Yoku’s Island Express

This is the kind of game you have in your library for years, not even knowing how it got there and keep ignoring over and over every time you're looking for something new to play. But once you actually give it a chance you realize you were a dummy for not playing it much earlier.

Yoku's Island Express follows the titular character (a dung beetle) pushing a ball of dirt everywhere he goes as he takes on his new job as postman (postbeetle?) in the island he finds himself into, and quickly finds himself having to save the whole place from destruction by an unknown entity. In your way he'll meet a lot of quirky characters, solve a lot of puzzles and battle a lot of monsters.

Yoku's is a metroidvania but with an interesting twist: traversal and puzzles play like a game of pinball. You don't have a jump button, but the whole island is filled with flippers and springs that are activated with the push of a button, launching you and your ball in the desired direction. While this makes traversal unique and interesting (as you have to time your presses and make use of physics like you would in a normal game of pinball) the puzzles feel take shape of diifferent pinball tables (cleverly set as part of the scenery). It's really an unexpected approach, but it works perfectly and it's a lot of fun.

Of course, like in any game of this ilk you also acquire as you go a bunch of extra abilities that allow you to reach previously inaccessible areas. Of note is the fast travel method, that's unique, interesting and very useful in solving puzzles and gathering collectibles instead of being a simple teleport, like they tend to be in these games.

It really is a game like no other, and in a very good way. I recommend it 100%, and I would love to see a sequel. Some advice, though: if you're gonna start playing this game and you're interested in gathering collectibles you need to learn as soon as you can what the scarabs are so you can start working on them from the get go. That'll save you a lot of backtracking.

Pros:
-Post game free roam.
-Simple collectibles.
Cons:
-Forced 60Hz and you cannot display mode unless your monitor is set to 60Hz as well. They probably do this to make sure the physics is not affected for the pinball game so you don't get stuck in strange places, but still there should be a better solution for this.
-You cannot change keybindings.

Criminally underrated metroidvania that undeniably deserves a sequel. The whole pinball thing really makes it one of a kind.

Spent way too long backtracking the whole game and post game just because the devs didn't want to implement quick warp back to the post office. Some pinball stages felt hellish to fully complete due to bad oversight. Really needed a toggable post game secrets revealer. Otherwise it was an incredible time.

This is a fun, clever Metroidvania that changes things up, but there are a number of quibbles and frustrations that keep it from being top-tier MV in spite of the smart pinball mechanic. I wish there was an upgrade that let you activate a brief burst of slow motion to better line up shots and slingshots, for one, and I generally would have liked to see more/better ways of getting around the island fast. The story, while cute, also seems halfbaked, and the final boss battle doubly so: it was over very quickly and didn't seem to require much in the way of skill, but neither was it easy but cathartic because the antagonist hadn't really been set up much. All in all, this is the kind of game that makes me wish the developers had had a chance at iterating on the first game. Super Yoku's Island Express, anyone?

I got this game in a bundle a grillion years ago so I figured I'd try it even though I don't like pinball... and it didn't change my opinion. But it's objectively a well-made game.

Few games feel this original without forgetting to be fun
Yoku's Island Express surprised me with how naturally it blends pinball, exploration, and light metroidvania progression into one cohesive adventure. I liked that moving across the island always felt playful, because every flipper, bumper, and shortcut turned exploration into part of the core appeal rather than a gimmick. The tropical setting, colorful art, and relaxed tone give it a lot of charm. It is also a fairly easy game overall, and if I wanted a tougher platformer, I could see it feeling a bit too gentle.
I enjoyed it because it offered something genuinely different without becoming awkward or overdesigned. For me, it worked best as a cheerful and low pressure adventure that kept rewarding curiosity with new paths, quests, and small surprises. I would still warn that players who dislike pinball physics may not connect with it in the same way. I recommend it to anyone who wants a creative and lighthearted exploration game, but not to someone seeking combat or a serious challenge.