History of the Yoshi species
Yoshis, who debuted in Super Mario World, are one of the most prominent allied species in the Super Mario franchise. While the character Yoshi appears the most, he is often alongside the other Yoshis. The other Yoshis are used across the video games of franchise in a number of ways, such as being background characters or being alternate versions of Yoshi. In some appearances, they have tweaked stats or abilities compared to Yoshi. In the Yoshi's Island series, each level has the player use a different Yoshi, though in that series Yoshis are all identical in playstyle. The Yoshi species is also present in adaptions of the Mario franchise into other mediums, like literature and animation.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
Yoshis debut in Super Mario World. During the events of the game when Bowser invades Dinosaur Land with his Koopalings, they trap many Yoshis in enchanted eggs and steal seven unhatched Yoshi Eggs, which then have to be rescued by Mario and Luigi. This is also how the brothers meet Yoshi, whom they befriend very early in the game.
Red, Blue, and Yellow Yoshis appear in Star World, exclusively found as little Yoshis, which can grow into adult Yoshis if they eat enough enemies or fruits or a power-up. However, Blue Yoshis can be obtained elsewhere if a player grabs Yoshi's Wings while riding any Yoshi in a level in the SNES version. While they all share the same functions as Yoshi himself, they each specialize in Yoshi's special abilities regardless of what colored Koopa Shell is eaten; sometimes allowing the Yoshi to use two abilities at the same time, depending on the shell.
When they hold any shell in their mouths, Red, Blue, and Yellow Yoshis always experience the abilities of Red, Blue and Yellow Shells respectively, in addition to that shell's specific ability if it is of a different color than the Yoshi.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
Yoshis are allies in Super Mario Sunshine. They can be ridden by Mario on his quest to recover the Shine Sprites. To get a Yoshi, Mario must first find a Yoshi egg and give it the specific fruit it wants, the Yoshi will then hatch and Mario can ride on it. Yoshis typically require a random choice from papayas, pineapples, bananas, or coconuts to be hatched, but in Episode 3 of Sirena Beach, Mysterious Hotel Delfino, they always require pineapples, and in Episode 8 of Ricco Harbor, Yoshi's Fruit Adventure, they instead require durians.
Depending on the fruit it has eaten, the Yoshi will be one of three colors: orange (if fed a papaya or a pineapple), pink (if fed bananas or a coconut), or purple (if fed a durian or pepper). Even after hatching, a Yoshi can still change colors by eating fruits of a different type. Each color will give a Yoshi the ability to spit juice of the same color (which replaces FLUDD's water tank) that affects enemies by turning them into various types of platforms. The orange juice turns enemies into orange stationary platforms, the pink juice turns them into pink ascending platforms, and the purple juice turns them into purple forward-moving platforms. All three types of platforms disappear after a short amount of time. Unlike FLUDD, Yoshis can also destroy Orange Juice Generators. Yoshis are unlocked by beating Episode 4 of Pinna Park, The Wilted Sunflowers, which features an enemy called a Snooza Koopa, whose shell resembles a Yoshi egg. Afterwards, Shadow Mario will appear in Delfino Plaza carrying a Yoshi egg. Once Shadow Mario is defeated, Yoshis can appear in Delfino Plaza and most other levels in the game, though typically only in specific episodes.
A Yoshi's juice meter depletes as the Yoshi sprays it, and will drain over time as well; the juice meter can be fully replenished by having the Yoshi eat any fruit, changing the Yoshi's color and the juice's properties depending on the fruit. If a Yoshi runs out of juice, it will turn green and begin to flicker for a few seconds before vanishing altogether; during this time, it can only spit water instead of juice. Landing in sufficiently deep water makes the Yoshi disappear immediately, as they cannot swim in this game.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
While Yoshi himself is playable in the main story, up to three additional Yoshis are playable in the multiplayer mode of Super Mario 64 DS. The first player (the host) plays as Yoshi, the second player plays as a Red Yoshi, the third player plays as a Blue Yoshi, and the fourth player plays as a Yellow Yoshi. Each Yoshi has the same abilities and can pick up caps of Mario, Luigi, and Wario to use the abilities of those characters. It is also possible for a Yoshi to eat another Yoshi and spit them out, but the same cannot be done on a Yoshi with a cap. When a Yoshi gets wings, it grows wings out of its body, like in Super Mario World. A Light Blue Yoshi appears in the minigame Tox Box Shuffle, alongside Yoshi himself after enough rounds have passed.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Yoshi, along with Red, Yellow, and Blue Yoshis, appear in the Snowball Slam and Balloon Racing minigames in New Super Mario Bros. In both minigames, player one controls Red Yoshi, player two controls Yoshi, player three controls Yellow Yoshi, and player four controls Blue Yoshi. In the Balloon Racing minigame, both Red and Yellow Yoshi's are colored slightly differently, with their head spines and saddles both matching their shoe color.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Alongside Yoshi himself, Yellow, Light Blue, and Pink Yoshis appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii where they can help the Mario Bros. and the two Toads and function the same as Yoshi himself.
In multiplayer mode, each colored Yoshi will appear out of a single block depending on the number of players: Yellow for two players, Light Blue for three players, and Pink for four players. Normally, for Single Player mode and if two or three players are playing, the alternate colors can appear if the player hits a block containing a Yoshi and each color will appear in the same order as in multiplayer. Elsewise, if a Yoshi is already on the screen the egg will just hatch into a Super Mushroom.
Originally, Red and Blue Yoshis were meant to appear, but they were replaced by the Pink and Light Blue Yoshis in the final game.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Yoshis reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U and its expansion pack New Super Luigi U, alongside the return of Baby Yoshis, which function differently to how they did in Super Mario World and appear in three variants with different abilities and colors. Due to this, standard Yoshis only appear in green and up to four can appear in multiplayer. Their behavior and purpose are the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The only new change is that a meter appears when Yoshi eats fruits, which shows how many fruits Yoshi has eaten, effectively replacing the number system.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
Yoshis return in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, appearing in both the Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U styles, where they retain their functions in each style. They are replaced by the Goomba's Shoe in the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 styles.
Super Mario Maker introduces several unique characteristics for Yoshis not present in the original Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U. Yoshis can now be used in castle, airship, or Ghost House levels, as well as underwater levels in the New Super Mario Bros. U style; music tracks associated with these levels from the respective original games now have new percussion parts for riding a Yoshi. Yoshis can also eat Hammer Bros (unlike in New Super Mario Bros. U where they were immune to Yoshis' tongue), Chain Chomps, Rocky Wrenches, Cannonballs, and Magikoopas, and, like Fire Piranha Plants' fireballs and Hammer Bros.' hammers in New Super Mario Bros. U, they can eat and spit out Rocky Wrenches' wrenches and Bowser's fireballs. Their tongue also passes through Boos. When spitting out a Fire Piranha Plant or a Lava Bubble, Yoshis release three spreading fireballs, like they could with Red Shells in Super Mario World; they can also eat the fire from Burners or Fire Bars and spit a single fireball. Similarly, when eating a Dry Bones, Yoshis spit three spreading bones, similarly to how Dry Bones used a bone as a projectile in Super Mario World. While riding a Yoshi, Mario can jump off of Grinders (like other spiked enemies) and stand on Thwomps without taking damage, and becomes immune to the Sledge Bros.' and Bowser Jr.'s Ground Pound attacks.
In addition, Pink and Light-Blue Yarn Yoshis appear as unlockable Mystery Mushroom costumes in the original game, which can be unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge on Normal difficulty, or by scanning the respective amiibo. The costumes use sound effects from Yoshi's Woolly World.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Yoshi is a unlockable playable character in Super Mario Run, with the ability to Flutter Jump and having an immunity to landing on spikes. In addition, many Yoshi themed items exist in reference to him. Red Yoshi, Blue Yoshi, Yellow Yoshi, and Purple Yoshi were added as playable characters in the version 2.0.0 update. They move in the same ways and with the same properties that Yoshi does. The emblems of each of the four Yoshis use an Yoshi's Egg with spots matching the color, but their Goal Pole and Checkpoint Flag color is orange like as with Yoshi's. The Houses that unlock the colored Yoshis are the same as Yoshi's House, but the Yoshi's Egg of the house having spots that match the color of the Yoshi. Combined with Yoshi, the Yoshis match the five colors of Toads in the game. Blue Yoshi is the only Yoshi available to unlock if players do not have the full version of this game, as the unlocking the ability to purchase the houses of other Yoshis requires Toads of colors that cannot be obtained without the full version of the game.
