Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 229 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 215 out of 229
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 229
  3. Negative: 7 out of 229
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. [Anonymous]
    Jun 20, 2005
    10
    OH MY GOD!!! I've always wanted this game for the Super NES but I've never ever had a chance to own it until now. This was my favorite game on the SNES and now it's for GBA, THANK YOU NINTENDO!!!!!
  2. AkankeM.
    Apr 1, 2003
    10
    I love everything Mario related. This was a great challenge for me because of all the secret places. Every time I play I find another surprise.
  3. TomW.
    May 6, 2003
    10
    The graphics are amazing and the gameplay is class. The best game on gba so far.
  4. JJKK
    Jan 6, 2003
    10
    The best Mario game to date. With superb graphics and sound. Heck, you can control Yoshi.
  5. RyanA.
    Jun 16, 2003
    10
    This game is a MASTERPIECE and if anyone is anyone you WILL BUY THIS GREAT GAME for the GBA!!!
  6. SunW.
    Aug 9, 2003
    10
    The greatest platformer ever. Perfect if they include multiplayer mode for the bonus games.
  7. Kairo
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This is game of my childhood. And I still think it's masterpiece and in my opinion best 2D platformer ever. The best thing about Yoshi's island is difficulty. Even though it's game for children secret and extra stages are really challenging (creators got little bit overboard with Endless world of Yoshis)
  8. GreenYoshi
    Dec 12, 2002
    10
    I have not played a better game.
  9. MoneB.
    Feb 16, 2004
    10
    This game is fun!!! It has many qualities.
  10. SeanN.
    Nov 20, 2002
    10
    This game rocks so hard!!!!!
  11. KellyK.
    Dec 28, 2002
    9
    It is really good. It isn't so hard that you can't finish it, it is just right.
  12. BlogDog123
    May 26, 2011
    10
    Easily one of my favorite games and my #4 Best Game Ever in my opinion, this game has excellent graphics, sound, challenges, and level design. I would've welcomed multi-player for the minigames, however.
  13. SCB92
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    one of the five games on Super Nintendo that I was obsessed with when I was a child; I never had the chance to own it or complete it, until getting the port of it on GBA, and I finally played the game in its entirety, and I love it, it is one of my favourite games of all time
  14. Metalman9100
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love this game so much. I enjoy how the game play is suited to younger gamers who may think the side scrolling Mario is too fast for them, and Yoshi is a good platforming character and the storyline of saving Baby Luigi from Baby Bowser is a good one. Also, the final battle is epic, and one of my favorite from any game. Really if you have a GBA there's little excuse for you to not have this game already. 10/10 A+… Expand
  15. MusicxxAddicted
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    This was my favourite game as a child on the SNES and I still play it on a weekly to monthly basis. The rules are simple, the gameplay is fluid and you can skip tutorials (the little speaking boxes) if you already played it. The only complaint that I could have is that it's too easy, but the boss levels and getting a perfect 100 score makes up for it. This is probably my favouriteThis was my favourite game as a child on the SNES and I still play it on a weekly to monthly basis. The rules are simple, the gameplay is fluid and you can skip tutorials (the little speaking boxes) if you already played it. The only complaint that I could have is that it's too easy, but the boss levels and getting a perfect 100 score makes up for it. This is probably my favourite platformer ever, being followed by Super Mario 3.… Expand
  16. BeaverCritic
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    A perfect port of the SNES gem. While not the greatest platformer ever made it is certainly one of the greats.
    Offers great gameplay, huge worlds and one of the best boss fights ever.
  17. ZeRo_Bahamut
    Jul 17, 2013
    8
    Solid platformer and excellent port of the SNES classic, gets repetitive after a while, but still a very fun game to play, especially on the go.

    Graphics are retained close to its SNES counterpart and the colors are as vibrant as ever, I really praise the art style they used back then and still use now, very waterpainting like. Controls are very responsive, much like any Mario game    Solid platformer and excellent port of the SNES classic, gets repetitive after a while, but still a very fun game to play, especially on the go.

    Graphics are retained close to its SNES counterpart and the colors are as vibrant as ever, I really praise the art style they used back then and still use now, very waterpainting like.

    Controls are very responsive, much like any Mario game plays.

