and Kirby time!

We started playing this co-op for our co-op podcast (shameless plug: https://soundcloud.com/saves-together) and it didn't really click so I kept playing on my own as a Yoshi fan.

Honestly, besides the adorable aesthetic it wasn't really doing it more for me at first, but the more I played the more I wanted to play more. It's one of those inoffensive games you can get through easily, quickly and fairly painlessly, but I was pleased at some of the more difficult levels especially that final secret boss which gave me a run for my money (in Yoshi terms).

Overall, I'm glad I played it and it's fun to revisit every so often to get some more flowers for that ever-hungry robot on the Hidden Hills.

Confession: I don't particularly like Yoshi games. As much as I love that cute little dinosaur's big ol' snoot and saddle-shell, I've always found the eponymous series somewhat awkward to play. There's just something about coming to a dead stop to aim a reticle to throw an egg that's always felt like a drag in comparison to the speed of Sonic, the rhythm of Mario or the buoyancy of Kirby. And no matter how many times I play, I can never quite get a handle on the sine wave of Yoshi's weird Flutter Jump.

So why give this entry a shot? Two words: Mellow Mode.

Mellow Mode was probably designed for small children and inexperienced game players, but I don't care. It's been a busy couple of months, I've been working too much to meet an aggressive deadline. I just want to guide a fuzzy Yoshi through adorable levels with a colorful, handmade aesthetic. I want to scour the flip side of craft dioramas looking for Poochy pups that are laughably bad at hide and seek. I want to hurl my Shy Guy poops at clouds to find flowers whenever I'm notified that one is nearby. I want to spend coins on costumes that make Yoshi look like a big dumb whale or skeleton or whatever. And I don't want to die a million times trying.

All of it is beautiful. Very little of it is challenging. The soundtrack ranges from "forgettably pleasant" to "slightly irritating." But it's the most fun I've had with a Yoshi game, the first I've ever completed, and exactly the sort of entertainment my brain needed right now. ✌

I got this game fully expecting to play a pretty standard platformer that wouldn't deviate much from the formula. So, I was pleastly surprised that this Yoshi installment did quite a bit more. While the levels themselves are standard, the game is full of side quests, collectibles, and challenges that I didn't think I'd see. It added a lot more to the game than to simply keep moving and jumping.

I was also surprised that the game was more challenging than I expected. Some puzzles, mini-games, and other features actually require some skill and patience to complete.

I did enjoy the arts-and-crafts motif of the setting. It lent itself to some unique environments and features, and it looked pretty cute too. I kind of wish they had done more with it, though. It reminded me sometimes of Paper Mario but with less interaction with the environment.

I wish I could give this a higher rating because it did have some things I really enjoyed. However, I feel like the sameness of other parts of the game end up keeping it at a middle score. It's not bad, and I had a lot of fun playing, but it's nothing groundbreaking either.

I've been waiting for another Yoshi game!

[Pre-Read Info]

System: Nintendo Switch

Solo/Co-Op: Solo

Time Spent: 2 Hours

I was immediately introduced to what looked like the arts and crafts project from my childhood that I've always wanted to make, but never had the skills or commitment for. The game is, like all Yoshi games, colorful and bright. But just because it's nice to look at doesn't necessarily mean it's without a challenge.

For the average casual player who is playing to explore the game and this world of art, the game is very open and inviting. The learn-as-you-go playstyle for Yoshi games has always appealed to me because it offers instruction and an easy mode at a choice, not by requirement. You aren't forced to sit through text and dialog, you are free to sit and play.

For the veteran Yoshi player, this game is a nice call-back to the Yoshi's Island era of gameplay where your goal is to get to the end of the ring, and collecting every flower and red coin along the way. If you really want to obtain every secret and collectible within the game you better be prepared to put some effort into it. There are PLENTY of secrets in the foreground and background that you'll have to search to make sure you get everything possible within the level, and after completing it the first time, you have to play it a second time but in reverse to collect more things.

Normally a collect-a-thon without reward is disappointing and gives no purpose other than a perfect score and possible secret ending. However collecting flowers is now required to progress through new areas, and coins are used to purchase costumes for the Yoshi's that also act as shields. It was surprising to see that feature in the game. When going for all of this stuff, the challenge does pickup because now you are tasked with going through stages without damage, and completing things on a time limit.

In the 2 hours that I've played, the best way to summarize this up would be that it is a Yoshi game for new and old fans, and it would be a great first game for very young children. There is a lot more that I'm going to explore, so I'll be continuing to stream this game on Mixer when I get the chance!

[Video Gameplay by Myself]: