MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Yoshi vs Windows Platinum, by supertoad2k and Nite
Review Author	Vitiman
Created	Feb 3 2016, 7:23 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Not much one can say here. Yoshi vs. Windows is back! Or... was back, because this was released a long time ago. Er, anyways, it -was- back and with some new additions and in general, a new coat of paint. But the question is... does it help the game or hinder it? Let's find out together... (spoiler alert: it's somewhere in the middle)

Pros	New graphics and music Yoshi moves at least a good chunk better than he used to Backgrounds got an overhaul and are no longer bland-ish Save featureeee! Info Boxes that cleverly make use of a usually-annoying MMF extension in-universe
Cons	Yoshi now makes noises... that tend to just grate on you The engine is still the default movement one, just not as ridiculously prone to flailing Music is still MIDIs, which disappointed me somewhat back in the day It's very very easy to get caught in one specific enemy trying to eat it and die Etc. etc.

Impressions

Gameplay 4 / 10	I'll say it once and I'll say it again: Yoshi vs. Windows isn't a game you play for the gameplay, it's a game you play for the humor and Micro$oft criticisms. That said, the game's engine is stated to be improved in the game's description, among other things (we'll get to that in just a moment). Unfortunately, what little improvement there is here doesn't stop the engine from having the same exact problems: namely, it's the default platform movement and it's difficult to keep your momentum at all. Plus, as stated above in the cons, Yoshi can get caught in an enemy and drain your health in one go, forcing you to restart. On the plus side, the Game Over screen this time around is an amusing Blue Screen of Depression, so I got a chuckle out of that (before closing the game in frustration, though)
Graphics 7 / 10	There's still some blatant clash here, but overall what clash has been left in overhauling the graphics is (mostly) the gimmick of being stuck inside an old version of Windows (or two). Now backgrounds have vast, colourful gradients, and Yoshi is using a different sprite entirely! Oh what a joyous improvement it all is. It's not perfect, but it really does make the game look and feel a lot better, even if it brings up some new issues due to some backgrounds making it difficult to see the foreground; particularly in levels with those Spark Balls from SMB2 that you have to eat.
Sound 3 / 10	With how much of an improvement the graphics were, you'd think the sound would have been overhauled to such an impressive extent too, right? Well... unfortunately, no. Same MIDIs, which as I pointed out in my review of the original aren't BAD, but it's all the same disappointing that it's the same exact music (for the most part, some new tunes have been introduced here and there). But what really lets the sound down are the new SFX. They're pretty mediocre, if not downright awful. Whoever is doing Yoshi's voice here was doing fine... until they recorded that victory sound when you get rid of all the enemies. That voice crack... eugh.
Replay 5 / 10	Same as the original, more or less. I might get mad at the game and close it, but every now and then I'll come back to it and play it for old times sake. Maybe it's nostalgia, or maybe it's a genuine appreciation for bizarre fangames, but this one I can come back to and try again after all these years, just like the original version.

Final Words

An improvement over the original? Absolutely! A lot has been added here that is very much appreciated and in general it's a much better game than the original was. However, it's still got a lot of the same old flaws, and it even adds a handful of new ones. Can I recommend this in good faith? For all the right reasons, sure! It's a classic, but it's not a classic because it handles well.

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