The Yoshi series has always been one of my favorite series of games (right up there with Mario, Donkey Kong Country, and Kirby... my SNES platformers). Yoshi's Island was extremely fun and really gave me a taste of what Yoshi could offer. However, there had been no other Yoshi game since that offered me that excitement and fun. Yoshi's Story, while good, was far too short and bland, and the Yoshi spinoffs (such as Topsy-Turvy) lacked creativity and fun. Then, I saw what I was looking for one E3: Yoshi's Island DS. I waited for its arrival for several months, and eventually got it. However, was it up to the mettle of the original? Well, that's what this Review will find out! I'm rating both on a one to five star basis, with five being groundbreakingly great and one being just awful.

Story YI: *** YIDS: ****

Both stories were interesting and had many good points. Yoshi's Island was made to explain the origin of the Mario Bros, Bowser, and Yoshi. It took us through a nice, easy story, where Kamek kidnaps Baby Luigi and the stork on the night the Mario Bro.s were to be delivered to their parents. Baby Mario fell during the kidnapping, and somehow landed right on a Yoshi's back. Yoshi then told all of the other Yoshi's what happened, and they decided to reunite the Brothers. Yoshi's Island DS expanded on that plot. For some reason, Kamek decided to kidnap ALL of the Mushroom Kingdom's babies (including the Marios, Peach, and, oddly enough, Donkey Kong). However, the stork comes to the rescue and saves Mario and Peach while Donkey Kong escapes. I don't really want to spoil the rest of the plot, involving the future and Stars, but the Yoshis are put in a similar role. However, the DS version is much more creative, and doesn't just tell you the entire story at the very beginning. Yoshi's Island DS gets the point.

Graphics YI: ***1/2 YIDS: **1/2

Now here's a shocker: a SNES game with better graphics than a DS game?! No, I haven't gone mentally insane. I actually just prefer the Yoshi's Island graphics over the YIDS graphics. Yoshi's Island looked like a world made right out of your Crayola box, and pulled the look off successfully. Sure, the characters had some rough edges, but that just added to the overall "coloring book" feel. With Yoshi's Island DS, that feeling is all gone. This looks just like Super Mario World with thinner outlines and brighter colors. DS doesn't offer the great, creative look the original did. I'd much rather have the 3D graphics offered up by the Donkey Kong Country series and New Super Mario Bros. that the "upgraded" Yoshi's Island experience. Also, I'd like to note that most of the foreground graphics that gave Yoshi's Island extra appeal are not apparent in YIDS. Sure, neither is perfect, but the classic Yoshi's Island takes the cake for its favorable graphic style.

Sound YI: ****1/2 YIDS: *1/2

And now, to drop a bomb on Yoshi's Island DS: its sound is just horrible. No, I don't mean how I hate several different babies crying in the same game, I'm talking about all the sound in general. Sure, the overworld theme is decent, but isn't every other game's? The underground music is dull, and most of the bonus themes don't do wonders either. But what I really hate about DS' sound is the castle music. In practically every other game I've played, castle music is usually suspenceful, haunting, and strong. The YIDS castle music is better suited for a tutorial mode in Tetris Attack. It's lighthearted, slow, boring, and doesn't fit the mood at all. Yoshi's voice also got altered to the Mario Kart 64 and on style, rather than the old squeals and grunts. I like the squeals and grunts! And don't get me started on the annoying crying sounds of the babies... UHG! Yoshi's Island was extremely high-callibur in its tunes that fit all moods perfectly. Most specifically, I will always have a deep appreciation for the beginning theme. This is where the 1/2 star from Yoshi's Island DS comes in: it has the same beginning theme as its predecessor. Yoshi's Island delivers high-rank sound that rivals- but doesn't surpass- Super Mario Bros. 3. Yoshi's Island wins again.

