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Platform: Game Boy Advance Developed by Artoon Published by Nintendo Players: Single-player |
Yoshi, the emblem of Nintendo portable games, ever since its first appearance in Yoshi for the Game Boy, and its several appearances on portable games in cameos or as a protagonist or selectable character we’ve seen how he develops to creates several games. We see Topsy Turvy as a chance to see a very experimental Yoshi game.
Accompany him on his quest, to defend Yoshis’ Island from Bowser as a Spirit named Hongo attempts to Seal Bowser and Co. in his book called the Forbidden Pop-Up Book, Hongo fails and seals the entire Island in the book. The Spirit who Loves surprises then explains to Yoshi that he has to go on a quest to convince Hongo to bring back the Island to normal, as the spirits won’t have enough power to defeat Bowser who was hiding inside the final chapter of the book.
The Spirit who loves surprises then aids Yoshi on his quest, to help convince the other spirits by doing quests for them to ultimately face Bowser and defeat him!
In Topsy Turvy you move your game pak to control Yoshi, the game pack includes a gyroscope like the one in Warioware: Twisted! And Kirby Tilt ‘n’ tumble, that allows you to move the world where Yoshi moves around on the screen.
Official Description
Turn the world upside down! Yoshi's Island has been turned into a picture book and Yoshi will not stand to have his world flattened. With aid from some friendly spirits, grab hold of this world to help. Tilt Yoshi through several wild levels, keeping to the path and challenging perils along the way. A Tilt Sensor in the Game Pak detects the orientation of th game and as you twist and turn, the entire world rotates around you.Gameplay
The gameplay is very unique, move Yoshi around with the gamepad, but rotate the Gameboy to make the game world rotate, enabling Yoshi to advance on some levels. There are spirits throughout the game and each one will provide Yoshi with a mission, after completing it Yoshi will be able to complete the level and proceed to the next one.There are bonus games and mini games that are available for the player, aside from the mini games on the Story mode which will award 50 coins to Yoshi once he wins them.
The spirits of the game are:
- Spirit of Cuteness: A pink flowery spirit who loves cuteness above everything else, is very friendly and helps Yoshi know that egglings were turned into Apples by Bowser. Once you help the egglings the spirit provides Yoshi with a Happiness Medal.
The Great Spirit: Hongo- Spirit of Money: Also known as the spirit of greed is a goldy grinning spirit who loves money more than everything. He judges people on how much money they have, this spirit is so greedy that even his shadow is gold. He demands Yoshi to get him coins so he awads Yoshi with a Happiness medal.
- Spirit of Power: Also known as the Spirit of Might loves everyone who is Mighty and powerful. In order to get the Happiness Medal Yoshi will need to defeat a certain number of enemies on a level.
- Spirit of Kindness: The total opposite of the Spirit of power she treasure kindness above everything, she’s kind of a Diva who asks Yoshi to pass through levels without defeating enemies, if he is able to clear the levels without defeating four enemies or less she will give Yoshi the Medal.
- Spirit of Speed: Also known as the Spirit of Swiftness is the one that loves everything that moves fast. She will provide Yoshi with a Happiness Medal if Yoshi is able to reach the end of a level on a set amount of time.
- Spirit of Fright: This spirit loves to scare others no matter how kind it may look, he loves everything that is scary. He runs along with Yoshi, eating up the paper and pages of the Forbidden Pop-up book. Yoshi has to reach the end of the level without being sucked on the rolling spikes or dying from touching them too many times.
- Spirit who loves Surprises: This spirit loves surprises, and is the one that sets Yoshi on his adventure, and will surely be a surprise as Yoshi advances through the levels.
- Hongo: A great spirit within a book who wants to get rid of Bowser, is the one providing the Universal Gravitation Device to Yoshi which allows him to manipulate movements.
The only levels that don’t have the spirits on them are those related to Bowsers’ field and Cave where Yoshi confronts Bowser.
Yoshi has several transformations which are:
- Yoshi Ship: Yoshi is able to float on the water and the water level can be changed by tilting the controller.
- Yoshi Balloon: Yoshi becomes a ballon and floats downwards, you can change where he drifts by twisting the console.
- Ball Yoshi: He becomes a bouncy, invincible ball who defeats every single enemy and breaks concrete walls.
- Yoshi Boat: He becomes a Boat, able to jump and as the Ship the water level may be changed by tilting the console.
Yoshi in his boat form transformation.
The enemies come from other games as well, but we have some unique enemies:
- Boos: You’re every day Shy ghost, if you see them they cover their face and stop moving.