Each Yoshi color differs in one way: In Toad Rally, because Yoshis are popular with Toads of their own color, when a Yoshi uses a move that makes a Toad cheer for them the Toad that cheers is more likely to be of that color. This is adding to the probability of that color of Toad appearing, not multiplying it, so it allows Toads of colors that do not normally appear in a course to appear. This effect was also added to Yoshi, corresponding with Green Toads.
| Character | Image | Unlock criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshi | 
|
Recruit 30 Red Toads and 30 Yellow Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Yoshi's House, which costs 1000 coins to purchase. |
| Red Yoshi | 
|
Recruit 1000 Yellow Toads and 9999 total Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Red Yoshi's House, which costs 50000 coins to purchase. |
| Blue Yoshi | 
|
Recruit 50 Red Toads and 50 Blue Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Blue Yoshi's House, which costs 800 coins to purchase. |
| Yellow Yoshi | 
|
Recruit 300 Blue Toads, 300 Green Toads, and 200 Purple Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Yellow Yoshi's House, which costs 5000 coins to purchase. |
| Purple Yoshi | 
|
Recruit 150 Blue Toads, 150 Green Toads, and 100 Purple Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Purple Yoshi's House, which costs 3000 coins to purchase. |
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Yoshis appear in Super Mario Maker 2 with the same appearance and functionality as in Super Mario Maker. Red Yoshis are available as a course element created by applying the Super Mushroom modifier to Yoshi's Egg to create a big red Yoshi's Egg. Rather than using their tongue, they spit fireballs, and if Mario is Fire Mario, Red Yoshi will spit three fireballs at once like in Super Mario World.
Like in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker 2 introduces several unique properties for Yoshis that were not present in either Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. U:
- Like underwater, castle, airship and Ghost House themes, new percussion parts for riding a Yoshi were added to the New Super Mario Bros. U-style forest music (although in this case, it was actually an unused track in the original game).
- Yoshis cannot completely defeat Mechakoopas (as well as its Blasta and Zappa variants) by eating them, similar to shelled enemies; when spitted out, they become stunned as if they were stomped.
- Yoshis can eat and spit out Spike Balls, Snowballs, and the Koopalings' magic spells, although the latter of which only works in the New Super Mario Bros. U style.
- Like Sledge Bros. and Bowser Jr., Mario becomes immune to Roy or Morton's Ground Pound attacks while riding a Yoshi.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
In addition to Yoshi himself, Red, Yellow and Light Blue Yoshis appear as playable characters in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. All the Yoshis are classified as "Beginner Characters", allowing them to not take damage when touching enemies, although they will still lose a life if falling down abysses like bottomless pits or lava. All the Yoshis retain the ability to flutter jump and eat enemies as well. In multiplayer mode, other players can ride the Yoshis if they are chosen as playable characters, even if they are playing as a Yoshi as well.[1] While a Yoshi is riding on a Yoshi, they can eat enemies at the same time.[2] Yoshis can grab Wonder Seeds and 10-flower coins with his tongue except Wonder Flowers.
As in Super Mario World and the Super Mario Maker series, eating a fire- or bone-based enemy make Yoshis spit out three fireballs or bones, respectively, while they can also spit out watermelon seeds by eating the newly-introduced Melon Piranha Plants, akin to the mechanic of watermelons in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
In Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comics, which is based on the Super Mario World video game, Bowser kidnaps various Yoshis from the Yoshi Village, and their leader, Yoshi himself, has to team up with Mario and Luigi to save them and Princess Peach. They later are able to free the Yoshis and have them stampede the wedding between Bowser and the brainwashed Peach, rescuing the princess. Bowser tries to hide in the giant wedding cake, but the Yoshis eat it, forcing him to accept defeat and leave Dinosaur Land.
Their language is shown to consist of nothing but the word "Yoshi", making Yoshis unintelligible to Mario and Luigi.
Club Nintendo[edit]
Yoshi appeared in various issues of the Nintendo-based German Club Nintendo comics. Other Yoshis also appeared in a few issues:
- Super Mario: Mario im Wunderland: In this comic, Mario meets a Yoshi who wants darker skin, and is later turned into a Black Yoshi by the Crab wizard.
