History of Yoshi
Yoshi has had a substantial history since his debut in Super Mario World. Like with Mario and all other characters, his appearances are not limited to the core series, with him appearing in many spin-offs, literature, and animation.
Super Mario franchise[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
- “Hooray! Thank you for rescuing me. My name is Yoshi. On my way to rescue my friends, Bowser trapped me in that egg.”
- —Yoshi, Super Mario World
Yoshi makes his official debut in Super Mario World. During the events of the game, Bowser magically[A] encases some of the Yoshis in eggs and gives seven unhatched eggs for the Koopalings to watch over. When Yoshi attempts to rescue his friends, he also gets trapped in an egg, which is then hidden in a block in a field on Yoshi's Island. Mario and Luigi eventually stumble across Yoshi's egg and free him. Once released, Yoshi informs the Mario Bros. that Dinosaur Land is in danger. Throughout the adventure, the Mario Bros. manage to defeat the Koopalings, recover the seven Yoshi eggs, and ultimately defeat Bowser and rescue Princess Toadstool. After this, Mario, Luigi, Toadstool, and Yoshi return to Yoshi's House to celebrate their victory over Bowser's Krazy Koopa Kritters, and the seven rescued eggs hatch into little Yoshis.
In gameplay, Yoshi can use his long tongue to eat most enemies, power-ups, and berries that grow on bushes in certain areas. Eating ten Red Berries causes a Yoshi to lay an egg that hatches into a Super Mushroom (or a Fire Flower, Super Star, or Cape Feather, depending on the Yoshi's color in the GBA version), eating two Pink Berries releases a Yoshi Cloud, and eating any number of Green Berries extends the Time Limit. If Yoshi gets hurt by an enemy or obstacle, he drops Mario or Luigi and runs around in a panic until one of the Mario Bros. jumps back on his shell. Yoshi can continue into other levels but not Ghost Houses, fortresses, or castles. Before Mario or Luigi enters these levels, Yoshi waits outside for either of them to return. While Mario or Luigi is riding Yoshi, percussion is added to the game's music, a detail applicable to most games where Yoshi is rideable.
When Yoshi eats different types of Koopa shells, he gains different abilities depending on which color shell he ate. If Yoshi eats a Green Shell, he can spit it out as a projectile. If he eats a Red Shell, he can spit out three fireballs. If he eats a Yellow Shell, he can stomp on the ground, causing sand clouds. Finally, if Yoshi eats a Blue Shell, he can fly for a limited amount of time. Yoshi can also acquire wings from a Prize Block to turn blue, allowing him to fly.
In Star World, Yoshis of alternate colors appear, initially as little Yoshis. Mario or Luigi can feed them various items and enemies, eventually turning the little Yoshis into fully grown Yoshis. These colored Yoshis each have a specific ability that they can use whenever they hold a shell of any color in their mouths.
Although Super Mario World is the game for which Yoshi was created and has been cited as being his first appearance in official sources, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, both the first chapter of the Super Mario Kodansha manga adapting the game and the first chapter of Super Mario-kun were first published in the Japanese magazines Comic BomBom and CoroCoro Comic respectively a few days prior, making them technically Yoshi's first appearances in any official Super Mario–franchise media.
Super Mario 64[edit]
- “Mario!!! It[sic] that really you??? It has been so long since our last adventure! They told me that I might see you if I waited here, but I'd just about given up hope!”
- —Yoshi, Super Mario 64
Yoshi is a minor character in Super Mario 64. Regardless, this is Yoshi's first appearance in a 3D game of the Super Mario franchise. After all 120 Power Stars are acquired, a cannon in the Castle Grounds opens, and it can be used to shoot Mario onto the roof of the Mushroom Castle. There, the player can speak to Yoshi, who congratulates the player for completing the game and then rewards Mario with 100 lives and an improved Triple Jump. After that, Yoshi jumps off the castle roof into the waterfall. If Mario does not visit Yoshi after collecting 120 Power Stars, Yoshi remains and can be seen on the roof during the end credits.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[edit]
- “Yoshi Eggs are very hard to find!”
