Sound:  
Guess what Baby Mario never does? He never cries! That was one of the biggest complaints from Yoshi's Island. It's also a complaint at Carrot Top shows- at first it's funny and then it just gets awkward.

The music is pretty standard. Mario themes without the famous Mario theme, if you can understand what that meant. If not, hum some random happy notes right now and you'll know how the music goes.

Gameplay:  
Now we get to the reason you should get this game! If I was a better journalist I would have put it up top to keep your interest in the story, but that's why NGenres keeps me in a cage.

Yoshi Touch and Go puts the player in the director's chair. You have indirect control over Yoshi and Baby Mario, but you can manipulate the environment to guide them to safety.

In the first part of the game, a stork drops Baby Mario off 1,000 yards over the ground. Mario has 3 balloons keeping him from falling. The weird thing is one of the balloons says "it's a girl!" This will forever leave a lingering doubt in Mario's head...

If all three balloons get popped you'll start a nation-wide ethics debate about when cartoon life begins, so make sure you keep that baby safe. You do this by drawing clouds on the bottom screen that float up and guide Baby Mario around obstacles and enemies and into coins that he'll probably put in his mouth and choke on.

When you make it to the bottom, Yoshi will catch you, and from then on it's a never-ending (in some modes) trek to the right side of the screen (they have a left mode for lefties, but they don't count). Again you must direct the game. Draw bridges with clouds, circle enemies, catch coins, etc.

The only drawback to the gameplay is that there is no level structure, and so the whole game winds up feeling a little bit limited. I know, how could an infinite mode feel limited, right? Well, you're just working to beat your previous best. If you liked Tetris, you won't mind. If you like your games to have an ending, be ready for a disappointment (much like people in a Carrot Top audience).

There are several modes of play, but they're all variations on the same game. Play for time, play for points, you get the idea.

Control:
Control is handled strictly by the touch screen.

Drag the stylus and you'll make a line of clouds. Tap the screen and Yoshi will throw and egg at that spot (for the most part the screen is really good at figuring out which action you meant).

You can also circle some enemies and coins and make bubbles. Drag or throw them at Yoshi for points or forget about them and they'll float away.

Oh yeah, there is one control not relegated to the touch screen: the pause button. Of lesser importance is the microphone, which you can blow into to blow away all the clouds on the screen if you've screwed up and need to draw again.

Multiplayer:
I think there is multiplayer, but I forget. I know the game searches for Pictochat, and if it finds someone using it it will ask you if you want to stop and join the chat. This is obviously so you both can agree to play a multiplayer game.

The multiplayer game probably involves cloud-drawing of some kind. I won't score it since I didn't play it.

OVERALL:
Yoshi Touch and Go shows what's to come with the DS. If your DS is getting lonely, this is the best game out there, other than Mario 64.

You might want to wait for the Kirby DS game, which is supposed to be similar but more of game and less of a demo.

 

The Lowdown on  Yoshi Touch & Go Aesthetics: Average Control: Very Good Gameplay: Very Good Multiplayer: Sound: Average Innovation: 6/6 Lasting Appeal: 4/6 Rating Explanation Overall: Above Average! "A Quality Game"