    Gameplay is your basic run-of-the mill platformer, anyone who ever played a Mario game is right at home with Yoshi in their hands, when you finish the game, you revisit past levels to collect any missed red coin/flower, which in turn opens up bonus levels which keep you coming back for more.

    All in all, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, is a perfect port of the SNES classic, brings everything you loved back and even adds extra sprinkles on top!    … Expand
  18. Timkey
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    Another great platformer for the GBA. Don´t think it´s easy, because it cute looking with the crayon art style, no no, the later levels and boss levels are filled for traps just to get Baby Mario for preventing stomped Goombas. Music, Gameplay, Art style,many and great levels, it´s all there!
  19. thethethe
    Mar 9, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My favorite game. Great art, music, atmosphere, controls, plenty of secrets, and level design. This game is cheerful fun until the end, when suddenly Baby Bowser becomes huge and terrifying, and it's up to you to stop him in this dark turn in the game.

    PS touch fuzzy get dizzy- TOUCH ALL THE FUZZY    … Expand
  20. br_1245
    May 10, 2016
    10
    Divertido ate hoje. Jogo envelheceu muito bem, digno de ser considerado o melhor jogo de plataforma já feito. Level design impressionante. Nota 10 merecida.
  21. fernandinands
    Dec 20, 2015
    10
    Unbelievable plataformer. Perfect at every single detail, is so fun the attract every player to beat 100% of it. Deserves more attention fro the gaming crowd.
  22. DedennesDungeon
    Mar 23, 2016
    10
    This is in all honesty is one of my favorite games of all time the colors the music, the gorgeous backgrounds. Mesh perfectly with the fun and innovative game play. The charm of this game is unmatched truely a classic of all ages ,and In my opinion this is the best Super Nintendo Game
  23. nintendo-sekta
    Jan 6, 2019
    10
    Игра хорошая. В сборнике главная игра это Super Mario World
    Yoshi's Island. Интересный и необычный платформер.
  24. CrispCicada
    Jun 2, 2020
    10
    Yoshi's Island is one of the most unique and colorful platformers I've ever played. The gameplay is simple. Yoshi must protect Baby Mario at all cost. If Yoshi gets hit, Baby Mario will be flung off and you must save him before he gets kidnapped by the minions of Kamek. This game has a load of enemy variety. Every level feels different from one another, which is always a plus. Yoshi canYoshi's Island is one of the most unique and colorful platformers I've ever played. The gameplay is simple. Yoshi must protect Baby Mario at all cost. If Yoshi gets hit, Baby Mario will be flung off and you must save him before he gets kidnapped by the minions of Kamek. This game has a load of enemy variety. Every level feels different from one another, which is always a plus. Yoshi can now transform into vehicles at certain points. The vehicles have a time limit though.

    This game has a great amount of charm. The bright colors and catchy tunes really seperates this from other titles on the SNES. The amount of detail within the spritework really shows that the developers went out of their way to create something truly special.

    In conclusion, Yoshi's Island is a platforming masterpiece that all Mario fans should try. Have a lovely day/night, folks!    … Expand
  25. BM30
    Jun 30, 2020
    10
    I really love this game. The gameplay is 1 to 1 with the original Yoshi's Island and is so fun. 10/10 Would recommend.
  26. grimreapersims
    Sep 2, 2021
    10
    ....................................................................................................................................................................................................blank
  27. Incarta
    Feb 7, 2014
    10
    One of my all time favourite games and this is about as good a port of it as I can possibly imagine. Right up there with other Mario platformers, this is a must play. You'll be sucked in to the island and all its character and charm
  28. KendylKlownfish
    May 3, 2011
    10
    An excellent port of one of the funnest 2-D platformers to date -- if Super Mario World is the best, then Yoshi's Island is certainly the most innovative. Pros: Excellent graphics, control, and audio; rich, colorful level design; lots of mini-games; Yoshi and Baby Mario are ridiculously charming. Cons: The difficulty is often frustrating, resulting with a lot of Baby Mario cries;An excellent port of one of the funnest 2-D platformers to date -- if Super Mario World is the best, then Yoshi's Island is certainly the most innovative. Pros: Excellent graphics, control, and audio; rich, colorful level design; lots of mini-games; Yoshi and Baby Mario are ridiculously charming. Cons: The difficulty is often frustrating, resulting with a lot of Baby Mario cries; multi-player is secondary.… Expand
  29. BasilZero
    Jul 19, 2014
    10
    Game: Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
    Genre: Adventure/Platform
    Developer: Nintendo System: GameBoy Advance (GBA) Total Score: 97/100 Value Score: 97/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 10/10 • Graphics: 10/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +More secret levels added to gameplay    Game: Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
    Genre: Adventure/Platform
    Developer: Nintendo
    System: GameBoy Advance (GBA)
    Total Score: 97/100
    Value Score: 97/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 10/10
    • Graphics: 10/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +More secret levels added to gameplay
    +UI has changed for the most part and looks more appealing than the original version
    +Some levels have been re-designed and better designed than in the original version
    +A overworld map was added
    +Additional sound effects have been added such as when Yoshi jumps for an example.
    +Wording and text have changed and been improved
    +Mario bros added as secondary game