- —Yoshi, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe manual
Yoshi is non-playable in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. The Challenge mode has a Yoshi Egg hidden in each stage, and by recovering it, the egg hatches, with Yoshi emerging in his adult form.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
For the remake Super Mario 64 DS, Yoshi was given a significantly larger role, as he is now one of the main protagonists alongside Mario, and Yoshi is even the first available playable character. At the beginning, Princess Peach invites Mario to her castle. When Mario, Luigi, and Wario arrive at the castle, Yoshi is sleeping on the roof. During this time, Bowser kidnaps Peach, steals the castle's Power Stars, placing them in the worlds inside the castle's paintings, and seals everyone inside. Yoshi, on the ground, is awakened by one of the Lakitu Bros., who informs him that Mario and company have not returned from the castle. After retrieving the key to the castle's front doors from a rabbit, Yoshi gains access inside and takes on the quest to save Peach and the castle, as well as Mario, Luigi, and Wario along the way. After Yoshi saves Mario, Luigi, and Wario (the latter two being optional), the team reclaims the castle's Power Stars, and Mario ultimately defeats Bowser and rescues Peach.
In gameplay, Yoshi is the only character who lacks "power," a statistic applied to each character in the instruction booklet, as he cannot slide-attack, ground-pound Bricks or Boos, lift up enemies or objects, or punch or kick enemies. However, Yoshi can punch and destroy Bricks if he is under the effects of a mushroom. Due to his inability to pick up objects and punch, Yoshi cannot defeat bosses requiring these methods, but some bosses provide another opportunity to attack, such as the Big Bob-omb throwing Bob-ombs that Yoshi can eat and spit back out at him. Unlike the other characters, Yoshi can eat certain enemies and defeat them by either spitting them out or by swallowing them to create an egg. Yoshi can also swallow coins, items, and even Power Stars to collect them. Yoshi has average running and swimming speed. He is tied with Luigi with having the highest jump out of the four playable characters, and while Yoshi jumps or double-jumps, the player can hold 
for him to perform a flutter kick. Yoshi cannot triple-jump and long-jump the same distance and height as Mario and Luigi. Yoshi's Power Flower ability is Fire Power, allowing him to breathe fire. Yoshi can also breathe a single breath of fire by eating a source of it and then spitting it out, or from swallowing either a flame thrower or a Fly Guy. On the mission-selection screen, if one of the other playable characters has been unlocked, Yoshi can enter a level and wear that character's cap if the player taps the icon on the Touch Screen. Due to him not being able to defeat Boos, Big Boo's Haunt is the only main course off-limits to Yoshi. If any playable character goes into his own door in the princess's room to switch characters, Yoshi is the one to whom the player switches.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Yoshi appears only in the minigame mode of New Super Mario Bros. Some of the minigames include Yoshi, as well as Red Yoshi, Blue Yoshi, and Yellow Yoshi in multiplayer. Furthermore, Player 4 is represented by Yoshi in multiplayer mode of minigames.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Yoshi himself does not appear in Super Mario Galaxy or its Nintendo Switch port (although he was originally planned to); however, he has three notable references:
- One of the heads used to represent the player's save file is Yoshi's.
- In the Good Egg Galaxy, there is a planet that resembles a Yoshi's Egg.
- A wooden planet that is carved into the shape of Yoshi's head appears in the Space Junk Galaxy. The mission in which Mario retrieves the Power Star on this planet is even titled "Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance."
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Yoshi returns as a rideable character in New Super Mario Bros. Wii alongside Yellow, Light Blue and Pink Yoshis. He retains his role and even his voice clips from Super Mario World, although with the ability to flutter-jump at the cost of no longer being able to gain special abilities through shell colors. Yoshi appears only in World 1-3, World 2-5, World 3-2, World 4-5, World 6-4, and World 7-6. He also appears in World 
Coin-5 of the mode Coin Battle. The alternate colors function the same as Yoshi himself.
