Sunday, November 30, 2014

Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS) Review

Received: May 10th, 2014 / Written: November 27th-30th, 2014
Image from Wikipedia
Year: 2014 | Developed by: HAL Laboratory | Published by: Nintendo
 
Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here; passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit.  Through the course of Kirby's two-plus decades of games he has largely starred in either 2D platformers and spin-offs, even having contributed in some crossovers.  The exceptions are his few 3D games, which range from
What is up with King Dedede's bill?  He looks like Donald Duck with blue skin!
Image from Wikipedia
heavily polarizing mess,
Image from Wikipedia
very fun with company and in short bursts,
Image from www.techandgames.com
and the best the series has to offer.
 
When I first heard back in 2013 that the Nintendo 3DS was going to have its own 2.5D Kirby platformer made in the same vein as the Nintendo Wii's Kirby's Return to Dream Land to be released in 2014 (this year), I was super excited being the Kirby fan that I am, and the fact that it was going to implement the 3D feature was rather intriguing (the first in the series for a handheld).  =)  So obviously I couldn't wait until it would be released overseas.  It came at a good time too, because shortly prior to playing I had felt a bit down (depressed even--not completely, but partially); I do not wish to disclose what caused that.  Another part, which did not help matters at all, was that I had played three different video games in the two months that led up to it that really depressed me and did not leave a good impression on me.  =(
 
But that would be shortlived, for in May 2014 I graduated from college, and one of the graduation gifts that I got was Kirby: Triple Deluxe.  And let me tell you, it really helped wash away the deep sadness* that Xandra no Daibōken: Valkyrie to no Deai, Yoshi's New Island, and Mega Man VII had left me beforehand.  =)  Unlike Yoshi's dismal offering this year, Kirby's brand new adventure was so much enjoyable and one that I just couldn't put down until the very end.  One of the best graduation gifts ever!  =D
* 9/15/22 Update: It wasn't the games that left me in a sad state, it was the fact that one of my college professors in my last semester of college was visibly upset that most of his 3D modeling class was failing and asked, "Do you want to end up like van Gogh?!" that it left me shook up and uncertain of my future and I took it out on these games when they didn't deserve it

In Planet Pop Star the inhabitants of Dream Land were doing really well, even their puffball hero Kirby.  It was like any day for him as he was having a nice day doing plenty of things.
Then that night while he was sleeping in his home sprouts suddenly came about, being part of a magical beanstalk which spontaneously grew from the ground up, sending him high up in the heavens.  But that's not the only thing that got caught in the sprouts,...
for the gluttonous tyrant monarch King Dedede's castle has also been lifted up.
As Kirby goes to investigate he notices a bug-like creature called Taranza waltz in.  As she approaches closer to the throne the Spear Waddle Dee guards try to stop her, only for her to end up dispersing King Dedede's whole army.
With her magic she manages to incapacitate the penguin king and steal him away, escaping higher above than before.  Kirby takes pursuit, and will climb as high up as possible in order to get to the bottom of the beanstalk mystery and to retrieve King Dedede back... even though based on his previous bad deeds he doesn't really deserve it.  It's up to Kirby now to save the day yet again!  =D

The gameplay is really responsive and versatile, which is one of its highest points.  Kirby can jump, run, duck, slide, go down thin platforms, float indefinitely in the air, and he's got the ability to inhale enemies.  Should he swallow an enemy that has got a particular power-up, then Kirby will be using said power-up (beam, fire, ice, boomerang, et al...)--each of which has got different amounts of usage.  If you no longer wish to have the ability that you have presently you can always discard it, turning it into a star.  Another skill that Kirby has retained is his ability to shield himself via the shoulder buttons like he previously had in Kirby Super Star (as well as its Nintendo DS remake Kirby Super Star Ultra) and Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which is always a welcome feature in my opinion.  =)

So the controls are really great, and while they are exactly that, I do have a bit of a nitpick (not a major one, mind you) with this: the fact that jumping has been assigned to A while inhaling and ability using has been assigned to B.  Considering that there are four buttons on the right side of the handheld, you would think that they would instead assign jumping to B and any action to Y instead (which is usually the norm for four-button games).  I mean c'mon, this was also the case in Kirby Squeak Squad and Kirby Super Star Ultra on the Nintendo DS (which also had four buttons)!  But as I said, it's not a huge problem; and I can understand why HAL Laboratory would set up the buttons like these; as with the Y button you can consume the small bit of fruit that works as reserve health and with the X button you can discard your ability (if you don't feel like accessing either option in the button screen with a stylus).