- Super Mario: Verloren in der Zeit: Mario gets sent back to the Stone Age in this 16-page comic, where he encounters a Yoshi as well as dinosaurs and cave men. The Yoshi is wearing a hat reading "taxi" and offers his services to Mario, but he declines.
- Auf der Suche nach dem Glück!: In this comic, Kamek sucks all of the color out of Yoshi's Island. But six gray Yoshi eggs hatch six colorful baby Yoshis. The Yoshis soon see that something is wrong with the world around them when a colorful Lakitu flies over to them and tells them the predicament that they are in. The Yoshis then go to town and start eating all of the fruit in the market. After that, the color starts returning. They are soon on a talk show that Baby Bowser is watching which makes Baby Bowser furious, so he and Kamek go out to find the Yoshis. Meanwhile the Yoshi finish the talk show and start a band concert about fruit. Baby Bowser and Kamek soon interrupt their concert and trap them in a force field. The people in the stands then start throwing fruit at the Yoshis, which the Yoshis eat and use to break out of the force field. Baby Bowser and Kamek attempt to fly away, but Baby Bowser falls off and lands in a cannon. A clown then blasts the cannon and shoots Baby Bowser into the sky, ending the comic.
- Die Nacht der leuchtenden Yoshis!: This comic is the second part of the comic above. The Yoshis are at the beach, when a shark appears in the water. Everyone runs away except a Green and Yellow Yoshi who are still swimming. When they notice the shark, they panic and try to swim away, but end up needing to be saved by a lifeguard. After they are all out of the water, the shark turns out to be a Black Yoshi. When the Yoshis see him, they think he has dirt all over him because they have never seen a Black Yoshi before. So thinking they are cleaning him, they wash him. He turns out still black when he tells them this is his skin. They all reject and leave him and he stands in the same spot until night falls. The Yoshis then camp out as soon as night falls. Meanwhile, hiding in a bush, Baby Bowser and Kamek plan the Yoshis' capture, waiting until they are asleep before raiding the campsite with an army of Shy Guys. Then, out of nowhere, both Kamek and Baby Bowser are struck by Yoshi eggs. They then get angry and ask who did threw them, only to have dozens and dozens of eggs rain down and chase them away. It turns out that the Black Yoshi is the one who threw the eggs. He then unties the Yoshis and tells them his story. It turns out that he is the same Yoshi from Super Mario: Mario im Wunderland who was turned black by the wizard. It turns out that after he was turned black, his life got harder: he was not allowed into movies, he was yelled at, and he was chased by a chef who wanted to make a meatball out of him. The Yoshis finally accept the Black Yoshi as a friend, and they all have a good rest of the night.
- Das Lied der Yoshi's!: This short 1-page comic is the third part of the above comics. It pictures the Yoshis continuing their life and doing many different things. The last part of the comic shows all of the Yoshis singing together.
Yoshi franchise[edit]
Yoshi[edit]
In Yoshi, Mario has to arrange egg halves and enemies to produce Small, Tall, Winged, and Star Yoshis. To get a Small Yoshi, Mario must combine two halves of a Yoshi egg. To get a Tall Yoshi, Mario must have one to four enemies in between the two halves of an egg. To get a Winged Yoshi, Mario must have five or six enemies in between the two halves of an egg. To get a Star Yoshi, Mario must have seven enemies in between the two halves of an egg. If a Small Yoshi hatches, 50 points are awarded. If a Tall Yoshi hatches, 100-250 points are awarded. If a Winged Yoshi hatches, 300-350 points are awarded. If a Star Yoshi hatches, 500 points are awarded.
Yoshi series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and the reissue Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Baby Bowser's caretaker, Kamek, predicts that two babies born that morning will spell disaster for the Koopas and attempts to steal them from the stork, who is carrying the babies to their parents. However, he only manages to snag Baby Luigi, while Baby Mario falls to Yoshi's Island and lands unharmed on Yoshi's back.
