I remember that summer in 1995 quite well... erm, that year 1995. Yes, the Super Nintendo was at the top and the highest peak of quality was reached in the last three months of the mentioned year, I would say. The unknown Killer Instinct, the most enjoyable fighting game I have ever seen, was released in October; Super Mario World 2, the continuation of the famous and massively respectable Super Mario World was released in November, and to top it all Donkey Kong Country came back in December as the second part of a saga which had motivated such an amount of positive comments. I assure you that it was really difficult to choose then which game to buy among such cool ones being realeased at the same time!
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was released in this context. Shigeru Miyamoto was behind the creature and he was not disappointing. As we already now, this game had a pure previous reference, the first part of the saga (here you have the link to the review). It is not easy to compare both games and it is not fair either to relativize their quality in such a simple way. Let's go little by little.
Technically the second part is better. Graphics offered and of course still do a very original and childish aspect with the appearance of plain strokes; actually spectacular in many moments such in boss battles or in important sequences of the game. A technique denominated morphing is also used in this game. It consists in "liquifying" graphics as if they were blandy-blue. Really theatrical.
In respect of the soundtrack of the game, it is much better the one present in the second episode: it offers very catchy melodies and it reaches a deeper style by using improved instruments. There are not many songs, the only negative aspect on this side.
Controls are very simple again, and Yoshi -we play as Yoshi this time, Mario is still a baby- offers difficulties to be controlled only in a few movements, even when he turns into some of the creatures that he can morph into (controls radically change). But let's say controls are easy in general.
And, what about the fun? That is the weak point of Yoshi's Island in regards of its predecessor. This game is not lame even though. It is really fun, long and hard, unforgettable, but there is less freedom to interact with the map than in the first Super Mario World, the way to proceed is more linear, secrets are measured by a counter and once every stage reaches the maximum of the counter, 100, a secret stage and a secret bonus gets unlocked (there are six worlds, so six secret locked stages and another six locked bonus). This is attractive but not as much as in Super Wario World, where you could not ever guess what would happen after having discovered a secret: new ways to go, areas, advantadges (powers) or even some zones completely secret: perfect for advanced gamers.
And talking about the level of difficulty, Yoshi's Island offers a higher level, but Super Mario World is rather longer; the second part is, at least in appearance, more variated -some challenges or areas, even enemies are really amazing in the second episode-. But if there is something clearly better in Yoshi's Island, that is the final bosses. Almost everyone of them are impressive and some of them present one of those incredible battles in videogames which are so difficult to forget.
Super Mario World or Yoshi's Island? It is very difficult to choose. Both games are in the elite of the Super Nintendo. Respecting everyone's opinion, I think the first part is slighty better than the second one. So so long with so many hidden stuff...
But if you are able to, pick out both. They are different.
The best of Super Mario World 2: The challenge that finishing some areas means; bosses.
The worst of Super Mario World 2: There is a multiplayer mode still missing, as in the first Super Mario World.
