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Yoshi is a fictional
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
who appears in video games published by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
. Yoshi debuted in '' Super Mario World'' (1990) on the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...
as
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
and Luigi's sidekick. Yoshi is the
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
of the ''Yoshi'' series and a supporting character in ''Mario'' spin-off games such as '' Mario Party'' and ''
Mario Kart is a series of racing games developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses from the ''Mario'' series as well as other gaming franchises such as ''T ...
'', as well as many ''Mario'' sports games. He also appears as a playable character in crossover
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
''
Super Smash Bros. ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' series. Yoshi is a member of the same-named species, which is distinguished for its wide range of colors. Yoshi was well-received, with some critics noting that he is one of the most recognizable characters and one of the best sidekicks in video games. Yoshi's image has also appeared on a range of products, including clothes and collectibles.


Concept and creation

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...
, the video game designer at
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
credited with inventing the ''Mario'' series, had wanted
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
to have a dinosaur companion ever since the first release of '' Super Mario Bros.''; however, Nintendo engineers could not add such a character into the game due to the limitations of the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...
(NES). The inspiration for Yoshi can be traced back further, to the green dragon Tamagon in the 1984 video game ''
Devil World is a maze video game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released for the Famicom in Japan on October 5, 1984, and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Euro ...
:'' also designed by Miyamoto, both are green lizards that hatch from eggs and can eat enemies with their large mouth, and also emit the same noise when they hatch. During the development of ''
Super Mario Bros. 3 ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released for home consoles in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990 and in Europe on ...
'', Miyamoto had a number of sketches around his desk, including an image of Mario riding a horse. Takashi Tezuka, a ''Mario'' series developer, speculated that Miyamoto's love of horse riding as well as country and western themes influenced Yoshi's creation. The concept of Mario riding a dinosaur also came from the NES video game ''
Excitebike is a motocross racing video game developed and published by Nintendo. In Japan, it was released for the Famicom in 1984 and then ported to arcades as ''Vs. Excitebike'' for the Nintendo Vs. System later that year. In North America, it was ini ...
'', which featured people riding
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s. Once the more powerful Super NES was released, Miyamoto was finally able to implement Yoshi into the series, putting Yoshi into the video game '' Super Mario World''. As development of ''Super Mario World'' progressed, the team opted to set the game in a "dinosaur land", so Tezuka asked designer Shigefumi Hino to draw a reptile-like creature based on Miyamoto's sketches. Hino originally produced a design that Tezuka deemed too reptilian, and "didn't really fit into the Mario world", so he encouraged the designer to create a "cuter" character. According to Hino also, the reasoning behind the design is that when Mario punches Yoshi, Yoshi is so surprised that his tongue leaps out. Yoshi proved to be popular in this debut, which caused the next game in the series, '' Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', to focus on the Yoshi species. Miyamoto made the idea of using Yoshi as the main character of a platforming game, with the goal of being more accessible than previous games in the ''Mario'' series. To give the gameplay a more "gentle and relaxed pacing", the levels lack time limits and feature more exploration elements than previous games; Yoshi's flutter jump also makes him easier to control in the air than Mario. In this game, he is responsible for Baby Mario, which leads him to Bowser's Castle, where he is reunited with Baby Luigi. Yoshi successfully pulls the twins together just in time to go home after beating a huge Baby Bowser. The version of Yoshi seen in the '' Super Mario Bros.'' film was made using a animatronic dinosaur. Yoshi was designed in the film by Dave Nelson. The animatronic had nearly 60 meters (200 ft) of cable and hundreds of moving parts inside of it and was controlled by nine puppeteers. The body was cable-controlled, while the head was radio-controlled. Nelson described the overall process as being "difficult." The creation of Yoshi was handled by a company independent from the filmmakers. Yoshi also belongs to the species of the same name, which is characterized by their variety of colors.


Characteristics

Yoshi has a variety of abilities that stand out relative to other characters in the ''Mario'' series. Yoshi's prehensile tongue can extend a considerable distance to eat enemies, grab distant objects, or act as a grappling hook to access otherwise out-of-reach areas. After eating an enemy or object, Yoshi may either spit it out as an attack, or swallow it to instantly turn it into a distinctive spotted egg; eggs can then be thrown at distant targets to collect or damage them, and depending on the game they either explode on impact or ricochet off surfaces. Another signature technique is the Flutter Jump, where Yoshi quickly flaps his arms and legs to slow his descent from a jump or even gain height in midair. Yoshi is also a noted user of the Ground Pound, which involves dropping bottom-first after a jump in order to destroy blocks or damage opponents. Yoshi's large nose unsurprisingly allows for the detection of hidden collectibles as well as flowers by smell and, as demonstrated in the ''
Super Smash Bros. ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' series, may be used as an offensive weapon. Yoshi can form an egg around himself, which can be used for protection as a shield against attacks or for mobility by rolling or launching himself. Yoshi's Final Smash in installments before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had him grow wings and be able to breathe fire for a limited period of time. His newest Final Smash has his opponent trampled under a stampede of Yoshis. The Yoshi species appear in a variety of colors. This is generally a cosmetic difference used to differentiate individuals. However, in some games, Yoshi's color changes to reflect gained offensive or movement abilities, such as fiery breath, wings, balloon-like inflation, or juice-spitting. In some games, this is a characteristic of Yoshi's natural color, while in others it is a temporary status gained by eating certain fruit or flowers. Yoshis of various colors appear often in multiplayer games as alternate choices, which may or may not have statistics unique from the default green color. In games where the player can ride Yoshi, he acts as an extra hit point; taking damage causes the player to be knocked off Yoshi instead of any other negative effects. This causes Yoshi to run around haphazardly until he is remounted, falls off-screen, or disappears in some 3D games. Yoshi is otherwise indestructible; he can freely walk over spikes, does more damage to enemies when jumped on, and can take any number of hits without additional penalty. Combined with his other unique powers, this makes him very strong in levels designed for Mario's abilities, while a level designed for Yoshi may be overly difficult for Mario alone. As a result, Yoshi's presence tends to be limited to certain levels; for example, in '' Super Mario World'' he is not allowed in haunted or castle levels (explained in-universe by him being scared of such areas). While riding Yoshi, bongos or other thematically appropriate percussion instruments are added to the level's background music. Yoshi's language skills are inconsistent. In some games, they speak the same language as all other characters. In others, they are shown with their speech in parentheses to imply speaking a different language that is translated for the player to read. Sometimes they are shown only speaking the repeated word "Yoshi". Whether other characters can understand Yoshi's speech is also inconsistent.


