Yoshi’s Crafted World came out at the end of March 2019, and I for one have not been able to stop playing it. Nintendo once again outdid themselves, delivering an adorable Yoshi game that plays with your expectations. Available on the Nintendo Switch, Yoshi’s Crafted World has already gained thousands of fans. Much like Yoshis Woolly World, which came out in 2015 (no, I can’t believe it’s been four years either,) Yoshi’s Crafted World transports you to a fun, colorful universe that’s full of secrets and surprises.

In this latest installment of the Yoshi franchise, Yoshi and his friends must find gemstones that have been scattered all over the world. These gemstones belong to a magical artifact; once all the gemstones have been restored, the artifact will get its magical power back. Of course, it would be too easy if the Yoshis were the only one looking for the stones: during the adventure, the player or players will have to keep an eye out for Baby Bowser, who, with the help of his magical assistant Kamek, wants to get his paws on the gemstones, too…

The game features lots of other surprises, like costumes, hidden collectibles, and a large variety of enemies for Yoshi to stomp on and swallow. Are you intrigued by Yoshis Crafted World, but unsure of what to expect? Are you thinking of getting the game and weighing the pros and cons? To help you with your decision, here are 25 things we wished we knew before starting Yoshis Crafted World. Beware of very minor spoilers ahead!

25 It’s Even Cuter Than You'd Expect

Via youtube.com - Nintendo

Nintendo generally makes cute games, and Yoshi games in particular have a reputation for being absolutely adorable. Still, I wasn’t quite ready for just how cute Yoshi’s Crafted World was. The world is entirely made from recycled cardboard, cans, paper, bottles and so on, each painstakingly painted.

Add cheerful music, bright blue skies, and of course, everyone’s favorite adorable green dinosaur, and you’ve got a truly whimsical effect! The game is adorable and soothing and will absolutely put a smile on your face.

24 You’ll Definitely Be Reminded Of Yoshi’s Woolly World

via topshelfgaming.net

This Yoshi may not be made out of wool, but he’s absolutely cute and fuzzy. You’ll recognize some of the features and some of the enemies from Yoshi’s Woolly World, too! Not to mention, the adorable Poochy Pups are making a comeback. But most importantly, though the world of Yoshi’s Crafted World is made of cardboard and cans and plastic wrappers instead of soft wool, it manages to create the same magical atmosphere that made Yoshi’s Woolly World so darn addictive, thanks to bright colors and adorable designs.

23 The Attention To Detail Will Take You In

10- Yoshi's Crafted World
Via: Polygon

It’s not just the cuteness that will make you fall in love with Yoshi’s Crafted World! Not only is the décor highly whimsical, it’s also amazingly detailed. From detailed milk carton houses to realistic candy-wrapper billboards to pipe cleaner seaweeds, there’s a lot to take in! The creativity of the art style in Yoshi’s Crafted World simply blew me away. Even compared to its predecessor, this is a game that builds upon every little detail in order to craft an unforgettable experience for fans of Mario's perpetual companion.

22 But The Story Might Not

via: jeuxactu.fr

The game itself is beautiful, and the gameplay is addictive… but they sort of overshadow the story. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you! Yoshi’s Crafted World is fun and innovative enough that it’ll keep you engaged, but don’t expect a complex story with big plot twists.

In fact, after a few levels, I almost forgot what Yoshi was chasing and concentrated on collecting flowers and red coins. And the bonus side to this is the story is simple enough that young children will also be able to follow it.

21 Life On The Flip Side

via: nintendo.co,uk

The moment when you really notice the amount of detail that went into the game is when you replay a level… backwards. Yoshi’s Crafted World’s big thing is that once you’re done with a level, you can do it again and see the other side of the decor: the unpainted cardboard, the tape, all of it. Even within a level, you’ll sometimes get a chance to flip the game for a bit and play from a whole new perspective. I was afraid these flipped levels would feel repetitive, but that’s not the case.

20 Keep An Eye Out For Secrets

Most gamers know to search nooks and crannies for hidden passages and invisible objects. That odd dip in the floor? Probably a tunnel. That weirdly shaped ledge? Might be a secret door. You’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for secrets like this in Yoshi’s Crafted World, because, as with most Nintendo games, it’s full of hidden surprises! Some are actually necessary to get all the coveted red coins and flowers, too, so don’t rush through the levels if you don’t want to miss anything!

19 Don’t Ignore The Background…

via Nintendo

In fact, some of these secrets might be hidden in plain view— in the background. That’s right, you’ll have to pay attention to everything to everything around you to get all the coins and collectibles. Thanks to the eggs Yoshi collects from plants or from swallowing enemies, you have projectiles you can use to knock down stuff in the background. That’s exactly as fun as it sounds: Yoshi’s Crafted World provides you with a world that’s not only incredibly detailed, it’s also a world you can interact with (read: destroy) as much or as little as you want.

18 …Or The Foreground!

via: imore.com

And because Yoshi’s Crafted World is meant to be viewed and played from all angles, you can knock down stuff in the foreground, too! I wish I’d realized that earlier than I did, because I definitely missed some things in the first levels.

Sometimes, you’ll see rows of Shy Guys brandishing coins, or cardboard signs that look oh-so-destructible… just out of reach. Except, not really, because you can also shoot eggs at them! This mechanic makes the game incredibly immersive and will keep adults and kids alike on their toes.

17 Lots Of Collectibles

via: imore.com

I’ve mentioned collectibles once or twice already, but you’ll be surprised at just how much stuff there is to find in Yoshi’s Crafted World. There are coins of course, and red coins sometimes hiding inside those (did you know the coins that harbor red coins spin in a different direction?)

