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Setup & Timing
Yoshi Touch & Go's setup is well-planned out and self-explanitory. The game download is large (because of a lot of touch-screen components),
but still takes a lot of time to download (nearly a full minute).
Menus & Navigation
The multi-player in Yoshi Touch & Go is extremely easy to find ("Vs." is right on the main menu and is unlocked from the beginning), each item
on the menus is large and easy to tap without accidentally tapping on the wrong field.
Ease Of Use / Play Control
Yoshi Touch & Go's gameplay consists primarily of drawing lines (of clouds) and circles (of clouds - into bubbles), and tapping the screen (on
Yoshi to make him jump - and, when in the air, flutter kick - or not on Yoshi to throw an egg). The play control for these motions works rather well,
but it causes the ease of play to drop because the controls seem almost a little oversensitive (it you don't line up a platform you've created out of a
line of clouds with the next patch of land perfectly - if your drawn platform over a giant hole in the ground does not go over the edge of the next
piece of land - Yoshi will stop moving and not step forward). It's very good overall, if a little lacking in Yoshi's instincts.
Category Score: 11.5 / 15
Content
Yoshi Touch & Go is essentially a 2D world that uses 3D elemnets. In the Single-Card Download game, just as in the single-player game, it's a
side scroller (some parts of the single-player modes include vertical scrolling but the Single-Card Download Vs Play game is horizontal scrolling
only). Yoshi and Baby Mario (and Baby Luigi), as well as most of the enemies, have a beautifully-drawn 3D feel to them. Everything in the game is
animated - even the clouds you draw will billow a bit. The music, while not essential, does add a lot to the mood in a helpful way. The sound effects
are extremely helpful, especially when something appears, in case you were looking elsewhere on the screen (or in case you were monitoring your
opponent's progress on the upper screen). There aren't any selectable features.
Category Score: 11.5 / 15
Overall Fun
Yoshi Touch & Go is based on a simple concept and expanded with increasingly difficult conditions. The gist of the game: survive. The further
through the game you go, the more difficult things get, and your goal (generally) is to either reach the end first or survive the longest. In fact,
the game is set up very similarly to several of the classic arcade games from the past. The difference is that yoshi Touch & Go takes advantage of
several of the Nintendo DS's unique features, including the touch screen, Single-Card Download Play, and (in single-player modes) the
microphone.
When I first picked up Yoshi Touch & Go, I knew it was one of the Nintendo DS's earliest titles, and the earliest titles are almost never the
best (there are a few exceptions to that, but not many). Basically, I didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. While
the susbstance is light, the game is far more fun than many games I've played where the substance isn't lacking. The game successfully instills the
drive to beat your own score (or time or distance). While on one hand it's a little repetitive, on the other hand it's the perfect game for casual
video game players (which the Nintendo DS has a lot of) who want to venture beyond puzzle games. It's a rare title, now, but if you can find it, I
recommend picking it up; when you have some spare time on your lunch break, it's a great game to play until you need to get back to work.
Allow players to choose their goal: who can survive the longest, who can get the highest score, or who can finish first.
In games where players are trying to finish first, permit them to decide the distance they will travel.
Program in difficulty settings (that adjust the number and type of enemies).
Include an option to play Vs with the vertically scrolling boards as well (they can turn the Nintendo DS sideways).
Category Score: 12.5 / 15
Overall Single-Card Download Rating: 84 / 100 (a.k.a. 42/50)
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