The infant causes some brief panic among the Yoshis, until Yoshi takes charge and decides to help reunite Mario and Luigi and send them to their parents. The other Yoshis agree to help him transport Baby Mario across Yoshi's Island to Bowser's Castle through use of a relay system. Each Yoshi carries the baby for one level in each world, before passing him on to the next Yoshi in line. Yoshis can eat enemies, turning them into eggs which they can then throw at other enemies and obstacles. Yoshis can also use the Flutter Jump ability, allowing them to prolong their descent and stay airborne temporarily. Yoshis can also transform themselves into various vehicles through the use of morph bubbles, which helps them progress through the island. Later in the game, Yoshi defeats Baby Bowser and forces Kamek to retreat, allowing him to rescue Baby Luigi and free the stork. The Yoshis then let the stork send Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to their parents.
Yoshi's Story[edit]
In Yoshi's Story, Baby Bowser steals the Super Happy Tree, the source of the island's happiness, and transforms it into a storybook. He curses the Yoshis, making them unable to stop him. However, the curse does not affect six Baby Yoshis in their eggs. When they hatch, the six Baby Yoshis go to find the Super Happy Tree to refill the island's happiness.
More and more worlds become available to the Yoshis as their happiness levels increase by eating fruit. Later on, the Baby Yoshis reach Baby Bowser's Castle where they defeat Baby Bowser and reclaim the Super Happy Tree.
The color of Yoshi used determines their favorite fruits; Green Yoshi favors watermelons, Yellow Yoshi favors bananas, Red Yoshi and Pink Yoshi favor apples and Blue Yoshi and Light Blue Yoshi favor grapes. Both Black Yoshi and White Yoshi favor all fruits equally (barring the Lucky Fruit chosen before a playthrough) while all Yoshi colors favor melons. Additionally, both Black and White Yoshis have faster horizontal flutter jump movement than the other Yoshis can while they are Super Happy.
The Black Yoshi is unlocked after the player finds a black-spotted Giant Egg in the Bone Dragon Pit or Torrential Maze, while the White Yoshi is unlocked after finding a white-spotted Giant Egg in The Tall Tower or Poochy & Nippy.
Each Yoshi also has a different pitch to their voices; Green and Yellow retain a normal pitch, Red and Pink are slightly higher and White Yoshi has the highest pitch, while Blue and Light Blue are slightly lower, and Black Yoshi has the lowest pitched voice. This is not present in the Japanese version of the game.
Orange and Purple Yoshis appear in the opening cutscene, however they are not playable like the rest of the Yoshis. However earlier screenshots show that were originally going to be playable as well.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
In Yoshi's Island DS, Bowser and Kamek travel back in time to kidnap seven star children in order to use the energy within their bodies to let Bowser take over the world. Without knowing the precise identity of the children, they plan to steal infants, but one way or another, the babies escape their grasps. Baby Luigi is successfully captured, but manages to avoid detection for the duration of his time at the castle, and all the other children escape or are cast out by the villains, and help the Yoshis save the rest of the babies.
In the final battle, Yoshi and three others fight Bowser, carrying Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby DK and Baby Wario, as Baby Bowser turns traitor when they reach Bowser's Castle. After their defeat, the Koopas return to the future and the babies are brought home by the storks.
A green Baby Yoshi is shown hatching in the end credits for the game, and is revealed to be the seventh star child.
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
Yoshi's New Island takes place directly after Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and before Yoshi's Island DS, revealing that the stork delivered the babies to the wrong house in the previous game. Kamek then attacks and steals Baby Luigi and the stork, but Baby Mario falls onto Egg Island, another home of the Yoshis. Baby Mario is then found by the Yoshis, who help reunite him with his brother and save the island from Baby Bowser. During the final boss fight, after Baby Bowser is defeated, adult Bowser travels back in time and must be defeated so that Yoshi can rescue Baby Luigi and the stork.
Gameplay is similar to the original Yoshi's Island, with some new features. Yoshi can now eat Mega Guys and Metal Guys to lay Mega Eggdozers and Metal Eggdozers, respectively. The latter prevents Yoshi from flutter-jumping, but allows him to go undersea. New vehicle transformations also exist, such as Hot-Air Balloon Yoshi, Bobsled Yoshi, and Mine-Cart Yoshi. The Yoshi Star is also a new item that transforms Yoshi into Super Yoshi. Gold Yoshi Stars allow him to run on walls, while Red Yoshi Stars allow Yoshi to fly horizontally like a rocket.