But there also flowers, objects to collect and bring back to characters, hundreds of costumes, and more! If you’re a completionist, I can almost guarantee that you’ll want to keep playing for hours.

16 Longer Than You’d Expect

Via mariowiki.com

Which brings me to my next point: Yoshi’s Crafted World isn’t as short as you might think. It has plenty of worlds to explore, and, as we saw earlier, it takes replayability to the next level by flipping levels around. You’d be wrong to dismiss it as a quick, cutesy game— this is one Yoshi game you can get sucked into for hours.

Not only can you do the levels backwards, you’ll sometimes get requests from characters for items in specific levels, meaning you could be spending a lot longer than you’d think on a single world.

15 Different Egg Colors Do Different Things

via: hardcoregamer.com

Once you start playing, collecting eggs, and throwing them at things, you’ll start to realize that some of the eggs you obtain are red, blue, or orange instead of the traditional green Yoshi eggs. It may not be obvious at first, but they all do different things.

When thrown at enemies, red eggs give you extra hearts, blue eggs give you three regular eggs, and orange eggs give you coins. The trick is you have to throw them at enemies specifically, so you may not notice the difference right away.

14 So Many Different Shy Guys!

via: gamecrate.com

It’s not just the eggs that are multicolored! You’ll notice even the enemies— namely, the Shy Guys— are colorful in this adorable game. You’ll find blue, red, green, yellow Shy Guys, but also Shy Guys with different weapons.

You’ll also come across different types of Shy Guys such as Zombie Guys or Petal Guys, who disguise themselves as bunches of flowers. In short, the game has many different enemies, but the different kinds of Shy Guys alone are enough to keep you on your toes!

13 Only Two Game Modes

via: youtube.com (Majora's Puppet)

You might be used to games offering a variety of modes or difficulty levels, so be aware that Yoshi’s Crafted World features just two game modes: Mellow Mode and Classic Mode. If you’ve played Yoshi’s Woolly World, this may sound familiar.

According to the game, Mellow Mode “makes the game a little breezier and relaxed.” Effectively, this means that Yoshi can fly, get two eggs from swallowing enemies, lose less health and gain more hearts. Mellow Mode also features a handy flower tracker, and hidden question mark clouds are all visible!

12 You Might Start Feeling Bad For The Enemies

via: twipu.com

That’s one thing I wasn’t expecting when I started playing Yoshi’s Crafted World. Even the enemies are adorable, and, after a while, I almost felt bad swallowing them. Take the Little Mousers, for instance. These little purple mice wear bandit-like eye-masks and were introduced to the Yoshi franchise a while ago. In Yoshi’s Crafted World, however, they’re almost too cute to throw eggs at. They toss coins at each other and start crying when you take the coins away. Crying. How am I supposed to eliminate them after that?

11 Wreck Everything In Your Path With Tank Mode

via: ign.com

Some levels in Yoshi’s Crafted World require Yoshi to step into a huge Yoshi cardboard tank and destroy everything in his path. No need to worry about hidden objects or background secrets here; all you have to do is punch, stomp, or smash all the objects you encounter to find all the flowers and get the best possible score. These levels end up being fun breaks from all the searching and collecting— for those who get easily tired of collecting things, you’ll be happy to know that’s not all you can do in the game.

10 Costumes!

via: nintendo-insider.com

But for players who do enjoy collectibles, Yoshi’s Crafted World offers lots of options! One of my favorites were the costumes you can get in each region. Like almost everything in the game, they’re recycled from small objects and bits of cardboard, and they have the added bonus of protecting Yoshi from enemy hits.

There’s hundreds of them, and you can get them from gumball machines— except in this case, the “gumballs” are eggs containing the costumes. The whole mechanic of obtaining these costumes is, once again, adorable.

9 Find The Poochy Pups Before Time’s Up!

via: ign.com

You might remember the Poochy Pups from Yoshi’s Woolly World, where they followed the player around and helped them find secrets in Mellow Mode. Fans will be glad to know that these adorable little puppies are back in Yoshi’s Crafted World! When you flip a level and go through it again, you’ll be tasked with finding the Poochy Pups and bringing them back to the finish line before time’s up. You get one flower for every pup you find, plus one bonus one for bringing them all back in time!

8 Better On The Big Screen

via:gamereactor.eu

Yoshi’s Crafted World is available on the Nintendo Switch, which, of course, lets you play in handheld mode. Most people who reviewed the game will agree that you’re better off playing on your TV, however. This is simply because as you might have gathered from everything I’ve said so far, the game is absolutely gorgeous. Go ahead and dock that Switch so you can enjoy all the tiny details that make Yoshi’s Crafted World such an amazing game! Of course, the game is beautiful in handheld mode, too.

7 You’ll Need Flowers To Unlock Areas

via: sweetyhigh.com

I mentioned earlier that flowers are one of the items you need to collect. Usually, you’ll find them throughout the level, and you’ll win bonus flowers for completing a level with all your hearts, finding all the red coins, etc. As we saw earlier, you can also get flowers by finding Poochy Pups, and in the Yoshi tank level, you’ll be awarded flowers if you destroy enough objects and score high enough. Keep this in mind as you begin playing, as you’ll need to “pay” characters in flowers to unlock areas!

6 It’s Not A Hard Game…

via: kgun.com

Sure, you’ll have to keep an eye out for all the hidden items, but in terms of gameplay, Yoshi’s Crafted World isn’t an extremely challenging game. Besides, if you’re like me and struggle with platforming sometimes, you always have the option to play in Mellow Mode for a little bit— nobody has to know! Even if Classic Mode is meant for “more experienced players,” you shouldn’t find the game too difficult, for the most part. This also means children will have no trouble playing the game!