Last seen at E3 2013, Yoshi’s New Island is one of 2014’s first big 3DS games, though some might see its crayon-colored visuals and think it’s made for toddlers. Many skipped the original Yoshi’s Island for the same reason--utter foolishness, because they missed out on platforming perfection. While I’m not yet convinced New Island will be another timeless classic, some later stages I’ve played are far more demanding than the relaxed visual and soundtrack would lead you to believe.

Yoshi hops around the vibrant, friendly world in front of him, with Baby Mario seated quietly on his back. Outside of the occasional hit that set off Mario’s shrill cry, everything was going fine--until I skipped to stage 2-7. That’s when things started getting eye-twitchingly challenging, with tricky enemy placement, hard-to-reach jumps, and collectibles placed precariously out of reach. By the time my demo closed with five deaths in a row on level 4-1, I learned to start taking this cute adventure seriously. Even the enjoyable bonus transformations got tense fast when the gyroscopic motion controls for Yoshi’s minecart and helicopter forms have a compact time limit attached.

While all the smiling clouds and adorable music seems like a cakewalk, the game has a challenge fitting for the franchise. And I’m now excitedly waiting to see if this new island can also match the series’ quality as well.