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]
In Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, Yoshis live peacefully on Craft Island. One day, Kamek arrives on the island to turn all of the Yoshis into Wonder Wool, but two Yoshis hide from the spell inside the Big Yarn Ball. One is always Red Yoshi, while the other is Green Yoshi, Pink Yoshi, or Light-Blue Yoshi depending on the save file. These two set out to recover and reknit the other Yoshis.
Yoshis act similarly to how they do in other Yoshi games. Instead of carrying Baby Mario and collecting stars to protect him, Yoshis have a health display and collect hearts to fill it. The handcrafted aesthetic enables Yoshis to unravel most enemies and objects with their tongue through the Eat action, converting them into yarn balls while in their mouth. This can include large portions of the terrain, if there is a bow to start from. Yarn balls are almost identical to Yoshi's Eggs, with the added advantage of knitting frames and frame enemies into solid objects and tying up certain hazards but the disadvantage of certain enemies only being tied up instead of defeated. In multiplayer or as Double Yoshi, Yoshi can be eaten to make them into yarn balls, which upon landing will turn that Yoshi back to normal.
In addition to ten basic colored Yoshis, there are 58 that have specific designs. To unlock one, the player has to collect all five Wonder Wool in a course. Once complete, that Yoshi will be reknit and appear next to that course on that world's World Map as well as in the Yoshi Hut. In both places, they can be set as the player character(s). The ten basic colors, excluding Red and the Yoshi for that save file, are only available after completing King Bowser's Castle, at which point they populate Craft Island again and appear in the Yoshi Hut. (In Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, these Yoshis do not appear on Craft Island.) Additionally, amiibo can be scanned to turn Yoshi into a design based on the character of the amiibo, which additionally adds that design as a selectable character in the amiibo Hut. A Yoshi amiibo can be scanned to unlock Yoshi as a figurine as a playable character. If the player uses a Yarn Yoshi amiibo, they can save a non-amiibo exclusive Yoshi to it and load that Yoshi into any game. Yoshis loaded into a game from a Yarn Yoshi amiibo appear in the amiibo Hut as well. Exclusively in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, the player can create Original Yoshi with their own colors and patterns in the Yoshi Hut.
Yoshis are made of yarn in this game, which further affects how they move and react to objects. When pushing objects like Chomp Rocks and accordion walls, their nose deforms. They can cling to Conveyor Belts, which consist of hook and loop fasteners. When running and not moving into a wall, Yoshis turn their feet into wheels to roll instead. Turning around maintains this state but coming to a stop while on the ground ends it. When flutter-jumping or swimming, they turn their feet into a propeller. Ground-pounding turns their body, except for the head, into a hammer. Entering a level has Yoshi reform into a ball then hop inside, and starting a level has threads come together to form Yoshi. Exiting a level works in reverse, with the ball landing on the World Map and reverting to Yoshi. This paragraph could go on forever, but suffice to say there are many more minor transformations and interactions.
Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]
In Yoshi's Crafted World, the 8 Yoshis (green, pink, red, orange, yellow, light-blue, blue and purple) work together to gather the pieces of the shattered Sundream Stone after the gems were scattered in a fight with Kamek and Baby Bowser. The Yoshis here are similar in terms of abilities to the ones in Yoshi's Woolly World, though they can also flip between 2D and 3D perspectives as well as throw eggs at items in the background and foreground.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book[edit]
At the beginning of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book's story, various Yoshis can be seen living on their home island as usual when they suddenly take notice of the crashed Junior Clown Car and Mr. E, who was dropped by Bowser Jr. earlier. After managing to help the sentient encyclopedia stand upright, the Yoshis begin working together with Mr. E to help him learn about the creatures that are contained within his pages.
Much like in Yoshi's Crafted World, the player can play as 8 different-colored Yoshis (green, pink, red, orange, yellow, light-blue, blue and purple). While the player begins playing the first habitat as a green Yoshi, Mr. E eventually asks all the colored Yoshis for another brave volunteer to help him out. The player can then choose a different Yoshi color to play as by choosing one of the many Yoshis sitting around and pressing 
. Unlike previous games, eggs created by the Yoshis are always green. The player can always choose another colored Yoshi to play as by pausing the game while not in a habitat and selecting "Select Yoshi".
