Why Yoshi’s Crafted World?

Yoshi’s Crafted World is a charming platform adventure that brings the lovable green dinosaur Yoshi into a world made entirely of arts and crafts. Designed with creativity and accessibility in mind, the game focuses on exploration, gentle platforming, and collectible hunting rather than fast-paced action. The result is a relaxing and visually delightful experience that appeals to players of all ages, especially younger audiences and families.

The story begins when Yoshi and his friends discover a magical artifact that grants wishes. When trouble arises and the artifact’s pieces scatter across the world, the Yoshis must travel through different handcrafted environments to recover them. The story is simple and lighthearted, acting mostly as a reason to explore the imaginative levels rather than driving a dramatic narrative.

The gameplay follows classic side-scrolling platform mechanics. Players guide Yoshi through colorful stages, jumping across platforms, defeating enemies, and collecting items. Yoshi’s signature abilities return, including swallowing enemies and turning them into eggs, which can then be thrown to hit targets, defeat enemies, or collect hidden objects.

One of the most distinctive features of the game is its craft-inspired visual design. Every level looks like it was built from everyday materials such as cardboard, paper cups, yarn, and tape. Enemies might appear as cutout shapes, platforms may look like folded cardboard, and backgrounds often include clever details made from simple craft supplies. This artistic approach gives the game a unique personality that stands out from many other platformers.

Another creative feature is the ability to explore levels from two perspectives. After completing a stage normally, players can replay it while traveling through the level in reverse. This flips the camera to reveal the back side of the environment, where new paths, secrets, and collectibles become visible. This design encourages replaying stages and discovering details that were hidden during the first run.

Collectibles play a major role in the experience. Players can gather coins, flowers, red coins, and other hidden items scattered throughout each level. Some collectibles require careful observation or creative use of Yoshi’s egg-throwing ability. This encourages players to explore thoroughly rather than simply rushing to the end of each stage.

The game also supports local cooperative play, allowing two players to control Yoshis at the same time. Cooperative gameplay can make the adventure more enjoyable and accessible, especially for younger players. Teammates can help each other reach platforms, defeat enemies, and find secrets together.

The music and sound design contribute to the relaxing atmosphere. The soundtrack features cheerful and gentle tunes that match the arts-and-crafts theme. Sound effects are playful and satisfying, helping the world feel lively without becoming overwhelming.

Despite its many strengths, the game does have some limitations.

The platforming challenges are relatively easy compared to other games in the genre. While this makes the game welcoming for younger players, experienced platform fans may find the difficulty level low. Even the later levels rarely require precise timing or advanced skills.

Another potential drawback is that the game encourages a lot of replaying stages to collect everything. While this adds replay value, some players may find it repetitive to revisit the same levels multiple times in search of hidden items.

Additionally, the pacing is slower than many modern platformers. The focus on exploration and collectibles means the game is less about speed and more about careful observation. Players expecting fast action might feel the gameplay moves at a relaxed pace.

Even so, these design choices align with the game’s goal of creating a friendly and accessible experience.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL, and for PC games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. This game is up to 4-players on one Nintendo Switch.

Pros

Beautiful arts-and-crafts visual style.

Relaxing and accessible gameplay.

Creative level design with hidden secrets.

Unique reverse-level perspective feature.

Cooperative multiplayer for two players.

Charming music and cheerful atmosphere.

Cons

The difficulty level is fairly low for experienced players.

Collecting everything requires replaying levels multiple times.

The pacing is slower than many platform games.

Some players may find the focus on collectibles repetitive.

Summary

Overall, Yoshi’s Crafted World is a delightful and imaginative platform adventure that emphasizes creativity, exploration, and charm. While it may not be the most challenging game in the genre, its beautiful handcrafted world and welcoming design make it an enjoyable experience for families, younger players, and anyone who appreciates relaxing and visually creative games.

Yoshi’s Crafted World – Review brought to you by Gaming Chickadee

Chickadee loves to have family gaming days. She loves birds, unicorns, ponies She also likes the Nancy Drew Games. She loves to play as Princess Daisy in the Super Mario Games, Her favorite games change a lot but right they are: Mario Party Superstars, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pretty Princess Party.

