While very few hits by Nintendo really count as "cult classics," but Yoshi's Island may count. Originally released as Super Mario World 2 in the twilight of the SNES' lifetime, the game was very well received for its original side-scrolling action (even if the crying baby noise because infamous). It was followed up by a pseudo-sequel in Yoshi's Story on N64, but that game never attracted the same sort of attention that the original did.

Now, the patient finally have their true sequel. Yoshi's Island DS has all the features of the first game plus more. Larger bosses, more items to collect... even more babies to use, each with their own powers. It's the total package, and it did well enough over the holidays to rival fellow Nintendo DS platformer, New Super Mario Bros.

We caught up with Beth Llewelyn, Senior Director of Public Relations for Nintendo of America, and talked about why its more charming the second time around.

According to the NPD, Yoshi's Island DS was the ninth best selling title overall for December. This made it both the second best selling DS and best selling portable title overall during that month. Amazingly, all of these numbers are improved compared to the previous month of November.

"We're very pleased with the performance of Yoshi's Island DS,"said Llewelyn, adding, "DS is becoming a real showcase for great platform games. Yoshi's Island was one of the top 10 selling games in December. We've had tremendous sales success with Nintendo DS titles. New Super Mario Bros. was the top-selling DS game of 2006 and the second best-selling game on any system for the year, now surpassing the 2 million mark."

As mentioned above, Yoshi's Island has a very loyal following among the Nintendo faithful. The fact that the first new entry in years and the first real sequel ever really energized the fanbase. When asked about tapping into this cadre of loyal fans, Llewelyn responded, "We got a huge reaction when we first announced the new Yoshi game. Clearly this one resonates with fans of the original and has attracted many newcomers with its great game play."

Perhaps one of the most indelible features of the Yoshi's Island series is the graphics. The first game was a showcase for the SNES late in its life cycle, with large morphing beasts and colorful environments. John Benyamine describes Yoshi's Island DS is GameDaily's review, "Take the second world as an example, with its lush green vines, fluidly swinging ropes, and luscious jungle setting. Couple the backdrop with what's happening in the main field of action, as huge piranha plants contract and expand in the hopes of having Yoshi for lunch. Meanwhile, the jungle's resident monkeys take in the action or go about their business."

"Players have been extremely pleased with the revised interface and classic art style," added Llewelyn. "Due to the power of the Nintendo DS, gamers enjoyed a unique experience of seeing the lush vistas and playing this adventure on two visually electrifying screens."

Perhaps the primary factors that keeps fans coming back are the unlockables and collectible items. At the heart of any modern platformer, the amount extras and the quality of their inclusion will be sure to make this a game fans come back to even years down the road. "Yoshi's Island DS bursts with variety, keeping things fresh while the game progresses," said Benyamine in his review. "The difficulty also helps the game's replay ability, as the levels are peppered with red coins, special flowers, huge character coins, and jumping stars that are a collector's dream come true. Even after finishing the levels, the draw to getting all those red coins or flowers proves great, especially when accomplishing these goals unlocks bonus levels."

"Variety and re-playability are two keys to a successful game," Llewelyn agrees. "They also add to the game's value, since players get that much more adventure for their money."

Yoshi's Island DS's success is especially notable given the low key natural of its ad campaign. This is not unlike many Nintendo titles, and it appears that word of mouth had the greatest positive effect on the game. "Nintendo developed a very compelling, multi-faceted marketing plan for this game," commented Llewelyn. "From PR to advertising to online to in-store activities, it was a well-integrated program that ensured we captured the attention of our target audience."