I constantly seem to miss Game Boy Advance releases as Nintendo rarely focuses on them. One overlooked title leapt from the shelves and demanded I shell out $30 to take it home. Yoshi's Island is one of my all-time favorites on the Super Nintendo, and now it comes in a handy pocket size. I clocked an insane number of hours finishing off the original with a perfect score, but a simple conversion apparently isn't enough for Nintendo. Six brand new "Secret" levels, brilliant graphics and great sound conversions make the third Super Mario Advance installment a fantastic addition to the GBA catalog.

I'm quite assured that Mario hasn't caught a break his entire life. The seemingly mild-mannered plumber finds himself in trouble everywhere he goes. Yoshi's Island is no exception. This time Mario isn't the main event; he's finally given control over to his loveable pal Yoshi. This being the case, Mario doesn't do a whole heck of a lot in this game. He's like most infants…he cries a lot, rides around on the back of a pseudo-dinosaur, turns into a super-baby when he encounters a shimmering star…you know, normal baby stuff. Apparently this time the stork's been attacked, separating baby Mario and baby Luigi by exactly six worlds with eight levels each. As with most Mario titles, you'll find yourself battling the standard enemies along with their massive counterparts, which provide variety in twelve boss levels.

Variety is what the game is all about. Instead of the standard jump, kill, lick routine, you're presented with a brand new feature. Yoshi can now turn some enemies into eggs after snagging them with his tongue. These eggs trail behind you in a nifty little conga line, just waiting to rain death on all of your foes. You've even got options on how to use the eggs. "Hasty" players can use a simple button-hold and release method to fire off an egg. "Patient" players can use the push twice method. The mechanics are just the same as the classic version, and they translate well despite the loss of two buttons on the GBA. After you queue up an egg, you're presented with a simple target that scans in a semi-circle. When you fire the egg, it goes in the direction of the target. Simplicity is grand.

In addition to fighting your way through the basics, you're given the opportunity to gain bonus games and extra levels by collecting items hidden throughout the game. Yoshi carries baby Mario on his back, and when an enemy strikes you Mario begins to float away. A timer indicates how long you've got before evil minions cart Mario away. This timer also represents one of the collectibles. Little stars give you a second each and mid-level save points give you ten. You max out at thirty seconds, and your time adds to your score when you complete a level. This works the same with flowers, five of which are hidden in each level. In addition, twenty red coins hide under the guise of classic yellow ones. Find all the items and you get a 100 for the level. Get high scores for each level in a world and you earn a bonus level and a mini-game. Mini-games let you earn extra lives and items you can use during gameplay.

Extra lives never seem to be an issue with this game. After playing all the way through I had 154 leftover lives. This doesn't seem to be a problem so much as an amusing side effect. I was far too busy enjoying the game to bother keeping tally with all of that. The original graphic styling has returned in all its crayon-style glory. Yoshi's transformations into helicopters, trains, submarines, and moles help maintain the entertainment and visual style of the game. The sound effects, while limited due to the GBA hardware, are enjoyable and quite faithful to the source. The only problem I noticed was a very rare slowdown caused by too many sprites on the screen. While it can be annoying when it happens, the occurrence is so sporadic that it's barely noticeable. Yoshi's Island holds its own among a long list of rehashes for the GBA. Despite the fact that it's only got six new levels, the gameplay is still fun and engaging. If you were a fan of Super Mario World (or Super Mario Advance 2), you'd do yourself a favor by picking up Yoshi's Island.