Yoda Stories
Game by Torus Games, published by THQ
Reviewed by John Craig
john@dmgice.com
Size: 8 megabits (1 megabyte)
Save: Password
Released: 1999
Works with: All Gameboys, Color enhanced
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Opening Snide Remarks:
This simple little game debuted on home computers that wasn't too 
spectacular, but simple enough that it SHOULD make a decent GBC port. The 
Game Boy conversion is by Torus and THQ. I'm scared.

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Gameplay Description:
Yoda stories takes place during Luke Skywalker's training under Yoda.
Everyone's little green jedi master sends Luke out on different
missions on other planets with no information, other than his final
objective and a tool to get him started with. Simply put, it's an
adventure RPG that goes very light on the fighting elements, and very
heavy on the puzzle and trading elements. Land in the space port, talk
to people, go out searching for items, talk to more people, give them
the items, etc, until you've completed your objective for the level. If
you can stay with the game, there are 15 of the suckers to keep you
busy, and you're bound to get stuck sometime. Along the way there are
storm troopers, sand people, and other aliens to give you a hard time,
and that's about it. Since the game is focused on the puzzle elements,
experienced players will almost never die in battle. The downside is,
there is little replay value to completed levels. Good thing there's 15
of them. Overall, it's a simple, but not unfamiliar idea that should
have translated well to the portable gaming realm.

Liked: An adventure RPG that concentrates more on trading and puzzles
than battle is a good, refreshing idea.

Hated: Little replay value once you're familiar with the levels.

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Graphics Description:
As expected, the game plays from an overhead perspective. And as
simple as that is, and considering the fact that this cartridge is
color enhanced, the graphical quality is very poor. In still shots the
game looks like your standard RPG fare, but once it gets in motion, the
game looks horrid. Luke walks in 'blocks', much like your character in
the Final Fantasy Legend games. Only, rather than walking to the next
block on the ground, pressing left on the control pad will have Luke
show a very short walking animation, and then him appearing suddenly on
the next block. You have you see it to understand, but it's not pretty,
and could have been done much better. And rather than the screen
scrolling smoothly as Luke walks like in Mario Golf, or scrolling in
sequences like in Link's Awakening, it too jumps in a very ugly manner.
Although this game isn't about graphics, so much more could have been 
better with this, and some people will find it unforgivable.

Liked: Characters, settings, and themes are from the familiar Star Wars
universe.

Hated: The game is very badly animated, and it sometimes distracts from
the gameplay.

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Sound/Music Description:
The Star Wars theme loops over and over. Other sound effects are
average and unnoticeable.

Liked: Yeah, yeah. It's John William's good ol' Star Wars theme.

Hated: over....and over.....and over. Turn the volume down and I don't
think I'd notice.

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Play Control/Game Design:
I'll be frank, this is a bad conversion of what could have been a great
game for Gameboy. Only players that can look beyond the bad character
animation and other sloppy aspects will be able to enjoy the game. Luke
can take a hell of a lot of lasers before he goes down, which is good
because the game has almost no form of hit detection other than your
health meter. It's all very simple: good design bad execution.

Liked: nothing

Hated: It's been very sloppily put together. For some people it will
distract from the gameplay, for some it won't.

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Improve: Let someone else do the port next time.

RIYL: Link's Awakening.... kinda....

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Final Words: If you really want this game, get the computer version.

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Score
Gameplay: ****
Graphics: *
Sound/Music: **
Play Control/Game Design: *
Personal Opinion: **
Total: 10


Final Score: 40%

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Currently Known Codes: none