Several of the power-ups from the past games make a reappearance, such as fire and spear, and some of the power-ups introduced in Kirby: Triple Deluxe aren't too shabby.  One of them is the Archer power-up which has Kirby shoot an unlimited array of arrows towards foes showing skills like Legolas and Katniss Everdeen.  Another is the Beetle ability which gives Kirby a set of beetle wings and can charge with the long beetle-like nose which can stick through enemies.  =)  From time to time Bandana Waddle Dee appears in the sidelines and throws a fruit star to Kirby, and by using it (whether it be a bottle or cake or ice cream) Kirby will be replenishing a bit of lost health.  It's optional but it's there if you need it.

Also from time to time Kirby will come across a large hyper nova fruit pop out from a tree which when consumed will transform Kirby into Hyper Nova Kirby; and when that happens he will be swallowing many things all at once in his way.  It's pretty awesome when seen in motion, and he's practically unstoppable at that point (unless you get hit).  =D  And the best part is that it lasts until you reach the goal (so enjoy it while it lasts).  Along the way Kirby must gather Sun Stones and will be collecting various keychains in his adventure.  So yeah, controls are exceptionally good.  =)

Once again Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando contribute their trademark music style for this game; it is well-composed and seamlessly blends in to the appropriate atmosphere.  The intro theme sounds absolutely intriguing and calm at the same time, and the best part is that no sound effects obstruct it when it plays (which makes it even better in my opinion).  There is a supercharged theme that sticks around any time Kirby becomes Hyper Nova, and one of the last times it's used it sounds epic.  Yay, electric guitar riffs!  =D  A lot of the themes originally made for this game are fun to listen to; like "Old Odyssey 1", "Old Odyssey 3""Grassland", and "Lollipop Land".  The boss themes are good, and the final boss' theme starts out slow until it segues into something supercharged and hectic; it makes for dark foreboding music, and it works.  =)

Thrown into the mix are also plenty of songs that were remixed from previous games, such as Coo's and Kine's themes from Kirby's Dream Land 2, the "Gourmet Race" and "Peanut Plain" themes from Kirby Super Star, and even Kirby's theme from the original Kirby's Dream Land, to name a select few; and they're absolutely fantastic.  Great stuff!  A few songs were even lifted directly from a couple previous games, namely Kirby's Return to Dream Land.  Normally I worry about the sound quality when it comes to converting that exact music from powerful consoles to handhelds, and I'm relieved that they weren't at all tarnished in the transition.  =)  One song I'm surprised was even lifted was this from another title.  Of all the themes from Kirby's only 64-bit excursion I'm surprised HAL didn't go with this underrated theme.  Still, the music found in Kirby: Triple Deluxe is awesome, and that's all that matters.  =)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a 2.5D platformer in the same vein as Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and the visuals are so colorful and pleasing to the eyes.  Many of the locations have got their own look and charm to them, such as Old Odyssey and Lollipop Land.  The animations the characters and enemies display are super fluid, and any time Kirby turns Hyper Nova he becomes a living rainbow.  =)  The FMV sequences are nice to watch as well, and their quality is a lot more sharper than the 3D FMV sequences that were shown in Kirby Super Star Ultra.  There's a lot of vibrancy and versatility to the visuals that they really work.

Another thing that works is the 3D.  Any time you see it in motion it really pops out at you, in particular the hand springs that shoot straight toward the screen (or even Kirby being shoved to said screen if you don't get out of its way on time).  Some of the stages utilize this as a way of adding depth between foreground and background, and some bosses have attacks that reach the screen.  The 3D is effective all around and is well-executed.
 