When a player rides Yoshi, percussion is added to the music like in previous titles. Yoshi can flutter-jump, use his long tongue, and eat most enemies, but he spits out shelled enemies. If Yoshi jumps on a Koopa Troopa, the Koopa is defeated instantly. Yoshi can jump on certain enemies harmlessly that players cannot, such as Piranha Plants and Spinies, though this does not defeat them. If Yoshi is harmed by an enemy or obstacle, the player falls off of him, and Yoshi runs around until the player mounts him again, though Yoshi may fall into a pit. If Yoshi eats five fruit or a leaf-covered Pokey, he lays an egg containing an item.
Instead of gaining abilities through shell colors, Yoshi can instead eat and spit out projectiles such as a fireball thrown by a Venus Fire Trap or Fire Mario, an Ice Ball thrown by an Ice Bro or hammers thrown by a Hammer Bro. Yoshi can also do the same with other players, power-ups, and Light Blocks. If a different area is entered, the item in Yoshi's mouth disappears, and the character is no longer contained in Yoshi's mouth.
Unlike in Super Mario World, the player cannot take Yoshi into other levels aside from the ones they are playable in; so at the end of the level, the player dismounts Yoshi, who then waves goodbye.
By taking Yoshi to areas where he normally cannot be, various things about Yoshi are shown: The player automatically dismounts Yoshi if they fall into water, Yoshi cannot make Jumbo Rays chirp, he lacks a proper animation for entering horizontal Warp Pipes, he cannot hit Flying ? Blocks for items, and he is unable to use Bouncy Clouds properly. Many of these issues were resolved for the Green Yoshis in New Super Mario Bros. U.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Yoshi is both a supporting character and a playable character in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switch port. He is first seen in Yoshi Star Galaxy, where he had been trapped in an egg while trying to rescue his friends.[1] Yoshi can be freed once the nearby Magikoopa is defeated, negating the forcefield and allowing Mario to stomp on Yoshi's egg. Out of gratitude for being rescued, Yoshi decides to assist Mario on his journey.[2] Yoshi is rideable on Yoshi Star Galaxy as well as on Starship Mario and some other galaxies. Yoshi can eat different fruits to change color, like in Super Mario Sunshine, only this time it is for gaining a temporary power-up: The Dash Pepper changes him to the orange Dash Yoshi, who can run at very high speeds over water and up walls; the Blimp Fruit changes him into the light-blue Blimp Yoshi, who can inflate upward like a balloon temporarily; and the Bulb Berry changes Yoshi into the yellow Bulb Yoshi, who can illuminate hidden paths and objects. Yoshi has the ability to perform Flutter Jumps and Side Somersaults, but he cannot do Triple Jumps or Spin Jumps, the opposite of what Yoshis can do in Super Mario Sunshine. Like before, drums play while Mario rides Yoshi. While riding Yoshi, the player's ability of shooting Star Bits is replaced by having Yoshi eat a targeted object by pointing at it with the Wii Remote and then pressing the 
button. Yoshi can swim, unlike before, but he still cannot dive. Yoshi cannot perform Ground Pounds, since the command to have Mario perform the move by himself is replaced by the action of him dismounting Yoshi, specifically by holding down 
and pressing 
. If Yoshi takes damage, Mario falls off as Yoshi runs off, though the second player can stun Yoshi. If Yoshi is left alone for a while, he retreats into his egg, which returns to where he was initially encountered in the area. Electrical attacks, electric rails, lava, and certain fire attacks also send Yoshi back to his egg. In Bowser's Galaxy Generator, when Yoshi is dismounted right before the fight with Bowser, he waves goodbye to Mario or Luigi.
As in Super Mario Galaxy, Yoshi's head is one of the selectable planets to represent the player's save file. When a mission is completed with Yoshi, he does his own victory pose (with Mario or Luigi) as well as a unique voice clip.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Yoshi and his eggs appear in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2, in the Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U styles, working as they do in those games.
