YOSHI'S ISLAND: 30
Ranking all the levels!
#45
Tap-Tap The Red Nose's Fort (6-4)
Tap-Tap's fort starts out with haunted house style visuals of rotating Fire Bars and Boos. Salvo returns from World 1, and after its defeat for a key, the real fun starts: five pipe-connected floors of rooms and items. You have to beat Salvo a 2nd time and cross a long, lava river before facing the boss.
#44
Marching Milde's Fort (4-4)
Number 44 on the list is World 4: Level 4 featuring 4 different doors to 4 different challenges to collect 4 keys to open 4 locks! Any other numerical revelations will be 4thcoming. You can take your time exploring once you're inside Milde's fort, which is nice after fleeing from a Chomp Shark to enter!
#43
Make Eggs, Throw Eggs (1-1)
The first level of the game is exactly what it should be. It's relatively simple, but introduces Chomp Rock, giant sunflowers, and some of the enemies that will be common on your journey. Yoshi gets to try a wide variety of platforms, egg-firing skills, and the first chance at 100% completion.
#42
Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy (1-7)
The title says it all! Fuzzies are the whiskery, white balls of fluff floating across areas of Yoshi's Island. Running into or trying to eat one sends Yoshi on a psychedelic trip like no other. Don't forget the two flashing eggs and hidden key (in a Winged Cloud) directly above Bandit's minigame hut!
#41
Watch Out For Lakitu (2-5)
This stage feels reminiscent of the old Super Mario Bros. levels for some reason. It could be due to Lakitu incessantly firing Spiny Eggs to cause you pain! There's a notable Train morphing section here, tons of red coin Fly Guys, and two red ! Switch bonuses with one featuring Super Baby Mario!
#40
What's Gusty Taste Like? (2-3)
For the uninitiated, it's tricky getting past the first part of this level with unlimited Gusties flying straight into Yoshi's path. Most of the mania takes place underground with a minigame hut, a secret ! Switch to find, and a Mole Tank transformation (driving off to the left is how you reach the 1-UP balloon).
#39
Hop! Hop! Donut Lifts (1-5)
I'm not the world's biggest fan of autoscrollers, but this one isn't that bad. It's World 1's introduction to autoscrolling where you have to be quick a time or two, but if you mess up it's not like you're spending 10 minutes for each attempt. The music and background here is top notch as well.
#38
Watch Out Below! (1-2)
This is probably the first time the game will feel like a challenge to beginners. Large Incoming Chomps are bopping in the background until launching themselves into craters in Yoshi's path. Then a cave and first Helicopter transformation introduce you to the revealing tunnels/paths in the game.
#37
Burt The Bashful's Fort (1-4)
The Super FX2 microchip really earns its keep in the first fort when Yoshi is almost crushed by a 3D falling wall! Spiked Spinners and the lava creature (Gargantua Blargg) that live here could give Yoshi some trouble, but it's not likely. For an introduction to boss-themed levels, this is very well done.
