I can describe this game in one word--CUTE! Yoshi fans will love this game for its sheer, unadulterated cuteness. The little Yoshis make adorable happy sounds when they eat yummy fruits and funny gagging noises when they eat icky fruits. They gasp, cry, shreik, and basically do everything possible to make you smile or go "Awww!"
This is probably the last side-scrolling game we'll ever see on any system. 3-D games are becoming the norm, and it's hard for the less-interactive side-scollers to compete. It has nothing to do with graphics. Yoshi's Story has beautiful textured backgrounds that look like material sewn into a child's pop-up book (it is a story, after all). The Yoshis themselves are quite round-looking against a relatively flat environment. Shigeru Miyamoto said this game was "2½-D," and that's basically what it is. The game is a standard side-scroller that looks like a 3-D pop-up book. But even though the game is cute and beautiful, you can't help but wonder how much cooler this game would've been in full 3-D like SM64.
If you can't stand Yoshi's cuteness, stay far away from this game. But if you like Yoshi and cuddly characters (including Baby Bowser), this is right up your alley. Gobbling up fruit in Yoshi Land is a lot more fun than collecting bananas on Kong Isle (at least in my opinion). This game may seem less impressive than a 3-D platform game, but it's still worth a look.