Yoshi (and his kind's yarn forms) also appears as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume in Super Mario Maker. The costume can be unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning a compatible Yoshi amiibo. The standard Yoshi costume replaces the usual Super Mario Bros. sound effects with sounds from Super Mario World, while Yarn Yoshis use sound effects from Yoshi's Woolly World.
In Super Mario Maker 2, a Ninji Speedruns course called Yoshi's Piranha Plant Picnic features Yoshi, who must swallow 25 Piranha Plants.
Knocking on a Warp Door in the Super Mario World style may cause Weird Mario to appear while riding a matching "Weird Yoshi".
In Super Mario Maker 2, two Yoshi-themed outfits can be unlocked for the player's Maker Mii: the Yoshi Hat and Yoshi Suit. Both are unlocked by clearing 500 courses in Multiplayer Co-op.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Yoshi is one of the playable characters in Super Mario Run. He is unlocked after the player places Yoshi's House, which requires the player to recruit 30 Yellow Toads and 30 Red Toads to unlock and costs 1,000 coins to purchase. Yoshi retains his immunity to sharp objects, excluding Bowser, and flutter jumps instead of using the Midair Spin.
A number of buildings and decorations aside from the house are themed after Yoshi, including a topiary, a statue, a golden statue, and a Goal Pole. He lacks an 8-bit statue. Yoshi is further referenced in the description for a Fruit Bush.
In the version 2.0.0 update, red, blue, yellow, and purple Yoshis were added as playable characters. They all move, jump, and respond to spikes in the same way Yoshi does, but each Yoshi has a unique property. In the Toad Rally mode, because Yoshi is popular with Toads of their color, when any of them uses a move that causes a Toad to cheer for them it more likely for the Toad that cheers to be of that color. This probablitity change is additive, not multiplicative, so Toad colors affected by it can appear in courses where they normally do not. Yoshi himself is also included, affecting Green Toads.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Yoshi is a capturable character in Super Mario Odyssey. He is always seen inside a Yoshi's Egg, which can be broken open to free Yoshi. An egg can be found on top of Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom, in reference to Super Mario 64, though the location changes during Koopa Freerunning and Luigi's Balloon World. Secret areas can have Yoshi in them, with one in the Mushroom Kingdom and three on the Dark Side. Unlike other capturable characters, Yoshi turns to look at Mario while not captured. If Yoshi either touches a hazard (including water too deep to swim in) or falls off the map, he reappears as an egg wherever he was found. Yoshi's House makes an appearance, with a sign from Yoshi saying he went to Peach's Castle.
While controlled, Yoshi is able to use his trademark Flutter Jump and eating abilities, similarly to his appearance in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Yoshi can stick out his tongue only straightforward, unlike in said game. Yoshi's tongue can interact with objects similarly but not identically to the Cap Throw, as his tongue cannot reveal Hidden Blocks or pull posts, both of which the Cap Throw can do. Yoshi can side-somersault.[3] A difference from before is that when Yoshi's tongue sticks to a surface, he pulls forward. Yoshi flips over the lip of ledges or spires and lands on top, but at walls that are sufficiently wide, Yoshi clings on instead. When using his tongue while on a wall, Yoshi can potentially move across walls due to being able to aim left or right in addition to just forward. When going off of a wall, Yoshi drops forward in a manner akin to a dive, so he needs a second wall to ascend. Yoshi can stick his tongue out if the player shakes the controller, as well as plant it on the ground if possible, pulling him to where his tongue grabbed. There is a technique where if the player continuously shakes the controller, or holds 
or 
after starting to shake it, Yoshi keeps his tongue attached to the ground and starts running in circles around it, building up speed. When the player stops shaking or holding the button, Yoshi can use that speed to run.