Why Mario Strikers Battle League?

Mario Strikers: Battle League is an energetic arcade-style soccer game that brings the chaotic fun of the Mario universe to the soccer field. Instead of focusing on realistic sports simulation, the game emphasizes fast action, exaggerated moves, and over-the-top gameplay. Characters from the Mario series compete in intense matches where strategy, teamwork, and quick reactions are just as important as scoring goals.

The core gameplay revolves around a unique version of soccer called Strike, which removes many traditional rules in favor of fast-paced fun. Teams consist of four players on the field plus a goalie, and matches take place in enclosed arenas without out-of-bounds lines. This keeps the action constant, as the ball is always in play and players can bounce shots off the walls or chase rebounds quickly.

Players can choose from a roster of familiar characters from the Mario universe. Characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Daisy and Rosalina bring their personalities onto the field with dramatic animations and powerful shots. While characters share many basic mechanics, they each have slightly different stats such as speed, strength, shooting ability, and passing skill. This allows players to create teams that fit their preferred play style.

One of the standout features of the game is the Hyper Strike mechanic. During a match, players can activate a special cinematic shot that, if successfully performed, counts as two goals instead of one. These moments are dramatic and visually exciting, adding bursts of tension and excitement to matches.

Customization is another major part of the experience. Players can equip characters with different pieces of gear that adjust their stats. For example, some gear might increase shooting power but reduce speed, while other items boost defense or passing. This system allows players to experiment with different builds and strategies when forming their team.

The game supports both local multiplayer and online play, making it especially fun with friends. Matches can be played casually or competitively, and the chaotic nature of the gameplay often leads to hilarious moments where the match can change dramatically in seconds.

Visually, Mario Strikers: Battle League stands out with its detailed character animations and vibrant arenas. The characters show a surprising amount of personality during matches, celebrating goals with dramatic poses or reacting angrily when things go wrong. The stadiums are bright and energetic, and the special effects during Hyper Strikes look impressive.

The sound design also contributes to the excitement. The soundtrack features energetic music that keeps the action feeling intense, while sound effects highlight tackles, shots, and dramatic goals.

However, while the gameplay is exciting, the game does have some limitations.

One of the most common criticisms is the relatively small roster of characters compared to other Mario sports titles. While the characters included are fun to play, some fans may wish there were more options from the larger Mario universe.

Another issue is the limited number of stadiums and modes. Although the core gameplay is enjoyable, players looking for a wide variety of modes or challenges may find the content somewhat limited over time. The game focuses heavily on multiplayer competition rather than long single-player campaigns.

Additionally, the fast and chaotic gameplay can sometimes feel overwhelming for beginners. With items flying around, tackles happening constantly, and Hyper Strikes changing the score quickly, new players may need time to learn the mechanics.

Despite these drawbacks, the game excels at delivering intense multiplayer matches and over-the-top soccer action.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL, and for PC games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. This game is up to 8-players on one Nintendo Switch.

Pros

Fast-paced and exciting arcade soccer gameplay.

Colorful visuals and expressive character animations.

Fun Hyper Strike mechanic that adds dramatic moments.

Gear customization allows strategic team building.

Great for multiplayer with friends locally or online.

Energetic music and sound effects.

Cons

The roster of playable characters is smaller and the number of stadiums and game modes is somewhat limited.

The chaotic gameplay can feel overwhelming for beginners.

Single-player content is relatively modest compared to multiplayer features.

Summary

Overall, Mario Strikers: Battle League is a fun and energetic sports game that focuses on chaotic multiplayer action rather than traditional soccer realism. Its colorful presentation, dramatic gameplay moments, and strategic customization make it an enjoyable experience, especially when played with friends. While it may lack some content depth, it succeeds at delivering exciting and memorable matches in the classic Mario style.

Mario Strikers Battle League – Review brought to you by Gaming Chickadee

Chickadee loves to have family gaming days. She loves birds, unicorns, ponies She also likes the Nancy Drew Games. She loves to play as Princess Daisy in the Super Mario Games, Her favorite games change a lot but right they are: Mario Party Superstars, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pretty Princess Party.