    Cons
    -Some mini games were missing due to the lacking of the number of GBA buttons
    -Sound effects and the music's tone was dumbed down due to the lower quality of the GBA    … Expand
  30. JPK
    Jun 8, 2019
    10
    Turns Out Sidekicks Can Do Well On Their Own
    Yoshi’s Island is proof that sidekicks can have a great game on their own.
  31. JoeR.
    Dec 6, 2003
    8
    It is kinda repetitive after a while. You run around sucking up guys and turning them into eggs. Still worth buying.
  32. Luigichief
    Aug 6, 2020
    7
    This is Yoshi's first port game for Game Boy Advance. The gameplay is a Mario mixed with Kirby and some more unique aspects of this franchise. The game starts extremely easy and more towards the end it has some very challenging moments. Star Mario adds a nice gameplay diversity, but unfortunately it is little used. The game also has some morphs that bring a good diversity. The story isThis is Yoshi's first port game for Game Boy Advance. The gameplay is a Mario mixed with Kirby and some more unique aspects of this franchise. The game starts extremely easy and more towards the end it has some very challenging moments. Star Mario adds a nice gameplay diversity, but unfortunately it is little used. The game also has some morphs that bring a good diversity. The story is basically a pretty stupid fan service but it does its job. The soundtrack is good and unique but too repetitive.… Expand
  33. MadnessisRising
    Mar 6, 2019
    10
    Easily one of the best GBA-Games. Got it very cheap back then in a second-hand-shop for 10 €. Lucky me. I literally spent month playing this game. It was (and still is) so awesome! It's also super challenging for young "gamers", at least it was for me. Great gameplay, great level-design, fantastic soundtrack, funny mini-games and even more funnier bosses. Great world and really every levelEasily one of the best GBA-Games. Got it very cheap back then in a second-hand-shop for 10 €. Lucky me. I literally spent month playing this game. It was (and still is) so awesome! It's also super challenging for young "gamers", at least it was for me. Great gameplay, great level-design, fantastic soundtrack, funny mini-games and even more funnier bosses. Great world and really every level is totally different. Sometimes it was a bit frustrating for my younger self but that is all the negative stuff i can mention.… Expand
  34. XV_
    Feb 8, 2020
    6
    When I was a kid I didn't own a SNES so I couldn't play this game on its time, now, the years have come, and as an adult, sadly I find a lot of issues within this game.

    The first thing that came to my mind while playing this game and a thing that was so hard to get past, is that this isn't a Super Mario game, or at least not in a conventional way, the controls are tight and responsive    When I was a kid I didn't own a SNES so I couldn't play this game on its time, now, the years have come, and as an adult, sadly I find a lot of issues within this game.

    The first thing that came to my mind while playing this game and a thing that was so hard to get past, is that this isn't a Super Mario game, or at least not in a conventional way, the controls are tight and responsive but the level design is frustrating and unintuitive, it has some verticality and a puzzle design that simply doesn't work, and a lot of times you'll find yourself just wandering around in circles because of its maze-like environments, the navigation is not that fun, but what makes it more annoying is the baby mechanic: if an enemy or projectile hits you, automatically Mario will be floating on an erratic bubble, and if you don't touch him in a specific set of time, you'll lose that life, in theory, this will be fun and challenging, but given the number of projectiles, annoying patterns and enemies that came out of nowhere it seems more like a cheating mechanic to make it more "challenging".

