Here's an interesting puzzle. Today I bought Yoshi's Island DS. I hold the original Yoshi's Island in very high esteem, as one of the best platformers I had ever played. A lot of times I get very frustrated with platformers, as they can become more work then pleasure. Not so with Yoshi's Island. That game was just plain fun.

Which is why I picked up Yoshi's Island DS. It looked like almost the exact same game only expanded. The sequal that never was in a way. I bought it this afternoon, and I'm returning it tommorow because I can't imagine ever wanting to play it more than the half hour I just invested in it.

Why you ask?

The music.

Now I'm not a very big video game music fan here like some people are. I don't have MP3's and midi files of my favorite games. IN fact, my video game music collection comes down to just one CD of a chamber orchestra performing Zelda songs, which I like because I like chamber orchestras.

But let me tell you, the music in Yoshi's Island DS is making me sell back the game.

Yoshi's Island DS is almost exactly like the original in every way, which wouldn't bother me. I like pizza, it's been years since I've had it, why wouldn't I want to eat it again.

The problem is that the music is different. Now my memories of the original Yoshi's Island music don't bring anything amazing to mind. It was typical Mario stuff as I recall. But it was present and active. It wasn't just some background noise. You were aware of it. The music in Yoshi's Island DS is just so blahh. Just like random beeps that try to sound tropical. As soon as I got up to the first dungeon and it still didn't change, I immedietly turned the game off.

It's not just the music. All the sounds have been changed, and not just changed, downgraded. Everything sounds a bit muted, as if I were hearing it through a brick wall. Not to mention they put in the cute Yoshi noises (I HATE the cute Yoshi noises). Did someone actually think that this was better than the original? Or is the DS incapable of imitating or improving on the sound pallette of an SNES game (I highly doubt that).

Maybe some of this is psychological. I'm doing the same thing I did when I owned the original Yoshi's Island, but I'm not getting the same response, and that's bothering me. At any rate, I need to get the game out of my house, so first thing tommorow it's gone.