Yoshi Topsy-Turvy

Nintendo never ceases to amaze me. Here we have Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, a 2D platformer developed for a four-year-old system that isn't much more powerful than the SNES. Defying logic and technical limitations, this game is almost as innovative as the astonishing Kirby: Canvas Curse. All it took was a little thought, a little know-how, and a larger game cart that can sense player movement.

Like the name says, Yoshi goes topsy-turvy in this adventure. Like Spider-Man he can climb walls. Like Mario he can jump high (with the help of special platforms) and make high-pitched noises that indicate his state of mind (always giddy). And like himself he can still swallow enemies whole and float in the air.

The new additions are handled by motion, not by button combinations. By tilting your Game Boy Advance system (SP or regular, or the Nintendo DS) left or right, Yoshi gains the ability to traverse walls. When the screen is tilted you're supposed to assume that the wall is as well (even though your eyes will automatically straighten it out), making it possible to do something that even Link can't do.

That's not all that tilting the system does. In the watery stages it lowers and heightens the level of H2O. Picture this: you're playing with a toy boat in a bucket of water. You get bored splashing around and decide to tilt the bucket, sending the boat downward. You then pull the bucket back, which makes the water rise on the opposite side, shooting the boat upward before a sharp fall.

In most levels you're given the power to influence the course of the wind. Parachutes fall from the sky, holding apples (who have eggs trapped inside), coins and bombs. Tilt the system to make the parachutes glide toward Yoshi.

Level goals range from collecting a specific amount of a certain item; defeating a specific amount of a certain enemy; or getting to the goal within the given time limit.

The first half of this is extremely easy. It sounds like a kiddie game, looks like a kiddie game, and by all accounts plays like one. Slowly the game adds challenges to the simple mixture. You might have to collect items and kill a specific amount of enemies. The game might ask that you accomplish one or more of these tasks before the time runs out. Curiously, it is not necessary to beat every stage from every world – another point against the challenge.

That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to those who know Yoshi Topsy-Turvy's target market: the new generation of Nintendo players. Old-timers like myself appreciate the great lengths Nintendo went to create a game where tilting was important. Kids will love the invincible ball stages where Yoshi is blown up like a balloon and can bounce around the area like a pinball in a pinball machine. (Gravity is shifted in the direction the system is tilted.)

Some of the more challenging stages include rolling balls (hop on and tilt the screen to make it move), sliding platforms (again, tilting the screen makes them move), and a deadly spike pit. Yoshi has a flowery life bar that enables him to take a beating and still keep on ticking (and never stop smiling, or stop making that annoying dino-whine sound). Nonetheless, Yoshi will die instantly if he touches a spike, regardless of where it came from (on a wall, below platforms or hanging from the top of the stage).

Game Boy Advance games don't look as impressive now that the Nintendo DS is here, but I'm happy to say that Yoshi Topsy-Turvy holds its own. He and his enemies are sprite-based (2D objects with a nice, smooth texture and not-so-nice jagged edges), while the backgrounds are typical 16-bit-quality paintings. The trees look flat and have a thick shadow that gives them a distinct cardboard cutout appearance (think Paper Mario with less realism an zero unfolding effects). Each stage has multiple areas, and as you pass each area the picture folds back from the bottom right corner, simulating the effect of turning a page.

Although I think this is a great game for kids, the change in difficulty separates the first half from the second half. When I was young that didn't affect me, so I doubt that hardcore gamers-in-the-making will be turned off. It is possible that some children (those who don't play games very often and especially those who have never beaten a game before) will lose interest when they reach the levels that have a bit of challenge to them. This doesn't mean that Topsy-Turvy isn't worth buying for them. In the long run it could give them something to enjoy now and something to enjoy when they get a little more experience.

Gameplay: 7.0
Disoriented conduct. Yoshi Topsy-Turvy will have gamers tilting their Game Boys, their heads and their thumbs as they try to maneuver Yoshi through the storybook world. Within minutes the brilliance behind the tilt feature is clear. I loved jumping from wall to wall, tilting the system as fast as I could to keep Yoshi from falling.

Sadly, Yoshi Topsy-Turvy suffers from chronic easy-itis, a disease that effects dozens of Game Boy Advance games. As cool as the tilt feature is, one play-through is enough. Kids will get more out of it than teen and adult gamers (presumably), and as I said before, us adult gamers appreciate the innovation.

Graphics: 7.0
A storybook come to life? Not quite. Yoshi Topsy-Turvy belongs to the same universe as Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story, but their artistic styles were much more interesting. Paper Mario blows 'em all away, but then again, I can't remember a time when Mario was second best at anything.

Sound: 6.9
The music is well composed and is pretty enjoyable for a kid's game. But if I hear Yoshi whine or repeat his name one more time I'm going to scream!

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
More easy than medium, Yoshi Topsy-Turvy is a cakewalk with topped with crusty icing.

Concept: 9.5
Another industry first from Nintendo. What you've heard is true, the game really is a new kind of action/adventure. Having the ability to influence the course of a level by tilting a handheld game console – that alone is impressive. The fact that it actually works is almost hard to believe. Tilt it yourself and be amazed.

Overall: 7.0
Great for kids; too easy for everyone else. The easy-to-learn, easy-to-master gameplay wouldn't be noteworthy in any other circumstance. We take notice here because of the tilt gameplay feature. And to think, I only used to tilt my game consoles when I was angry! (Blast you, Metal Slug!) Now I have an actual reason to do it.