    As I said before, this is not a Super Mario game, so you can't advance the stages at a speedy pace if you like, instead, you regularly find stages that put you in a platform that automatically navigates the stage while you avoid things, sometimes they're a little challenging but more often than not they're too boring, and if you for some reason die on any part, you have to restart from the very beginning, it may sound like I want an easy challenge or a lot of checkpoints but the fact that you have to wait instead of jumping and running in a platform, it really kills the mood.

    Although almost my entire time was painfully in this game, there are certain commendable things like the soundtrack, each song it's pretty good and has a lot of memorability and style, the only bad thing is that there are few songs, so you'll listen to them more than necessary. The art direction is an obvious thing to praise, and with good reason, it is simply beautiful and stylish, not only the sprites are great but it seems that they recreate the concept art on point. Finally, the thing that I enjoyed the most, were the boss fights, they sweat creativity and exploit the particular art style to the point that makes you think how this game doesn't have more bosses than stages. As a little side note I loved stage 6-7 it felt quite a lot like a great platformer and it was challenging and fun, if only the other stages were more like it...

    Sadly, Yoshi's Island wasn't what I've expected, at a glance at this review it may be that I didn't grasp the mechanics but I'm pretty sure that it was more a design issue, nonetheless, I can hardly recommend it to anyone who likes Super Mario games or platformers in general.    … Expand
  35. BlackandwhiteYoshi
    Dec 19, 2002
    10
    This is the best damn game on gameboy advance ever! Yoshi at his best!!!! If you haven't played this you haven't lived! It's only $69.00 AUS and it has the best damn graphics, best damn sound and best damn adventure!!!! 10-10 for sure!!!!!
  36. Harry210
    Nov 25, 2010
    10
    This is the second best game I've ever played. Fantastic graphics with a lovely art style with pretty backgrounds, brilliant composed music which really fits the games various environments like the caves or the bosses castles, smooth and varied game play and imaginative and comically designed characters to battle make Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island an absolute must buy for anyThis is the second best game I've ever played. Fantastic graphics with a lovely art style with pretty backgrounds, brilliant composed music which really fits the games various environments like the caves or the bosses castles, smooth and varied game play and imaginative and comically designed characters to battle make Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island an absolute must buy for any platformer fan!… Expand
  37. chronoT
    Sep 5, 2012
    9
    This review is for the SNES version of Yoshi's Island, that is the one I owned, as you can't rate it on metacritic (put snes games back plz). Yoshi's Island was a follow up to Super Mario World, and set aside the crying mario this game was very good. The levels were fun and in it was rewarding to try to clear 100% on them. The artwork was actually pretty neat for its time and the bossesThis review is for the SNES version of Yoshi's Island, that is the one I owned, as you can't rate it on metacritic (put snes games back plz). Yoshi's Island was a follow up to Super Mario World, and set aside the crying mario this game was very good. The levels were fun and in it was rewarding to try to clear 100% on them. The artwork was actually pretty neat for its time and the bosses were really cool. All around I enjoyed this game very much when I was younger, can't say the same for Yoshi's Story though, YIKES!… Expand
  38. VideoGameCritic
    Sep 30, 2013
    9
    Yoshi is one of the only characters in gaming that was introduced as a pet. Yoshi will always be Mario's pet regardless of how may times Nintendo puts him in there other titles. that been said Yoshi's Island is really fun, the style of that game is something straight out of a pop up book. The enemies are all shy guys and for the most part they are just silly little road blocks. The musicYoshi is one of the only characters in gaming that was introduced as a pet. Yoshi will always be Mario's pet regardless of how may times Nintendo puts him in there other titles. that been said Yoshi's Island is really fun, the style of that game is something straight out of a pop up book. The enemies are all shy guys and for the most part they are just silly little road blocks. The music is very iconic, sounds like you are not on the quest to save baby Mario but instead just on a walk to the park. Its a really great game for a handheld device that was mostly used for Pokemon. Recommend this game one hundred percent, this is a great game.… Expand
  39. aditya1101