- Fat Guys: This shy guy seems to have eaten too much. He is invincible on this game!
- Fly Guys: Shy guys with a little propeller that allows them to fly, sometimes they hold coins that Yoshi may get with their tongue.
- Goonies: The birds that fly forward, upward and downward whenever you tilt the console. They can’t be damaged but they can carry Yoshi around and be used to jump to some places.
- Gusties: Ghosts that appear in groups and fly forward.
- Mace Guys: This Shy guy got a mace and its spinning it!
- Piranha Plants: Invincible Piranha Plants who cannot move. Yoshi is eaten by the plant and spit a couple of seconds later.
- Ravens: Black birds who walk on walls and are not affected by gravity.
- Shy Guys: Marching forward, they can be either consumed by Yoshi or stomp on.
- Spikeballs: Round, spike covered enemies who are always sleeping but wake up whenever the console is tilted, once that happens they start rolling to either side and they will fall asleep once the console is stopped again.
- Tap-Taps: Invincible enemies that march forward, they hit really hard!
- Rainbow Tap-Taps: A more colorful version of the Tap-Tap appears only when he is fighting Bowser.
- Spike Creatures: This creature appears four times on the game and it’s a purple enemy with a black eye, thin legs and a green torso.
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There are several items that will help Yoshi on their quest:
- Coins: Necessary to help the Spirit of Greed, get an extra life for every 100.
- Bombs: Bombs that are dropped down and will roll according to where the console is tilted. They explode and can hurt yoshi!
- Heart: These hearts can be eaten by Yoshi to restore their health points.
- Big Heart: Big hearts will fully replenish their health points.
- Apple: Apples are egglings, cursed by bowser. After being swallowed they escape from Bowsers’ curse. Necessary on the quest of the spirit of cuteness.
- Gold Medals: Given to Yoshi when he excels the job required by a spirit
- Silver Medal: Given to Yoshi when they do a job just as required by a spirit.
The Happiness Medal- Boulder and Snowballs: Simple rocks made of stone or snow which can be moved by tilting the console and can be ridden by Yoshi.
- Cannons: found throughout many courses. Yoshi can travel on them and tilting the console affects where the cannon is pointing to. After a couple of seconds the cannon fires automatically.
- Chime Ball and Notes: The Chime Ball is just like a rock, but when they pass through a Chime Note they reproduce a certain note.
- Coin Basket: A green basket full of coins, tilt the console to get them!
- Coin Farmer: Just like the Basket, shake the console to get the coins spilled by the farmer.
- Wrecking Ball and Stone Block: The Wrecking Ball can be used to break a stone block, with three hits its gone, unless it has a crack, this will require one hit only.
- Checkpoint: A Checkpoint that takes Yoshi to a different area on the level.
- Goal: The star to be touched at the end of each level.
There is also a Challenge mode which will be unlocked after completing the game, in this mode five new modes can be played, which are:
- Shuffle mode: The player receives many missions at randomly. Once you lose a life, the game is over, to get this mode, finish the game.
- Yoshis’ Big Jump: After completing the Eggling book you get this game mode, which essentially is a long Jump competition that takes place on a Snowy mountain.
- Yoshi’s Pirate Battle: After you complete the eggling book you get this game mode. You have to tilt the console to do ship loops and achieve a high score!
- Yoshi’s time attack: After completing the eggling book you get this mode where you become ball Yoshi, an invincible Yoshi, you have to complete the level as fast as possible.
- Shuffle Mode EX: After getting every Gold Medal in story mode you get this mode which is a more challenging version of Shuffle Mode.
The eggling book is a book with every single Eggling you can save, after completing it you unlock certain levels and game modes on the game.
Videos
Check out these videos of Yoshi Topsy Turvy including TV Commercials, Trailers and the games intro video.The preview trailer from E3 2005.
A Japanese TV Commercial for Yoshi's Topsy Turvy.
The intro / opening video for Yoshi's Topsy Turvy, a very nice story indeed.
Reception / Review Scores
Yoshi’s Topsy-Turvy got a lot of good and bad reviews, A unique game that got an average of 61%, Having a MetaScore of 60% and given a 6.6/10 by GameSpot a 7/10 by Nintendo Power and a D+ by 1up.com. The graphics of the game seem bland, and the gameplay seemed innovative but overall it was badly received, praised only for the controller scheme and novelty.
Trivia & Facts
- The game is called Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation in Japan and Europe
