MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Yoshi vs Windows Platinum, by supertoad2k and Nite
Review Author	Kiri Amaya
Created	Oct 30 2005, 11:34 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Yoshi vs. Windows Platinum is a remake of an older (and very cute) fan game, in which Yoshi travels through various Windows-inspired levels to stop Bill Gates from taking over the world. The original was pretty crummy in most ways; but not only is the new version actually good, it's one of the most engaging Mario fan games ever.

Pros	Hilarious concept Clever level designs Pleasant graphics Engaging game design Ability to save in every level Lets you kick the crap out of Clippy!!
Cons	Some of the music is horrid Horizontally-moving platforms are bad Yoshi's tongue sometimes goes in the wrong direction

Impressions

Gameplay 9 / 10	For those new to Yoshi vs. Windows, the basic gameplay involves eating all of the enemies in a level to unlock the exit. Some levels have different gadgets to help you out with this- portals to return you to the beginning of the level, mouse pointers that serve as high-jump powerups, and energy fields that serve as ladders, for just a few examples. Thus, the game is mainly a puzzle platformer, with a boss fight thrown in for good measure. The reason this game's so adorable is that the levels are constructed almost entirely out of elements from the Windows interface, Windows screensavers, and text mode error messages! It's really fun and clever. If you're one of those who remember the nigh-unplayable original, you'll be glad to know that Platinum fixes all but two of the major issues that plagued that game- level design is tighter, Yoshi's tongue is now fast enough to be reliable, the jump is better, you can save in every level, hints are present for when you don't know what to do next, and it's now much easier to complete vertically-scrolling levels thanks to the aforementioned portals. What's more, the Clippy boss fight- which was awesome to begin with for the simple fact that it let you pound the stuffing out of Clippy- is now actually challenging! Hooray! Unfortunately, there are still some problems- Yoshi's dang tongue still can't be relied on to go in the right direction, and you still have to walk in the direction of moving horizontal platforms to stay on them. Drat. Ah well; this game is still hilarious.
Graphics 8 / 10	The original game looked great because of the clever and funny way it used actual Windows interface elements as terrain and enemies. The Platinum version takes this concept and runs with it, adding lots more color, visual effects, and personality. Those few levels with the standard "Mario" look are also substantially improved in both color and resolution. My only complaint is that the Yoshi sprite is pretty underframed; but this complaint is pretty minor.
Sound 4 / 10	Well, this version has actual sound effects, and they're all very nice and fitting... but whose bright idea was it to replace most of the game's MIDIs with ones that sounded _worse_?? In most of the places where new music exists, the old version (which was usually a MIDI of the exact same tune) sounded fine, while the new one produces such an ear-splitting cacophony that it almost makes me want to go back to the old version of the game, despite everything. Seriously, what the crap??
Replay 6 / 10	Well, there's really nothing in the way of unlockables to keep you coming back, but the Platinum version features a lot more levels than the original (cool ones, too), so this is one of those games that you'll probably replay again and again just for its own sake.

Final Words

This is one of the cutest and most creative games ever to grace my hard drive. I cannot recommend it enough. Of course, given the theme, someone should totally port it to a free/open-source architecture... ;)

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