Yoshi
Designed by Shigefumi Hino.
The core elements of the Yoshi series include:
Yoshi’s ability to swallow enemies and turn them into eggs which can be thrown.
Yoshi’s flutter jump
Each level contains Flowers which are collectibles used to unlock a special level in each world.
Yoshi transformations
Each Yoshi’s game has a unique aesthetic based on arts and crafts:
Yoshi’s Island = pastel coloring book aesthetic with marker-drawn and "scribbled crayon" pastel backgrounds
Yoshi’s Story = story book aesthetic with cardboard, fabrics, plastic, and wood graphics
Yoshi’s Woolly World = wool/yarn aesthetic
Yoshi’s Crafted World = crafted/cardboard aesthetic
Good-Feel Studios developed both Yoshi’s Woolly World and Yoshi’s Crafted World.
Yoshi’s Island (1995)
A stork was about to deliver the newborn twins; baby Mario and baby Luigi to their parents, but is ambushed by Kamek on the way there. While Kamek was successful at capturing baby Luigi and the stork and imprisons them at Bowser's Castle, baby Mario plummets into the sea, only to find himself on a Yoshi's back on an island. The Yoshis then discover that baby Mario also has a map with him, which reveals the location of Bowser's Castle. Kamek has then figured out that he has missed baby Mario and dispatches his Toadies to kidnap baby Mario. While the Yoshis discuss what to do with baby Mario, baby Mario notifies the Yoshis which direction to go due to a powerful link with baby Luigi. The Yoshis then employ a relay system to transport baby Mario across the island. After overcoming obstacles and fighting bosses that Kamek has enlarged in various forts and castles in the island, the Yoshis finally manage to defeat Kamek and baby Bowser and rescue baby Luigi and the stork, allowing the stork to safely deliver the babies to their parents.
A reissue Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 was released on the GBA and features 6 additional levels.
F.A.Q.
Unlock Bonus Challenge level and Extra Level: to unlock the Bonus Levels, the player must score 100 points in all 8 levels in a world to unlock that stages Bonus Challenge and Extra Level. Each level contains 3 types of collectibles: 30 Stars, 20 Red Coins, and 5 Special Flowers which must be collected in order to score 100 points.
Reward for Scoring 100 Points on Every Level: a star is added to the top of the title screen for scoring 100 points on all the levels in the world, for a maximum of 6 Stars.
Yoshi’s Story (1997)
Living together in harmony at Yoshi Island, the Yoshis are able to maintain a perpetual state of joy through the fruit-bearing Super Happy Tree. Baby Bowser becomes envious of this happiness and casts a spell to transform the island into a pop-up storybook. He steals the Super Happy Tree, further weakening the Yoshis and making them fall to gloom.
Six eggs were able to survive the trial and hatch. Confused about the dismal state of their world, the baby Yoshis know that something is amiss and decide to fight the gloom with cheer. They set out to retrieve the Super Happy Tree and restore happiness to the island.
On their way to Baby Bowser's castle, the Yoshis must progress through the six pages of the storybook, encountering six different areas of the island. The Yoshis progress to the castle and face Baby Bowser in a final showdown.
Baby Bowser is defeated and the Yoshis stand together in joy, encircling the Super Happy Tree.
F.A.Q.
To Unlock White Yoshi and Black Yoshi: to unlock White Yoshi and Black Yoshi, you must find the white egg and black egg respectively in select levels and complete the level without losing the egg. Both of these Yoshis are unique in that every fruit is their Favorite Fruit (extra points), and both Yoshis can eat chili peppers without losing health.
Levels that contain a Black Yoshi Egg: 2-1 or 2-4
Levels that contain a White Yoshi Egg: 3-2 or 3-3
Yoshi’s Woolly World (2015)
On a knitted island filled with many Yarn Yoshis of varying patterns, the evil Magikoopa Kamek turns nearly all the Yoshis into bundles of yarn for his master Baby Bowser, scattering them across different worlds. However, two of the Yoshis manage to avoid being transformed themselves, and they set off to pursue Kamek and rescue their woolly friends. After traveling through 6 different worlds, Yoshi manages to storm Baby Bowser's castle. When Yoshi reaches Baby Bowser's castle, Kamek reveals that he stole the yarn so that he could use it to grow Baby Bowser to a much larger size. After battling Baby Bowser, the Yoshis rescue their friends from Kamek and Baby Bowser. Kamek and Baby Bowser try to fly away, but crash land on the moon, where they are left deserted by the Yoshis. After the end of the game, Poochy can be seen at the back of the moon, sticking his tongue out happily.
There is a Mellow Mode which gives Yoshi a pair of wings, allowing Yoshi to fly indefinitely through a stage.
A port for the 3DS Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World has a unique mode where the player controls Poochy through a level, with only the ability to crough and jump, running to collect Poochy Pups and beads.
F.A.Q.
Each level contains 3 types of collectibles: 5 Flowers, 5 Wonder Wools, and 20 Stamp Patches which must be collected as well as finishing the level with full health in order to earn a star and flower icon on the level.
Unlock Boss Challenge Mode: to unlock Boss Challenge Mode, the player must defeat Baby Bowser.
Unlock Special Levels: to unlock the Special Level of each world, the player must collect all 5 flowers in all 8 levels of a world to unlock that world’s Special Level.
Unlock “Wonderful World of Wool”: to unlock the final stage “Wonderful World of Wool”, the player must collect all 5 flowers in every level of every world.
Unlock Shiny Platinum Yoshi: to unlock Shiny Platinum Yoshi, the player must collect all of the Wonder Wools in the game.
Yoshi’s Crafted World (2019)
The Yoshi’s live peacefully on Yoshi's Island. At the topmost peak of the island sits a gem-set artifact known as the Sundream Stone, which possesses the power to "make anyone's wildest dreams come true".
One day, when Kamek and Baby Bowser attempt to steal the stone, its 5 Dream Gems are sent flying across the world, leaving Yoshi and his friends to recover them.
As the Yoshis travel through various lands to find the Dream Gems, they encounter Kamek and Baby Bowser who are also set on obtain the Dream Gems. The Yoshis successfully obtain 4 Dream Gems.
The Yoshis find the last Dream Gem, only for Kamek and Baby Bowser to steal it and the Stone with the other 4 gems. Baby Bowser then uses the stone to create a robot named The Great King Bowser. After its defeat, Kamek uses the stone to grow Baby Bowser giant, which leads into a fight against Mega Baby Bowser. Afterwards, the Yoshis restore the Sundream Stone, which, with the Yoshis' dreams, creates an airship that is used to fly all of them back to Yoshi's Island.
F.A.Q.
Each level contains 2 types of collectibles: 5 Flowers and 20 Red Coins which must be collected as well as finishing the level with full health in order to earn a flower icon on the level.
Unlock “Hidden Hills” Levels: to unlock the extra Hidden Hills levels, the player must defeat Baby Bowser and pay a total of 140 Smiley Flowers.
Unlock Sundream Stone Costume: to unlock the Sundream Stone costume, the player must collect all 693 Smiley Flowers and give all remaining 317 Smiley Flowers to the Blackafeller outside of Kamek’s hideout.