The game is a side-scrolling platformer where 3D characters are moved on a 2.5D plane. The player is also able to move and interact in a 3rd dimension, with travel forwards and backwards enabled in sections of levels, and the ability to throw eggs at scenery and other elements of the foreground and background. Outside of this new mechanic, the game plays similar to prior Yoshi games, where the player may use Yoshi's tongue to eat enemies or other objects, turn them into eggs, and throw them outwardly into the level. The game features a two-player multiplayer mode, where each player maneuvers their own Yoshi through the game's levels.
Synopsis
The story begins with the Yoshis, who live peacefully on Yoshi's Island. At the topmost peak of the island sits a gem-set artifact known as the Sundream Stone, which possesses the power to "make anyone's wildest dreams come true". One day, when Kamek and Baby Bowser attempt to steal the stone, its gems are sent flying across the world, leaving Yoshi and his friends to recover them. For most of the game, the stone rests in a dark forest guarded by the Yoshis not exploring. When the Yoshis reattach a Dream Gem, the colors on the actual stone that is the color of the Dream Gem are restored. During the final level, the Yoshis find the last Dream Gem, only for Kamek and Baby Bowser to steal it and the Stone with the other four gems. Baby Bowser then uses the stone to create a robot named The Great King Bowser, the penultimate boss. After its defeat Kamek uses the stone to grow Baby Bowser giant, which leads into the final boss fight against Mega Baby Bowser. Afterwards, the Yoshis reattach the gems and restore the Sundream Stone, which, with the Yoshis' dreams, creates an airship that is used to fly all of them back to Yoshi's Island.
Development
The game was announced at E3 2017 and was scheduled for a 2018 release. Footage of the game was shown during the Nintendo Treehouse Live event at E3 2017, where footage of the front and backsides of multiple levels were shown. The reveal footage showed the game taking a cardboard cutout-type art style for the game's graphics, similar to how Yoshi's Woolly World was themed around characters and worlds made out of wool and Kirby's Epic Yarn with its yarn-based themes. The game was built using Unreal Engine 4. In June 2018, Nintendo confirmed that the game was delayed and would be released in 2019. In January 2019, Nintendo announced in a standalone tweet that Yoshi's Crafted World would release on March 29, 2019. In the final game, it appears as though the ability to "flip" the world has been overhauled since its reveal, as overall emphasis on the mechanic has been lowered dramatically. Certain auxiliary mechanics shown off at the reveal, such as the ability to flip the viewpoint in multiplayer via a simultaneous ground-pound maneuver, have been removed completely, and instead the flipping mechanic exists as a second bonus "run" through a level, in which Yoshi must find several "Poochie Pups" and bring them to the goal. The game supports all Amiibo, most of them granting players random crafted costumes. Any Mario-related Amiibo, however, including the Yoshi soft dolls from Woolly World, granted players special costumes based on the character used.
Reception
Yoshi's Crafted World received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregatorMetacritic, with a score of 79/100. Critics lauded the charm of the game with its design and graphics, as well to the innovative gameplay formula, though the music was panned.
Sales
Yoshi's Crafted World debuted at the top of the UK all-format and individual-format sales charts; the first Yoshi game to do so. The game also debuted first in Japan, launching with 53,327 physical sales; the best launch in the series since 2014's Yoshi's New Island. As of July 2019, it has sold over 150,000 copies in Japan. As of March 31, 2019, the game has sold 1.11 million copies worldwide.