Kirby looks great as always, even better.  He's a lot more pink this time around, and some of the hats he dons when using specific abilities are cute; a bell hat for a bell ability, a Link-like hat for the sword ability, as well as electric headwear for the spark ability.  The bosses have got great design; Kracko has got a nice blue eye, and seeing him in motion is fun to watch.  King Dedede seems to have experienced a slight design update (as far as I noticed).  The final boss and her many forms look especially good, and any time Kirby obtains the Sun Stone that the world's final boss leaves behind he grabs it paying homage to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  It's also exciting to see what other worlds await you as the beanstalk keeps growing and growing high and high to the sky.  =)

Like many of the Kirby games the difficulty is easy but not without its own sets of challenges.  Some regular blocks can be done away in any fashion, while others will require a special power-up in order to do away with them.  If there are icy blocks in your path then all you need is anything fire-related to destroy them.  When it comes to ropes they can only be cut with sharp weapons, which is necessary to either retrieve some items or to drop the platform it was holding down.  In plenty of stages there are locked doors that can only opened with a key, which Kirby must carry without getting hit.  Sometimes keys are laid out in the open, sometimes they're hiding, and other times it's a race against the clock to take them from enemies before it's gone for good.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe finds a clever way to use the tilting sensor of the handheld when the moment calls for it.  When Kirby is inside a barrel or if a large sphere with a straight lines needs to be rotated, then you must tilt the Nintendo 3DS left or right (carefully).  I have to say, they're better implemented here than they ever were in Yoshi's New Island.  Part of the challenge when it comes collecting and navigating is the 3D itself.  For the first time in the series Kirby can either transition from the foreground to the background or vice versa, which is actually necessary to make progression.  Because of this there is a lot of depth to these areas.  You never know if a secret path can be entered through the background unless you take notice, or if a secret item can be gathered after getting yourself below the lowest platform.
 
In each world's stages there are a few Sun Stones gathered around, and if you collect a certain amount than the boss door will open; but by collecting all the immediate ones in said world a secret stage will pop up and be able to be accessed.  Some Sun Stones are found out in the open, some are kept inside treasure chests, while the rest can be gotten through certain circumstances.  The same applies to the keychains; HAL Laboratory did a good job hiding many of these items.  Some can even be found in inconspicuous entryways.  =)
 
Speaking of keychains, they are memorabilia of the 2D platformers of the Kirby series, with characters and enemies from all the different games that he's been in.  The last four that are collected are 8-bit renditions of the final bosses of Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and Kirby: Triple Deluxe; and they don't look too shabby.  =)  Looking at all these, even by comparison, it blows my mind just how far Kirby has come since his 1992 debut.  Even better, you can swing and dangle them by tilting the Nintendo 3DS.  In the past I expressed that it would be nice if any of the animal characters from Kirby's Dream Land 3 would once again reappear in the series.  Guess who HAL decided fit the bill just perfectly?
Chu-Chu!  Of all the characters you picked just her?  0_O  And as a Chu-Chu/Broom combo ability, no less?  When have you ever really required to use that combo in Kirby's Dream Land 3??  Oh, well, at least she's appeared in more than just two games in the series (even if it was just a cameo); however what this means is that somewhere out there Nago and Pitch are plotting vengeance.  =|
 
There are a few mini-games that you can play in Kirby: Triple Deluxe if you feel like taking a break from the main adventure.  The first of which is Kirby Fighters.
In this mini-game Kirby must go through eight stages and battle each Kirby in it; each with a different power-up.  It's nice to play once in awhile, and to offer replay value there are various difficulty settings.  Basically the Kirby-only equivalent to Super Smash Bros., it is a nice way to spend a few minutes, and good way to tide you over until the release of the next Super Smash Bros. ti--
Both Image Covers from Wikipedia
I haven't played either game yet.  =<
 
Another mini-game is Dedede's Drum Dash, a rhythm/beat-based game where as King Dedede you must jump your way on top of a row drums until you reach your goal, requiring the usage of both top and bottom screen.  It consists of a few difficulty modes, each with a different song.  The moment you press the jump button while on the drum you'll be bouncing higher, but watch out and try not to get hit or fall offscreen.  While in the air for extra points King Dedede can try to clap in the air on that beat.  It can be a bit challenging in the long run but it's fun in short burst.

