Yoshi (franchise)

The Yoshi franchise is a series of games that star Yoshi, who was introduced to the Mario games in Super Mario World. Though he has his own franchise, Yoshi still appears quite frequently in the Mario franchise. The Yoshi franchise includes characters from the Mario franchise (usually in their baby forms) as well.

The Yoshi franchise's 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. Yoshi's Story was the first main game that did not feature the Mario Bros. in any way other than a brief mention.

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 Topsy-Turvy had an entirely different story from both the main and puzzle titles. This game revolved around Yoshi having to rescue his island which had been turned into a storybook. In Yoshi Touch & Go, no concrete plot was revealed, similar to the puzzle games.

According to Takashi Tezuka, the games in the Yoshi franchise do not take place in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Yoshi
Yoshi is the star of the entire Yoshi franchise, thus each game revolves around him and his friends. He is a friendly dinosaur who lives on and protects Yoshi's Island from the evil forces that bring chaos there. Yoshi is notable for carrying the babies on his back, escorting it while on a mission. His powers are fairly widespread in the Mario series, but are somewhat limited in the Yoshi franchise. He can throw Yoshi Eggs after swallowing enemies, flutter through the air, and can Ground Pound various objects. Yoshi goes to far lengths to protect his island and its inhabitants.

Other Yoshis
Yoshis are the main species of the Yoshi series. They mainly inhabit Yoshi's Island. Yoshis have very long tongues and are able to grab food from some distance away. Their mostly eat fruit and their favourite fruits often depend on their color. Yoshis also come in a variety of different colours, including Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Light Blue, Purple, Brown, Black, White and Orange.

Colors of Yoshis
The following table lists each color of Yoshi in the Yoshi franchise, and in which games they appear.

Bowser
Bowser has appeared in three Yoshi's Island games: Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, Yoshi's Island DS and Yoshi's New Island. In Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, Bowser served as the main antagonist. When Bowser terrorizes Yoshi's Island, the Spirits turn the island into a pop-up book. Yoshi must collect a certain amount of happiness medals in order to earn the chance to fight Bowser. During the events of Yoshi's Island DS, He serves as the main antagonist. Bowser travels back in time to find the seven star children, in hopes of receiving their power; if he were to receive their power, he could conquer the universe. Bowser kidnapped as many children as he possibly could, (including his infant self), in order to get the seven star children. However, the star children eventually foil Bowser's plan, forcing him to return to his original time. He also appears in Yoshi's New Island as the final boss; however, he can only be fought after the player has completed all of the main levels but doesn't use the Flutter Wings power-up. Bowser also appears in Yoshi's Safari, where he attacks Jewelry Land, imprisoning its rulers. He also steals twelve gems that keep the land stable, splitting the land into two halves in the process. These actions force Yoshi and Mario to stop him. In Tetris Attack, Bowser appears as the final opponent Yoshi must battle in VS. Mode. Bowser also appears as one of four playable characters in Yoshi's Cookie.

Shy Guy
Shy Guys are the most common type of enemies found in the Yoshi franchise. They are usually the first enemy in the franchise to be encountered in a game. Normal Shy Guys have no unique abilities that they can use to attack the Yoshis; their numerous sub-species, however, 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.

Jewelry Land
Jewelry Land is a kingdom ruled by King Fret and Prince Pine. It is the country in which Yoshi's Safari takes place. Giving the country its name are magical gems that maintain peace and stability in the kingdom. In the plot of the game, Bowser and the Koopalings steal the jewels, causing an earthquake which splits the kingdom into two halves: the Light Realm and the Dark Realm. Bowser and the koopalings also kidnap King Fret and Prince Pine, leaving Mario and Yoshi to recover the gems and rescue the kingdom's rulers.

Craft Island
Craft Island is an island featured in Yoshi's Woolly World. It acts as the central hub of the game, and provides access to all of the worlds of the game. Kamek turns all except two of the Yoshis into Wonder Wool, and flies away, but they are able to defeat Baby Bowser to save Craft Island.