In addition to their moveset being practically identical to past games in the Yoshi series, all colored Yoshis can perform a new move - the Tail Flick, allowing them to pick up and carry creatures and small objects on their backs.
Tetris Attack[edit]
In Tetris Attack, Bowser curses Yoshi's friends, including Little Yoshi, forcing him to battle them to break their spell. Little Yoshis of various colors also appear in the title screen.
Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]
In Yoshi Touch & Go, the Yoshis have to transport Baby Mario to the stork after Kamek kidnaps Baby Luigi and causes the bird to drop Baby Mario. The color of the Yoshi varies depending on how many coins the player collects while guiding Baby Mario down to the ground. The amount of eggs a Yoshi can carry varies depending on their color: Green Yoshi has 20 eggs, Light Blue Yoshi has 25 eggs, Pink Yoshi has 30 eggs, Blue Yoshi has 35 eggs, Yellow Yoshi has 40 eggs, Red Yoshi has 45 eggs, Black, Orange, and Purple Yoshi have 50 eggs, and White Yoshi has unlimited eggs. In marathon, a Yoshi's own color changes after every 1,000 yards.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Mario and his partners visit Yo'ster Isle, where Yoshis race each other in a competition known as the Mushroom Derby.
The last winner of the derby is a Yoshi named Boshi who proceeds to name himself leader of Yo'ster Isle and suspends the races. Instead, only one-on-one races between himself and slower Yoshis are allowed, with Yoshi Cookies as the prize. When Mario arrives, he helps Yoshi defeat Boshi in a race, prompting the Yoshis to try and appoint Yoshi as their new leader. Yoshi declines the offer, however, and instead re-opens the Mushroom Derby to everyone, with no Yoshi in charge.
During the game, Yoshi also serves as a translator between Mario and the Yoshis, who speak their own language.
A pudgy Little Yoshi, named Baby Fat, appears as a inhabitant of the isle that hatches after Mario defeats the cake in Marrymore. It can be fed Yoshi Cookies, and if fed 30 of them, he will become fat. If fed more Yoshi Cookies afterwards, he may give out items by hatching them out of eggs for Mario to collect.
Mario Party series[edit]
In Mario Party, a Blue Yoshi and a Pink Yoshi appear on the board Yoshi's Tropical Island. The Blue Yoshi is separated from the Pink Yoshi, who is trapped in a small island surrounded by whirlpools and the Blue Yoshi is unable to get across. The players must collect the stars to use them as a bridge to allow the Blue Yoshi to go to the island, The game ends when the bridge is formed to allow the Blue Yoshi to reunite with the Pink one. They are also accompanied by the top three winners along with Toad, Boo, Koopa, a Thwomp, and a star, while the fourth place player tries to join them, but is devoured by Bubba.
There is also an unused minigame known as Yoshi's Tongue Meeting, where the players jump atop a Yoshi, either Pink, Yellow, Blue or Red (if the player plays as Yoshi, he just stands in the same position without a rider). The Yoshis have baby Wigglers on their tongues, which extend to the Wigglers' mothers in order to reunite the children with their parents. If it comes too late, the baby will kick its mother into the bush. If it comes too far, both the Wiggler and its baby will simply cry. However, if 
is pressed at the right time, the mother and child will reunite and the player wins.
Yoshis reappear in Mario Party Superstars due to the Mario Party board Yoshi's Tropical Island returning. Unlike the original N64 version, there are a few more Yoshis on the board. The Blue Yoshi returns but is moved to Cantaloupe Island and is now seen relaxing on a sliced cantaloupe. A Red Yoshi appears on the central island, replacing the Pink Yoshi (though it now appears on a sliced cantaloupe floating on the water beside Cantaloupe Island)[3] and being surrounded by Cheep Cheeps instead of whirlpools from the original game. A Yellow Yoshi additionally appears on Watermelon Island cheering on top of a sliced big Watermelon.
