I
f Yoshi has proven one thing since his debut
in the 1990 hit Super Mario World it’s that he’s
not afraid to try something new. He’s featured
in puzzle games on the NES, was the star of
a fun Super Scope shooter on the SNES and even
had players furiously twisting their Game Boy
Advances in Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation – though
that last one was something of a disappointment.
He’s admittedly never been as high-tier as some of
Nintendo’s bigger stars, but like Kirby he’s incredibly
versatile and likable, and he’s been known to have
plenty of cosmetic makeovers throughout the years.
Perhaps the most impressive was in 2015 when
Nintendo released Yoshi’s Woolly World. It immediately
stood out thanks to its delightful aesthetic, which saw
a knitted Yoshi exploring a similarly yarn-created world
alongside his lovable dog, Poochy. Developer Good-Feel
has pushed the envelope further for its sequel by giving
its game a more distinct handcrafted look. “I think
everyone has tried making handicrafts at some time or
other,” explains Etsunobu Ebisu, who is working as a
producer on Yoshi’s new game. “Children will have, ofIn 2015, Nintendo and Good-Feel reinvented Yoshi by giving
him a yarn-filled world to explore. Etsunobu Ebisu explains
why his team swapped out yarn and cloth for
their incoming exclusive Switch sequel
Words by Darran Jonescourse, but even adults probably have some experience
from their childhood, so it makes for a good theme for
parents and children to play the game together. Maybe
a father playing along with their child might see the back
of an object and realise it’s actually made from a milk
carton, sparking a conversation about how he used to
make things like this when he was young. Using crafts
for the visuals also makes it easy for players to imagine
what’s involved for a level feature, even if it’s their first
time seeing it. I really hope everyone, even those who
aren’t so familiar with games, will give Yoshi’s Crafted
World a try.”
The idea of Yoshi’s Crafted World appealing to various
generations is an intentional one on Good-Feel’s part
as Ebisu and his team have designed their game to be
one that really comes alive when played with someone
else, regardless of their experience with games. “For
multiplayer, we envisaged the game being played by
someone who’s familiar with games and someone who
isn’t so familiar, perhaps a parent and child,” continues
Ebisu. “We introduced the powerful carrying mechanic
with that in mind. The player being carried throws
the eggs, while the player doing the carrying handles
moving the Yoshis. In this state players can throw
as many eggs as they want, and ground pounds will
unleash a shockwave that shakes the whole screen. It’s
a whole different sort of fun than you get when playing PUBLISHER:
NINTENDO
DEVELOPER:
GOODFEEL
RELEASED:
2019
PLATFORM:
SWITCH
GENRE:
PLATFORMERIN THE KNOW
» [Switch]
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30 | RETRO GAMER» Etsunobu Ebisu is Good-Feel’s
executive vice president. He is a
producer on Yoshi’s Crafted World.