Yoshi's New Island is a fine salute to a SNES classic and an adorable, approachable platformer in its own right, but it's only likely to have value for players new to the genre - and even then, any appreciation of the game that they have is likely to be fleeting.

In the 24 years since the release of Super Mario World, Nintendo has only given Yoshi a handful of titular appearances, starting with 1995’s Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. That hasn’t stopped Nintendo from carving out an identifiable visual and mechanical identity for Mario’s dinosaur sidekick, though; from Super Mario World 2 through his appearances on the Nintendo 64, Gameboy and DS, Yoshi games were always designed to accommodate a younger audience – one still learning the language of platforming, one not so up to play at the speed of Mario games or the bone-crushing difficulty of Donkey Kong. Yoshi’s New Island doesn’t break that mould – not in the way it feels, not in the way it looks. That decision to remain faithful has its benefits, but it also has its drawbacks.

Yoshi’s New Island is a sequel to 1995’s Super Mario World 2, and it updates that game’s rough hand-drawn aesthetic in impressive and disarming ways. The simple shapes and felt-tip colouring of that SNES game are switched out for a greater array of textures (charcoal, watercolour, crayon and chalk are all fixtures), richer pastel colours and more complex geometry.

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Another look at the locales of Yoshi's New Island.

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Yoshi’s New Island hits the 3DS and 2DS on March 15, Nintendo has announced.

The latest installment in the Yoshi platform series is rendered in a variety of art styles that illustrate the fairytale charm of the Yoshi universe.

New Island is a sequel to 1995 Super Nintendo title Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Baby Luigi has been whisked away once again, leaving it up to the Yoshi clan to keep Baby Mario out of harm’s way and embark on a mission of discovery.

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