Yoshi's Cookie

Gameplay

Yoshi's Cookie is a tile-matching video game in which the player is given a playing field populated with cookies of five various types, arranged in a rectangular grid. The main objective of each level is to clear the playing field of all the cookies. The player mixes and matches the cookies such that entire rows or columns consist only of cookies of the same type. The player controls a cursor on the grid that is used to rotate individual lines in a manner similar to a Rubik's Cube. When a single row or column contains all matching cookies, the row is cleared from the grid. The grid grows in size from cookies entering from the top and right sides of the playing field and a game over occurs when the grid overflows. A sixth cookie type, shaped like Yoshi's head, occasionally appears that acts as a wild card, used to help clear lines of any other cookie.

Game modes

Yoshi's Cookie has different game modes. In the "Action" single-player mode, the player completes successive levels that progressively grow more complex. A multiplayer VS mode has two players competing against each other in split-screen. The Super NES version has a single-player VS mode in which the player competes against a computer player. The Super NES version also contains a Puzzle mode in which each level has a predefined grid of cookies and player must clear all the cookies in a minimum number of moves.

Development

Yoshi's Cookie originally began development as a Super NES game called "Hermetica" produced by game designer David Nolte. The game was first shown by Bullet-Proof Software at the 1992 Consumer Electronics Show. Nintendo obtained the licenses for the 8-bit (NES and Game Boy) versions of Hermetica, and developed the game into Yoshi's Cookie, which now featured Mario characters. The soundtrack was composed by Akira Satou, Nobuya Ikuta, Noriko Nishizaka, and Tsutomu, which also features a rendition of Csikós Post, written by German composer Hermann Necke. The NES and Game Boy versions were first released in Japan on November 21, 1992. They were then released in North America in April 1993 and in Europe on April 28, 1993.

While Bullet-Proof Software retained the rights to the original Super NES game, Nintendo licensed the Mario characters and allowed the developer to use the Yoshi's Cookie branding. This version was produced by both Nolte and Yasuaki Nagoshi. The levels in the game's Puzzle mode were designed by Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. The Super NES version was released in Japan and North America in 1993 and in Europe in 1994.

Reception

Yoshi's Cookie received mixed to positive reviews. GamesRadar ranked it the 48th best game available on the Game Boy and/or Game Boy Color. The Washington Post in 1993 called the game "simple, but addictive, just like all puzzlers from the Big N. Give Yoshi's Cookie a taste test - but don't do it before bedtime. You might have nightmares about that NES coming back to life."

Legacy

Tetris DS features a Yoshi's Cookie backdrop for its Puzzle mode, and Mario Kart: Double Dash‼ features a battle stage, Cookie Land, with a Yoshi's Cookie theme.

As of October 2010 a copy of a special, limited edition of the game costs 157,500 yen, approximately $1,924 USD.

Re-releases

Yoshi's Cookie was also available on the GameCube game Nintendo Puzzle Collection, featured along with Dr. Mario and Panel de Pon (aka Tetris Attack, Pokémon Puzzle League or Puzzle League overseas).

National, a brand of Panasonic, released 500 copies of a special version of Yoshi's Cookie, titled Yoshi's Cookie Kuruppon Oven de Cookie (ヨッシーのクッキー クルッポンオーブンでクッキー), which celebrated the release of the Kuruppon Oven. In Game & Watch Gallery 3 for the Game Boy Color in 1999, the modern version of Egg was referenced and redesigned to a Yoshi's Cookie look.

The NES version of Yoshi's Cookie was rereleased for the Wii's Virtual Console service on April 4, 2008 in Europe and Australia, and on April 7, 2008 in North America and available to download until it was removed on October 18, 2013 in North America and October 11, 2013 in Japan and Europe.