Gameplay YI: ****1/2 YIDS: ****

This was a tough category to judge, but Yoshi's Island pulls away another win. Yoshi's Island was basically a black canvas that created one of the most original gaming engines out there. Egg throwing was an amazing concept that I enjoyed to the fullest. The game was nearly perfect, rivaling the precise jumps, runs, and abilities of Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3. Yoshi's Island DS was nearly Yoshi's Island in this view, but still lacked. For one, the engine was used before and got a bit rusty. Another thing was that the game focused too much on the five interchangable babies that can ride Yoshi. Sure, this gave the game more depth with character and level design, but it destroyed some of the great challenges Yoshi's Island had to offer. For example, a field of Shy Guys was a semi-daunting task to clear out in Yoshi's Island, but Baby Donkey Kong can eliminate it in an extremely fast time WITHOUT EGGS OR YOSHI'S TONGUE in YIDS. Sure, this is where the game gets its kudos, but it's lacking in the abilities that made Yoshi a little more... super. Also, the power-up cards and watermelons, a feature that I deeply treasured in Yoshi's Island, were removed from DS. But, my biggest concern is the lack of speed in DS. THEY TOOK OUT RUNNING WITH EVERYONE BUT BABY MARIO! As much as I liked Baby Donkey Kong and Baby Bowser, running was an essential part of this game, and I often found myself constantly switching between DK/Bowser and Mario. This was annoying, to say the least. Both give strong gameplay, though, and are great overall. However, you just can't beat the classics.

Characters YI: **** YIDS: ****1/2

This was Yoshi Island DS' strong point: the characters. It had some of the classics, plus new faces that expand the Marioverse were often nice to see. However, what really put YIDS up there was the 5 playable baby characters. This marks Baby Peach's first playable appearance, not to mention the first ever appearance of Babies Donkey Kong and Wario. There was a little more character insight in Yoshi's Island DS, and that got it where it is right now. Of course, if I could be biased, I'd give them both fives for having Kamek. But, both expanded on the past of the Marioverse, and have great libraries of characters.

Diffculty YI: **1/2 YIDS: *

Neither game is extremely difficult. Yoshi's Island cost me some lives, some tries, and some time, but I got through it all right. Yoshi's Island DS, on the other hand, cost me over 50 lives on the later levels. Why does it have a lower score, then? Because of the fact that I actually LOST 50 lives! Yoshi's Island always restarted your life count at 3 every time you quit playing. I never got more than 30 lives in the SNES game, and didn't complain. Yoshi's Island DS keeps your lives saved up, and they're plentiful in many levels. By the time I had some difficulty staying alive (Level 4-1 and on) I had already accumulated about 124 lives! With that many, the rest of the game was a breeze. The game had a good transition into the hard levels, but it gives Yoshi too much support for them. Yoshi's Island had a challenge, and a good one at that. Especially Baby Bowser's final form... that gave me nightmares when I first saw it, and was nightmarish when I actually tried it. Final boss of YIDS... not so much. Yoshi's Island pulls off another easy win here.

Fun Factor! YI: ***** YIDS: ****1/2

Both games were insanely fun and thoroughly enjoyable. However, Yoshi's Island DS just didn't have the challenge that Yoshi's Island had. Many Yoshi's Island puzzles required precise timing and aim with eggs, otherwise a long process would have to be redone, or Yoshi would lose a life. Yoshi's Island DS just has calm, easy-paced puzzles. I like that feeling of speed and difficulty in games, and YIDS just doesn't bring it. Also, Yoshi's Island DS lacked a multiplayer mode, which was hidden carefully in the original.

Replayability YI: **** YIDS: ***

Yoshi's Island included six worlds of great length, plus special hidden levels that could only be unlocked by completing all 8 levels in the world with 100% perfection. Yoshi's Island DS contained five worlds of even greater length with even more hidden levels. However, Yoshi's Island was overall more fun and gave me a hard craving for more. Yoshi's Island DS just shuts me off after the ending (which is pretty boring). Overall, it just comes down to how much fun it is, and Yoshi's Island really makes it fun.

OVERALL Yoshi's Island: ****1/2 Yoshi's Island DS: ***3/4

Wow, a 3/4 rating! That's different! Yoshi's Island is the better game overall, but I'd suggest either to anyone. Since Yoshi's Island has a GBA port, why not just have both in your DS at once? Or, just play the original to your heart's content on the Super Nintendo. Yoshi has remained one of my favorite characters in Mario since his introduction in Super Mario World, and both of these games show some of his fine points. Go buy now! They're worth your $10-30!