Only Yoshi can interact with fruits, which are essentially his equivalent to regional coins in the sense that they can each be obtained only once and become transparent if the area is loaded again. Collecting enough fruit in an area fills a meter, and Mario gets a Power Moon when it is full. Each area Yoshi appears in has its own set of meters to fill, with the Mushroom Kingdom having three, each bonus area having two, and the Darker Side having zero because no fruits appear there. Yoshi has to eat the fruit blocking the two pipes in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Yoshi does not recognize Sherm,[4] up until Peach invites residents from other kingdoms into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Yoshi, alongside three other Yoshis of different colors, is a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Yoshi is billed a "Beginner" character, like Nabbit. Yoshi has his own abilities, but cannot use any power-ups. Yoshi and the other three playable members of his species retain the ability to flutter-jump and eat enemies. They are invincible to enemy attacks, but certain obstacles still cause the Yoshis to lose a life, including being crushed, falling into a pit, or touching lava or poison. In multiplayer mode, another player can ride on Yoshi's back, though another Yoshi cannot ride on Yoshi if he is carrying something in his mouth.
Mario Discovery Series[edit]
Mario is Missing![edit]
In the intro of Mario is Missing!, Yoshi joins the Mario Bros. to try to stop Bowser from melting Antarctica, which would flood Earth. Though Mario is kidnapped, Yoshi is able to help Luigi if the latter uses the Globulator to determine his location before being able to summon Yoshi for a ride. Only Yoshi can defeat the Pokey obstructing the exit pipe. With Yoshi's help, Luigi is able to rescue Mario and stop Bowser's scheme.
Mario's Time Machine[edit]
In the PC release of Mario's Time Machine, Yoshi somehow helps Mario escape the Cretaceous Period if he ends up there from inputting an incorrect year on the timulator. Yoshi has a larger role in the NES version, where Yoshi is captured by Bowser during the opening cutscene. Once Mario has restored all of the historical items, he has to defeat Bowser for the key to free Yoshi from his cage in the museum.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Yoshi is playable in every game in the Mario Kart series since the series' first installment, Super Mario Kart. Throughout the games, Yoshi is classified as either a lightweight or a middleweight driver. Yoshi has several racing courses throughout the series as well as being depicted as course elements.
Super Mario Kart[edit]
Yoshi is a playable character in Super Mario Kart. He is part of "The Dragon and the Lady" duo of racers, alongside the Princess. He has the best acceleration in the game as well at decent speed and weight, but poor handling. As a CPU, Yoshi can shoot eggs.
Mario Kart 64[edit]
Yoshi is a lightweight driver in Mario Kart 64, having great acceleration but poor speed and weight, like with Peach and Toad. Yoshi has his own course, Yoshi Valley.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
Yoshi is playable in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, where he is controlled identically as in Mario Kart 64. His personal course is Yoshi Desert. He has the best braking and off-road in the game, and ties with Luigi for having the best handling in the game, but is also the slowest racer in the game.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
Yoshi is a middleweight racer in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Yoshi's partner is Birdo, his Special Item is the Yoshi's Egg, his personal kart is the Turbo Yoshi, and his personal course is Yoshi Circuit. While the relationship between Birdo and Yoshi is merely implied in English versions, the Japanese website of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! confirms it. On Birdo's profile, it says she "appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?" (「ヨッシーの彼女に見えて実は彼氏!?」)[5] There is also a sponsor named Yoshi Yoshi that features a drawing of Yoshi on its trackside banners.
Mario Kart Arcade GP subseries[edit]
Yoshi is playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP and its two sequels. In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, Yoshi has good acceleration but poor weight and top speed while in his standard kart, but in his personal kart, Yoshi's top speed is slightly higher, though at the cost of slightly lower acceleration; these traits are shared with Peach and Blinky. In Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Yoshi is a lightweight character with poor speed, great acceleration, and average handling. He also has two downloadable palette swaps, Red Yoshi and Black Yoshi, and his stats are identical to Peach's and Waluigi's.
Mario Kart DS[edit]
Yoshi is a playable character in Mario Kart DS. He is classified as a lightweight driver again, sharing the stat with Shy Guy. Yoshi's personal karts are Cucumber and Egg 1. Yoshi has his own course, Yoshi Falls, and the returning GCN Yoshi Circuit.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
Yoshi is a medium-sized racer in Mario Kart Wii, alongside Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Birdo, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., and medium Miis. Yoshi features a great off-road speed bonus. He also has a small weight, traction, and drift boost. Dry Dry Ruins has an emblem of Yoshi, along with a Yoshi statue in the likeness of a Sphinx, similarly to Yoshi Desert. Yoshi Falls returns as a classic course.
