Yoshi (franchise)

The Yoshi series is a series of games that star Yoshi, who was introduced to the Mario games in Super Mario World. Though he has his own series, Yoshi does still appear quite frequently in the Mario series. The Yoshi series includes characters from the Mario series, (usually as their baby forms), as well. Both series take place on Mushroom World in two different timelines; the past and present.

The Yoshi series' plot has varied greatly over the years. The main titles generally revolve around the kidnapping of Baby Luigi. Baby Mario must then be escorted and protected by Yoshis as he traverses through several worlds to rescue his younger brother. However, Yoshi's Story, a main title, did not deal with the Mario Bros. at all; it dealt with the kidnapping of the Super Happy Tree.

The other titles have varied somewhat in plot as well. While Yoshi and Yoshi's Cookie were Tetris-like puzzle games with no actual plot, Yoshi's Universal Gravitation had an entirely different story from both the main and puzzle titles. This game revolved around Yoshi having to rescue his island which has been turned into a storybook. In Yoshi Touch & Go, no concrete plot was revealed, similar to the puzzle games.

Game Elements
The series commonly features several things, including items, enemies, and other features.

Minigames
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island DS, minigames can be unlocked by performing certain tasks or reaching certain goals in the main game. By playing the minigames, the player can sometimes earn Extra Lives.

Egg Block
The Egg Block is an item found only in the Yoshi series and Super Mario Sunshine (possibly as reference, since they appear in the level The Secret of the Yoshi-Go-Round). They are small white cubes with spots on them – the color of the spots will tell you what is does. The green egg block, when hit, eject an unlimited number of Yoshi Eggs for the player to utilize in that level. Up to six Yoshi Eggs will come out of an Egg Block. The yellow block however will give out only 1 yellow egg. And the red block will only give out 1 red egg. the purple block is different from the others, it expands and acts as a boost for the player.

Yoshi Eggs
Yoshi Eggs are a staple of any Yoshi game. They are not only a weapon for the Yoshis to use against enemies, but they are also tools that can be utilized to solve certain puzzles. By swallowing an enemy, a Yoshi can lay an egg. In addition to the standard green Yoshi eggs, there are also yellow and red ones. The yellow ones can be received by hitting a yellow Egg Block – the red ones can be received from red Egg Blocks. In Super Mario World, yellow and red eggs can hatch into Baby Yoshis of their respective color. Giant Yoshi Eggs are another type of egg found in the series; they are formed by swallowing Fat Guys.

Shy Guys
Shy Guys are the most common type of enemies found the Yoshi series. They are usually the first enemy to be encountered in a game. Normal Shy Guys have no unique abilities that they can use to attack the Yoshis; however, their numerous sub-species each have different abilities, from flying and walking on stilts, to using a baseball bat to ricochet incoming Yoshi Eggs. Shy Guys come in many different colors, and some of their sub-species do as well. Shy Guys are never the main antagonists in a Yoshi game, but there have been a few Bosses based on Shy Guys.

Secret Levels
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island DS, each world has two secret levels. These secret levels are generally unlocked by reaching certain goals or collecting certain items.

Bosses
As with almost every Mario game, the Yoshi series has bosses. These bosses are set to appear on certain levels in each world. On every fourth level of a world, a mini-boss will be fought; on every eighth level of a world, that world's boss will be fought. Then, in the eighth level in the last world, the final boss of the game is fought.

Colors of Yoshis
The following table gives an example of each color Yoshi that inhabits Yoshi's Island, and in which games it appears.