    Oct 12, 2017
    9
    Super solid platformer that has some similarities to the super mario games but also has a host of other features that make it quite unique. The egg throwing mechanic, the jump, etc. all feel good and are utilized well by the excellent level design.
  40. TeaFan
    Feb 7, 2021
    9
    [RU]
    Это игра, которая действительно сделана с душой. Настоятельно рекомендую
  41. gddurruti
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No recuerdo la última vez que lo jugué, es un juego épico que salió del standard de Súper Mario, las mecánicas con Yoshi son excelentes, desde las transformaciones, hasta los puzzles, Baby Mario no se siente como un nene sobre protegido, sino un maravilloso acompañante cuando usa la Starman, los bosses son magistrales, el arte es espectacular, la música y los bonus son memorables, el arte y la animación son sobresalientes.… Expand
  42. illuvatar_1st
    Jun 25, 2020
    9
    Classic game boy Advance game with a great story.
    Simple yet effective game play with small puzzles here and there
    I believe 2nd/3rd best Mario Game in the game boy Advance
    i would highly recommend it!
  43. ZeroBacon
    Sep 7, 2020
    9
    This game is very good. The art style and colors are amazing, the gameplay is great, and the music is fantastic. The only thing really bad about it is that dang crying baby. Apart from that, great game.
  44. ItsDaDoc
    Dec 6, 2020
    9
    Yoshi's Island, the one that kicked off the Yoshi series. The long levels encourage exploration, and the story is interesting. Lots of secrets and amazing art. The GBA port fares well as well.
  45. SHINIGAMI-BATUN
    Jan 26, 2021
    9
    Yo jugaba la version de Super NES, pero tambien tuve este magnifico port años despues, por lo cual en ausencia de la otra version puntuare este como tal.
    Un magnifico juego que significo mucho en mi infancia, graficos alucinantes, una historia simple, pero a la vez bastante interesante y que te atrapaba al instante, una atmosfera muy acorde al titulo, mantener a salvo a Mario, convertirte    Yo jugaba la version de Super NES, pero tambien tuve este magnifico port años despues, por lo cual en ausencia de la otra version puntuare este como tal.
    Un magnifico juego que significo mucho en mi infancia, graficos alucinantes, una historia simple, pero a la vez bastante interesante y que te atrapaba al instante, una atmosfera muy acorde al titulo, mantener a salvo a Mario, convertirte en difrerentes vehiculos, montar diferentes yoshis, unas peleas de bosses magnificas, soundtrack exquisito, basicamente un gameplay perfecto, no hay mas, un juego sin igual y una obra maestra en toda regla.    … Expand
  46. hector_bcn98
    Jul 22, 2023
    8
    Ni maldita gracia lo de hacer de niñera de Baby Mario. Prefiero morir que perseguir la burbuja. En fin.
  47. alvir218
    Jan 6, 2021
    10
    the platform super mario game as is knowledge with a little different gameplay, it is yoshi's time
  48. dorohedorofan90
    Jan 23, 2022
    10
    Una delicia de juego, que personalmente creo que supera en muchos aspectos al Super Mario World original. El apartado artístico es impecable. La jugabilidad es perfecta y super fluida, y es uno de los juegos más creativos que haya jugado en años, aparte de Octahedron una joya de las plataformas. En fin, delicatessen, caviar puro. Un juego super rejugable y que no debería quedar en elUna delicia de juego, que personalmente creo que supera en muchos aspectos al Super Mario World original. El apartado artístico es impecable. La jugabilidad es perfecta y super fluida, y es uno de los juegos más creativos que haya jugado en años, aparte de Octahedron una joya de las plataformas. En fin, delicatessen, caviar puro. Un juego super rejugable y que no debería quedar en el olvido. Aparte para los más completistas si se quiere completar al 100%, el juego ofrece retos extra, que alargan la duración y deja satisfechos a los paladares más exigentes. Oro puro.… Expand
  49. Jattaman
    Sep 20, 2022
    10
    Un platform straordinario, forse la punta di diamante dei "Mario" in 2 dimensioni.
    Game design fantastico, stile grafico memorabile, giocabilità alle stelle.
    Un capolavoro assoluto.
  50. Yojimbo2015
    May 7, 2023
    8
    It's Super Mario so you know what you're going to get; another great port of a SNES classic.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
4
#4 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
5
#5 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Cincinnati Enquirer
    90
    Seven huge, trap-filled worlds and many mini-games.
    Read full review
  2. GMR Magazine
    90
    One of the greatest 2D platformers ever put to silicon. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  3. Nintendojo
    100
    Its twisted levels beg to be replayed again and again even if you aren't interested in getting that perfect 100%.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »