Yoshi's Crafted World is a 2019 platform video game created by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is a game based on the Mario franchise and follows Yoshi's Woolly World (2015). This game is the eighth main entry in the Yoshi series and the fourth released for a home console. It was shown at E3 2017 and released worldwide on March 29, 2019.

In the game, Yoshis travel to collect scattered gems from the Sundream Stone, which can grant wishes, before Kamek and Baby Bowser can find them.

Critics generally gave the game positive reviews, praising its visuals, level design, and gameplay. However, some reviewers criticized the soundtrack and the game's easy difficulty. Yoshi's Crafted World sold over one million copies worldwide in three days and more than three million units by December 2022, making it one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling platformer where 3D characters move on a special kind of 3D environment that looks like 2D when moving sideways. Players can move and interact in a third dimension, such as moving forward and backward in certain parts of the levels. They can also throw eggs at scenery and other elements in the foreground or background. Outside of this new feature, the game plays like earlier Yoshi games, where players use Yoshi’s tongue to eat enemies or objects, turn them into eggs, and throw them into the level. As in previous games, flowers can be found in levels and used to unlock paths on the world map.

Each level has a frontside and a backside, which becomes playable after completing the frontside. On the backside, players must find up to three Poochy Pups and bring them to the finish line. For each Poochy Pup returned, players receive one flower. If all three are found within the time limit, they earn an additional flower. Levels contain many collectibles, each requiring different conditions to find. In addition to Smiley Flowers scattered throughout levels, collecting all items of another type gives players another Smiley Flower. Players do not need to collect all items in one playthrough, as previously collected Smiley Flowers and Red Coins remain visible during replays. Some collectibles are hidden in presents in the background.

Smiley Flowers are used to unlock new subworlds by paying a "toll" to a character called Blockafeller, who stands in front of each subworld. Once all Smiley Flowers are collected, they can be used to pay a large Blockafeller in Hidden Hills to unlock the Sundream Stone costume. Collecting all Smiley Flowers in a subworld adds festive pinwheel flowers to a diorama.

Blockafellers appear in each subworld to give Yoshis missions to find souvenirs, which are crafts or themed decorations in the foreground or background. One at a time, Yoshi is asked to find a specific number of souvenirs in a level. After finding and throwing eggs at each souvenir, Yoshi can leave the level or continue playing. When returning to the world map, the Blockafeller gives Yoshi a Smiley Flower as a reward and, if there are still uncollected souvenirs in the subworld, asks for another type of souvenir.

A small Blockafeller named Sprout can be found hiding on the ground in every level after Baby Bowser is defeated. While Sprout does not give Smiley Flowers, finding him in every level rewards players with a costume based on him.

The game includes a two-player mode where each player controls their own Yoshi and navigates through the game’s levels together.

Plot

The story begins on Yoshi's Island, where the Yoshis live in peace. At the highest point of the island is an object called the Sundream Stone, which has the power to make any dream come true using its five Dream Gems. One day, Kamek and Baby Bowser try to steal the stone, causing the gems to fly across many worlds. This leaves Yoshi and his friends to find and return the gems.

For most of the game, the Sundream Stone stays hidden in a dark forest, protected by the Yoshis who are not exploring. Each time the Yoshis put a gem back, the forest becomes brighter, and the stone gains the color of the gem. In the final level, the Yoshis find the last gem, but Kamek and Baby Bowser take it, along with the Sundream Stone and the other four gems. Baby Bowser then uses the stone to create The Great King Bowser, a large robot that becomes the second-to-last challenge. After the robot is defeated, Kamek uses the stone to make Baby Bowser bigger, leading to the final battle against Mega Baby Bowser. After Baby Bowser is defeated, the Yoshis put the gems back (which had fallen off again during the fight) to fully restore the Sundream Stone. With the Yoshis' dreams, the stone creates an airship that carries them all back to Yoshi's Island.

Development

The game was introduced at E3 2017 and was planned for a 2018 release. During the Nintendo Treehouse Live event at E3 2017, videos of the game's levels were shown, including views of both the front and back sides. The reveal included a visual style similar to Yoshi's Woolly World, which used wool-themed designs, and Kirby's Epic Yarn, which featured yarn-based themes. The game was created using Unreal Engine 4. In June 2018, Nintendo announced the release would be delayed to 2019. In January 2019, Nintendo confirmed in a separate tweet that Yoshi's Crafted World would be released on March 29, 2019. In the final version of the game, the ability to "flip" the world was changed from what was shown earlier, with less focus on this feature. Some features demonstrated during the reveal, such as a multiplayer move that allowed players to flip the viewpoint by jumping together, were removed. Instead, the flipping mechanic is now a bonus "run" through a level where Yoshi must find several "Poochy Pups" and deliver them to the goal. The game supports all Amiibo figures, most of which give players random crafted costumes. Mario-related Amiibo, including the Yoshi soft dolls from Woolly World, provide special costumes based on the character used.

Reception

Yoshi's Crafted World received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, a website that collects and summarizes game reviews. Another review site, OpenCritic, reported that 81% of critics recommended the game, showing strong approval. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 37 out of 40, with one critic giving it a perfect score of 10. Critics praised the game's charm, level design, and graphics, as well as its new way to play. However, some critics pointed out that the soundtrack and the game's lack of difficulty were not as strong.

Yoshi's Crafted World reached the top of the UK's all-format and individual-format sales charts, making it the first Yoshi game to do so. It also debuted first in Japan, selling 53,327 physical copies at launch, which was the best start for a Yoshi game since 2014's Yoshi's New Island. By July 2019, the game had sold over 150,000 copies in Japan. By March 31, 2019, it had sold 1.11 million copies worldwide. According to the 2023 CESA Games White Papers, the game had sold 3.35 million units worldwide as of December 2022.