There are Arena and True Arena modes which are accessible after the game is beaten which enable you to fight all the major bosses of the game.  They're hard but they are both manageable to beat with enough perseverance.  And then there's Dedede Tour! where you can play the role of King Dedede in most of the game.  It's a timed event, and you can only save inbetween stages.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a very enjoyable and uplifting platformer that hit the right notes on just about every category.  =)  The visuals are spectacular and colorful, the charm and imagination is neverending, the soundtrack really clicks, and the gameplay is just as intuitive as ever.  The 3D added a lot to each world, and trying to collect every Sun Stone and keychain was really fun (I found most of them n my own; only a few I had to look up).  And for being the first Kirby game available on the Nintendo 3DS, it was really good.  If I had any quips it would be that it was short.  I normally don't make a big deal about a Kirby game being short, but with this one I felt it.  When I played Yoshi's New Island I always waited a bit before continuing, but with Kirby: Triple Deluxe I was hooked and could not put it down.  I beat it in two days and completed it in five.  Kirby: Triple Deluxe is the kind of game that I would want to play over and over.  =)

The 2010s have proven to be a very positive decade for the pink puffball.  From 2010's Kirby's Epic Yarn to 2011's Kirby Mass Attack and Kirby's Return to Dream Land to today's hit from this year, I would say that this is a good four years for him.  =)
Image from Wikipedia
So good in fact that it makes me feel very optimistic for Kirby and the Rainbow Curse coming to the Nintendo Wii U in 2015... even though I'm not a big fan of Kirby Canvas Curse=\   ......  But I'm sure I will enjoy the upcoming sidescroller when it comes out, and quite frankly I look forward to playing it more than I do Good-Feel's Yoshi's Woolly World which is also coming at around the same time for the same console.  =)  Besides, after paint and yarn, Kirby and clay seems like another good match for him.

If you're a Kirby fan I bet you will really enjoy this game, and even if you're not then it is still one finely solid platforming entertainment.  If you can overlook its brevity than it is absolutely great to play while it lasts.  =)  As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the best games in the entire series.  It's got feel-good qualities all around.  Bring on the next one!  =D
9.5/10
<(^o^)^TO EACH THEIR OWN^(^o^)>
 
P.S. Save for a couple, I probably didn't get the Nintendo 3DS aspect ratio right.  When I upload screenshots from my camera to my old laptop they get squished a little (which is fine for square-ratio games, but not for everything else).  I have to do what I can.
 
P.S. 2 I hope I did a good job expressing my thoughts on this wonderful gem.
 
P.S. 3 One of Kirby's newest abilities is Circus.  Not sure how the design phase for that went by, but okay.
 
P.S. 4 In order to obtain some shots, I laid down on my back with my video camera on my chest, focusing on the upper screen.  Not very comfortable; there's a reason I only take stills from my TV; it's stationary and not movable like a Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo 3DS are.  Also, quality.
 
P.S. 5 I still didn't play Kirby's 20th anniversary compilation.  I still need to.
Thank you for reading my review, please leave me a comment and I hope you all have a great day.  Take care!  =D
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As if the series wasn't adorable enough, this just takes the cake.  <=)  I mean, d'awww!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Yoshi's Cookie (SNES) Review

Received: January 21st, 2014 / Written: October 31st-November 2nd, 2014
Year: 1992, 1993 | Developed and Published by: Bullet-Proof Software
Licensed by: Nintendo
 
Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here; passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit.  Having grown up playing the NTSC SNES console I've always had fun playing the games on there, but there was always something I noticed on the carts which for awhile I didn't come to realize (at least until early 2010 when I was about nineteen): the significance of the colored bars on the labels.
If you've noticed there were NTSC SNES games which have had labels at the top of the cartridge (like the preceding NES before it), usually accompanied by a small colored bar near the title, as you see here.  Eventually I put two and two and figured it all out: if an SNES cart had a red bar then regardless of who developed it the game was published and released by Nintendo.
The majority of the NTSC SNES library, however, had labels with short violet colored bars at the top of the cart next to the title.  If the bars were violet then it means that the games in question were published by a company other than Nintendo.  Some might argue that this trivia was a bit obvious to some, but I figured that was worth bringing up all the same for those who may not have been aware.  =)
Top Left: Jerry Boy | Top Center: Super Morph | Top Right: Shōnen Ashibe
Center Left: Ys IV: Mask of the Sun | Center Right: TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventure
Bottom Left: Tenchi Sōzō | Bottom Center: Astérix | Bottom Right: Wagyan Paradise
This only applied to American carts as the Japanese Super Famicom and PAL SNES carts did not have top labels (unless they were custom-made) and were designed different than the NTSC versions.  The two non-American carts shared the same design,... just like the Super Famicom and European Super Nintendo consoles,... right down to the multi-colored button controllers,... while the American SNES console design was altered and had controllers with two different hues of purple for buttons......  All this does is further prove my theory that Japan has got a secret nepotism with Europe (or however the proper phrase goes).
 
Not terrible, but not great either
Anyway, you must be wondering what all this has got to do with today's game?  Oh, plenty I assure you.  When Nintendo released GameFreak's puzzler Yoshi for the NES and Game Boy it was deemed a failure by many that played it, right down to its false advertisement of then newcomer Yoshi having big involvement in the game when all he does is count the eggs that you collected while Mario basically did all the work (in Yoshi's own spinoff, no less).  I didn't personally think it was as bad as many clamored it to be, but I do concede that it would've been far more better had there been more involving strategy and more versatile chain reactions.  Still, it's okay to play in very short bursts but it's not something I'll go back to every now and then.
 
After that series of events work was being started on a new Yoshi spinoff, another puzzler (initially "Hermetica" wasn't to be related to the character, but after Nintendo obtained some of its rights that's what it would become).  But this time it was being developed by Bullet-Proof Software, a company known for titles such as The Black Onyx, the Nintendo versions of Faceball 2000, and even responsible for porting Obitus for the SNES.  In 1992 and 1993 this game was released by Nintendo for the Famicom and NES consoles respectively, as well as the original Game Boy.  Unlike Yoshi, however, Yoshi's Cookie also received the SNES treatment in 1993, only this time it was published by Bullet-Proof Software as well (with Nintendo's consent).  And what better force to help make the game than the very maker of Tetris himself, Alexey Pajitnov?  Those are quite high standards right there, but does it make up for Yoshi?
 
Can you match all the cookies?
Yoshi's Cookie is another puzzler made in the vein of Tetris, but circumstances are very different this time around.  There are three different game modes: Action, Vs, and Puzzle.  In Action Mario and Yoshi (hey, Yoshi's actually contributing in his own spinoff, yay) must move and organize the various cookies so that they would line up with the proper ones.  And here's where I might stumble a bit: the gameplay is a little hard to describe, but it's easier done than said, so try to bear with me.  Basically you control a crosshair in front of the cookies that are already set up, and you can control where it goes until you want to move a specific cookie.  Once you selected the cookie that you want to move you simply hold down the button and move it up or down (Mario) or left or right (Yoshi), and if you want to speed up the process you hold down another of the buttons as Yoshi pushes the button making things happen quicker.
 
Rows 2 and 4: Neutralized!
The specifics of the controls are as follows: if a row or column has got all matching cookies (say a row of hearts or a column of flowers, for instance) then said rows or columns will be scored and vanish from the square playing field.  If you should get all the cookies cleared out then you'll proceed to the next stage of the round.  There are ten stages in each of the ten rounds, with each setup being different (and bigger) than the last.  Sounds manageable, right?  I neglected to mention how if you dawdle more rows or columns of cookies will emanate from the top or the right of the square, which makes things a little more difficult (particularly on the highest speed).  Quick thinking and strategizing will be your keys to salvation if you wish to survive longer, but if the whole square is filled up you'll have to pick up from the round's stage where you left off.  *phew*  I had an easier time discussing Yoshi's controls than this.  =(  It's rather complicated put into words.
 
Connecting cookies is fun!  =D
But it's Yoshi's Cookie's very own complexity which makes it more addicting and enjoyable.  Better yet: if you manage to form up a certain solution it may cause a chain combo which will not only get more room cleared but also earn you a lot of points.  If the last move results in solely rows or columns, then they will all be cleared one by one.  There's no progress saving for this game (unless you want to start from the beginning of any of the ten rounds) but if you get a game over you'll be allowed infinite continues to resume where you last left off.  When the left or top side is about to be full it makes things exhilarating as you quickly try to think up a way to make more room.  =)  There are three speeds: Low (which is the easiest and slowest of the three), Med (medium speed and difficulty), and Hi (where progress goes faster and adds more difficulty).  Unlike Yoshi, this game actually has an ending, and after beating the tenth stage of each round you'll be treated to a charming and humorous cutscene.
It begins the same way, as one of the cookies from the sign jumps out and tries to roll itself away as Mario has it in pursuit.
With each round there is always a different scenario and resolution, which makes it all the more fresh and appealing to watch.  =)  It's fun to see how the cookie outsmarts, chase away, or stays clear of Mario.  It's cute!
Say, doesn't that Yoshi sprite look familiar to you?  Why I believe it is!  In the years of development that led up to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Nintendo had in-game Yoshi look like this, but it wouldn't be until that aforementioned platformer would be released in 1995 until we would see Yoshi in all his glory and wondrous animation.  But as far as brief glimpses are concerned at the end of Rounds 5 and 10, not bad.  =)

"Well, it'sa me, myself, and I this-a time!"
The Puzzle portion of the game makes things a lot more interesting.  Like in Action there are ten rounds each comprised of ten stages, but the similarities end there.  There are no other sets of cookies trying to bombard you from off-square, but the objective is to clear out every cookie that's already been positioned at the start of each stage.  The catch is that Mario (well, at least Yoshi showed up and helped in his own game this time, so I'll let that slide) must clear out the square in the allotted set of moves that you're granted.  To undo one move you can press the L shoulder button, but to undo all your moves you press the R shoulder button.  You have an unlimited time to find the foolproof solution (the timer doesn't affect you in any way).  If you fail to solve the stage's solution in the allotted amount of steps you'll be given a password to continue your progress and also an unlimited array of continues.  Which means that if you want to properly solve the puzzle you should wisely consider which moveset is the right one to execute and whether it will cause subsequent chain combos or not.

Perfect!
In Puzzle if you finish the tenth stage of each round you'll fill in a section of a picture, and once you're done you'll see the full congratulatory picture in full.  It starts out with simple and easy solutions but the farther you progress in this mode the more complex and difficult the solutions will become.  There are some throwaway stages later on that are around if you feel that it becomes difficult, but aside from those moments the difficulty gradually rises.  Some stages have puzzles which are hard to successfully figure out at first (sometimes it even applies to a smaller set of cookies), making for lots of trial-and-error in the highly difficult ones.  There's only one difficulty setting in this mode, so you don't have to worry about redoing it all in different settings.  One time's enough here.

Blindness, nooooooo
Finally there's Vs mode, which you can decide to play against either another gamer or against the computer; there's even the option to adjust either sides' handicap or difficulty.  You can decide to play as either Mario, Yoshi, Princess Toadstool, or Bowser; but the rules are the same.  You must essentially compete with your adversary by filling up rows and columns, and depending on how either side is doing it will have an effect on the opposing side.  When that happens it will either help or hurt the other side.  Be mindful of the wick that slowly gets eaten by the fire; the more combos you make the more the wick's span will last.  Each character has got up to three chances to win, and whoever gets the most wins is the victor.  Pretty challenging stuff, as  squares do not get cleared in this mode for more cookies will come no matter how many times you make a row or a column.