Mario Kart 7[edit]
In Mario Kart 7, Yoshi returns as a lightweight racer, sharing this weight division with Peach and Daisy.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Yoshi returns in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Though he is classified as middleweight on the official website,[citation needed] Yoshi is actually a lighter middleweight, focusing a little more on acceleration, handling, and traction than with speed and weight. He shares these traits with Peach and Daisy. In the original Mario Kart 8, by purchasing both DLC packs, the player unlocks Light Blue, White, Red, Yellow, Black, Blue, Pink, and Orange alternate colors for Yoshi, with their difference being cosmetic, including for some of the karts they may use. These colors are included in the base game in 8 Deluxe.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Yoshi returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour, where he is a Super driver. His special skill is the Yoshi's Egg. The game has introduced a number of High-End variants of Yoshi. A reindeer variant called Yoshi (Reindeer) was made available in the 2019 Holiday Tour as the first week's spotlight driver and, like with the standard version, he has the Yoshi's Egg as his special skill. Yoshi (Egg Hunt), a variant of Yoshi in an egg costume, was introduced in the eponymous Yoshi Tour of 2020 as the first week's spotlight driver and, as with both the standard and reindeer versions, his special skill is the Yoshi's Egg. Yoshi in a boxing kangaroo outfit, named Yoshi (Kangaroo), was added in the September 2021 Sydney Tour; unlike any of the aforementioned Yoshi variants, his special skill is the Boomerang Flower. A derivative of Yoshi (Egg Hunt) with a gold egg costume, Yoshi (Gold Egg), was introduced in the 2022 Yoshi Tour, and his special skill is the Coin Box. For availabilities of Yoshi and his variants, see List of availabilities for Yoshi in Mario Kart Tour.
Yoshi (Kangaroo) and Yoshi (Gold Egg) have yellow skin coloration (for the former, reminiscent of common depictions of boxing kangaroos) and their emblem displays a yellow-spotted Yoshi's Egg, which would identify them as a Yellow Yoshi instead of the main Yoshi character; however, while other non-green Yoshi drivers are specifically named after their colors ("Red Yoshi", "Blue Yoshi" etc.), Yoshi (Kangaroo)'s and Yoshi (Gold Egg)'s names follow the naming scheme of Yoshi (Reindeer) and Yoshi (Egg Hunt). Their shoes are also the same color as the standard Yoshi variant, like in the original depictions of yellow Yoshis in Super Mario World, whereas the shoes seen in modern designs of Yellow Yoshi are typically green.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Yoshi returns in Mario Kart World for the Nintendo Switch 2, where he is available by default. he is a middleweight, sharing stats with Monty Mole,[6] although the in-game stats screen rounds statistics such that they also match Peach, Daisy, Coin Coffer, Bowser Jr. and Dolphin. Like most of the characters in the game, Yoshi possesses new outfits when eating various Dash Food mid-race. Yoshi's outfits also feature different Yoshi colors, similar to the Yoshi (Kangaroo) variant from Mario Kart Tour. However, they all use the default green emblem instead of their own colored emblems from said game. Despite this, the colored Yoshi costumes still use different colored vehicles than the default green Yoshi. Yoshi has eight total alternate outfits to use, tying with Luigi and Peach for having the second most outfits in the cast.
Touring
Pro Racer
Aristocrat
Soft Server
Biker
Swimwear
Matsuri
Food Slinger
Mario's Tennis[edit]
Yoshi appears as one of the seven playable characters in Mario's Tennis. He is characterized as being the fastest character, with a small racket and a tendency to play at the net whenever possible. When played against, Yoshi's background features several tall cylindrical platforms, with large clouds with smiley faces behind them. A blimp with the letters VB (standing for Virtual Boy) occasionally flies past.