In Super Mario Party Jamboree, Yoshis appear in the Showdown minigame Yoshi's Mountain Race where the players ride on Yoshis to race to the finish line and get the green Yoshi as a Jamboree Buddy. Yoshis also appear as three judges in the Rhythm Kitchen mode.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Yoshi
While Yoshi himself appears as a playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series, he also has alternate color schemes to reference other members of his species: Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, Light Blue, Purple, and Black. Some stages and events involve fighting multiple Yoshis. In Super Smash Bros., Yoshi has only three alternate colors alongside his default green color scheme: Red, Light Blue, and Yellow. The first six Yoshi colors are used in the computer-controlled Yoshi team battled during the 1-Player mode, and they all become playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee and onward. Yoshis also make a small appearance in the opening of Super Smash Bros. Melee during a stampede, and as stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Yoshi gained Purple and Black Yoshi color schemes in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, although Super Smash Bros. Ultimate replaced his Black Yoshi color scheme with a costume based on the Green Yoshi's appearance in Yoshi's Crafted World. Yoshis also appear during Yoshi's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Stampede!, which is based on the Super Smash Bros. Melee opening.
Mario Golf series[edit]
Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)[edit]
In Mario Golf, Yellow, Red, and Light-Blue Yoshi can be selected as Yoshi's alternate costume on the character select screen. The player can choose the colors by using 
, 
, and 
, and each Yoshi can be chosen multiple times if there is more than one player.
Mario Golf: Super Rush[edit]
Yoshis are non-playable characters in Mario Golf: Super Rush. A Pink Yoshi appears in Bonny Greens in the qualifying round. It is then never seen again unless the player plays the qualifying round again.
As of the version 2.0.0 update:
- If the player achieved a rank of A- or higher in the Ranked Match during August 2021, they would be able to unlock Red Yoshi, Blue Yoshi, and Yellow Yoshi as variants for Yoshi.
- If the player achieved a rank of A- or higher in the Ranked Match during April 2022, they would be able to unlock Pink Yoshi, Light-Blue Yoshi, and Orange Yoshi as variants for Yoshi.
Mario Tennis series[edit]
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)[edit]
In Mario Tennis, if both players select Yoshi in the Short Game or Tiebreaker Game, the second player will have a Yellow Yoshi as Yoshi's alternate costume.
Mario Power Tennis[edit]
In Mario Power Tennis, if players play the doubles tournament and complete the Mushroom Cup and the Flower Cup, they can power up the Rolling Egg Return, making Yoshi change into one of eight colors every time he uses it. The eight colors are Red, Yellow, Green, Light-Blue, Blue, Pink, Black, and White. An image of the Yoshis also appears in the mini-game Artist on the Court on Expert Mode.
Mario Tennis Open[edit]
Seven colored Yoshis appear in Mario Tennis Open as downloadable QR characters. The different colors, and their playing types, are listed below. Each color also has Uniforms, Wristbands and Shoes gear themed after them, which can be purchased for the player's Mii.
- Red Yoshi - Technique
- Blue Yoshi - Speed
- Light-Blue Yoshi - Speed
- Yellow Yoshi - Power
- Pink Yoshi - Technique
- Black Yoshi - All-Around
- White Yoshi - Tricky
Mario Tennis Aces[edit]
Seven colored Yoshis return as alternate colors for Yoshi in Mario Tennis Aces, in the October 2018 update. They can be obtained by playing the Yoshi's Ring Shot special game. Unlike in Mario Tennis Open, all Yoshis are treated as the main green Yoshi, having the same stats and the same green tennis racket as him. The colors available are blue, red, yellow, orange, pink, light-blue and purple.
Yoshis also appear in the background of the Piranha Plant Forest court.
Mario Tennis Fever[edit]
Yoshi again features the same seven alternate colors from Mario Tennis Aces in Mario Tennis Fever. The blue, light blue and orange colors can be unlocked by playing 25, 60 and 80 matches, respectively. The pink, purple, red and yellow colors can be unlocked by earning Rank S in 2P Co-op Ring Shot, 4P Co-op Ring Shot, Piranha Plant Challenge and Auto Tennis, respectively.
Yoshis appear as spectators in the Stadium Court and Wonder Court.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
Mario and his partners visit Yoshi's Village on Lavalava Island in Paper Mario. They are there looking for a Star Spirit that Bowser has trapped in a playing card and given to a minion to guard within the island's volcano, but they find they cannot get into the mountain on their own. The Yoshi Village Leader says he will help Mario and the others if they help round up five missing Yoshi Kids. With the help of their Cheep Cheep babysitter, Sushie, Mario and co. soon find the young Yoshis and can continue on with their quest.