Lots to think about and consider
The visuals are colorfully vibrant, and Bullet-Proof did a faithful job at replicating the look and feel of each world from Nintendo's Super Mario World=)  In fact I could even go on a limb and say that each round's location looks even better than the ones in the aforementioned 1990 hit.  Despite the fact that the rounds are just stationary screens, they've still got a lot of charm in their simple designs, and some of them even exhibit a bit of animation (like the wavy seaweed underwater and the twinkling stars at night).  Special mention should be pointed at Mario and Yoshi's designs: they are spot-on and their colors and poses are just right (though Yoshi seems to be lacking fingers).  The only sprites that were directly lifted from Super Mario World were those of Mario himself during the cutscenes (albeit with a fixed color palette), but the central cutscenes which closely shows what happens really shine (like Mario being chased by a giant cookie or Mario running so fast that he just misses the slowly rolling cookie).  =)

PUUUUUSH
Like Yoshi you have the option to either listen to one of three songs in the game (in Action), all of it (Vs and Puzzle), or choose not to listen to it depending on your mood.  The sound samples are interesting and make for some unique (and sometimes foreign-sounding) composition.  The first song (in Action) is soft and lightweight, the second song is bombastic-sounding, while the third song is energetic yet quick.  The thing about Action is that once you pick (or not) a song it will stick until you pick up from your last progress.  In the Vs and Puzzle modes, on the other hand, you won't hear the same song play over and over for it constantly shifts to a different song the further you get; some of the ones you don't hear in Action range from impending to energetic to calm.  The songs are good by themselves, but the thing about them is that they are short, which makes it all the more easy to get stuck in your head due to how repetitive it would sound after a long time of listening to it.  You could decide to play Yoshi's Cookie without the music, but then you would only hear the rubbery sounds of the cookies shifting position as you play.  As for the other sound effects they're decent, though I did find it curious when Mario yelled "Oh, no!" in such a squeaky high-pitched soundbyte, among two other soundbytes in the game.

HOOOLY, THAT'S A BIG ONE
Yoshi's Cookie is a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyably addicting puzzler from beginning to end, and its different game modes offer plenty of replay value.  There's plenty of challenge in each mode, the differing cutscenes in Action mode were really fun to watch, and it was cool to slowly unravel the picture at the end of each of Puzzle mode's rounds.  =)  After having caught up with Yoshi this January I decided to give this game a chance, except for the SNES (to the extent of my knowledge Puzzle was only implemented in this version).  Many of the solutions to Puzzle I found on my own, but I will admit that some were so mindboggling that after several attempts at trying I consulted YouTube.  At one point the NES version of Yoshi's Cookie was available on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console, but it was pulled from the download shop last October; which means that nowadays in order to play it you must either find a copy for the NES, Game Boy, or SNES consoles, or import the 2003 Japan-exclusive Nintendo Puzzle Collection for the GameCube.  Which is a shame, really, because this is one of the best puzzlers I've played in awhile (right up there with Puzzle Bobble and Puzzle Bobble 2).  <=)

Victory!!!
Not only did Bullet-Proof Software create a more superior puzzling experience than GameFreak did, but they also did the series a great service by faithfully capturing Nintendo's style and feel as well as crafting a fun and thoroughly complex game.  =)  It takes a bit to come to grips with Yoshi's Cookie's gameplay but after awhile it becomes second nature with lots to look forward to.  It's fun to see how fast you can try to clear the square out before it gets crowded up, and for that it's quickly become one of my favorites.  If you're in the mood for a game in the puzzler genre, I recommend you give this one a shot.  If you're a Mario or a Yoshi [series] fan then I still believe you will get a kick out of it.  With so much joy and charm, what more could you ask for?  =)
8.5/10

<(^o^)^TO EACH THEIR OWN^(^o^)>
 
P.S. I've gotta say though: Princess Toadstool and Bowser have looked better.  =|
 
P.S. 2 This game is so great that it seriously makes me want to play Super Mario World=)
 
P.S. 3 The SNES version originally had a title sequence similar to the NES original, but it was altered sometime in development.  Check it out at The Cutting Room Floor.

Thank you for reading my review.  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought.  I hope you have a great day.  Take care!  =D