Appearances


In ''Super Mario'' series

'' Super Mario World'' was the first video game to feature Yoshi as a companion to
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
. Yoshi's rideability was inspired by Miyamoto's love for horseback riding. ''Super Mario World'' released during a
console war In the video game industry, a console war describes the competition between two or more video game console manufacturers in trying to achieve better consumer sales through more advanced console technology, an improved selection of video games, and ...
between Nintendo and
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
; Sega's mascot,
Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
, was considered a "cooler" alternative to Mario, for which Miyamoto apologized. In ''
Super Mario 64 is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional ''Su ...
'', Yoshi makes a minor cameo. A cannon outside the castle becomes available if Mario collects all 120 Power Stars, which can be used to access the Mushroom Castle's roof. There, the player can chat with Yoshi, who congratulates the player on finishing the game by delivering a message from the developers before rewarding Mario with 100 extra lives and a better Triple Jump. Yoshi is one of the primary protagonists and the first playable character in ''
Super Mario 64 DS ''Super Mario 64 DS'' is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch game for the DS. ''Super Mario 64 DS'' is a remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game ''Super Mario 64,'' with new graphics, charact ...
'', alongside Mario. Princess Peach initially invites Mario to her palace. Yoshi is sleeping on the roof when Mario, Luigi, and Wario arrive at the castle. During this time, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, steals the castle's Power Stars, and confines everyone within by placing them in the worlds inside the castle's paintings. The crew reclaims the castle's Power Stars after Yoshi saves Mario, Mario saves Luigi, and Luigi saves Wario, and Mario defeats Bowser and rescues Princess Peach. In '' Super Mario Sunshine'', Yoshi appears as a mount for Mario, and will only come out of his egg if offered a specific tropical fruit. This fruit gives him the ability to spit a finite stream of juice, though with the tradeoff that he dies as soon as he touches water. Yoshi makes another cameo in ''
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A follow-up to ''New Super Mario Bros.'', it was first released in Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2009, followed by Japan a month later. ...
'', this time as a rideable character, as he did in his initial appearance. Yoshi sounds just like he does in ''Super Mario World''. Yoshi's in the colors yellow, light blue, and pink also appear in multiplayer. Yoshi's appearance is a prominent selling point for '' Super Mario Galaxy 2'', as his gained abilities while eating various fruits aid Mario and Luigi in gathering power stars to foil Bowser's plan to take over the universe. These fruits give him the ability to float, to run on water and against gravity, and to illuminate intangible walkways. Yoshi and his eggs can be found in '' Super Mario Maker'' and ''
Super Mario Maker 2 is a 2019 side-scrolling platform game and level creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sequel to ''Super Mario Maker'' and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely ret ...
'' in the ''Super Mario World'' and ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' styles, and they function the same as they do in each respective game. Yoshi appears in '' Super Mario Odyssey'' as a capturable character. In the Mushroom Kingdom, he may be found on top of Peach's Castle, just like in ''Super Mario 64''. He can also be discovered in Yoshi Eggs in secret locations accessed via the Dark Side, where he must eat Berries in order for a Power Moon to form. He can also be found in one of the Darker Side's sections. Yoshi may employ his characteristic Flutter Jump and eating powers if captured, similar to his appearance in ''Super Mario Galaxy 2''.


In ''Yoshi'' series

Yoshi's initial appearance in the ''Yoshi'' series was in the puzzle game named after him, where he counted the number of eggs hatched on the side of the screen. In ''
Yoshi's Cookie ''Yoshi's Cookie'' is a 1992 tile-matching puzzle video game developed by Tose and published by Nintendo for the NES and Game Boy platforms in 1992. A Super NES version was released the following year, developed and published by Bullet-Proof Sof ...
'', Yoshi appears as a character in V.S. mode. Yoshi has to make horizontal and vertical rows of the same kind of cookie to proceed to the next level. In the Nintendo Puzzle Collection version, there is now a story mode in the game, where Mario and Yoshi are making cookies but get exhausted from the many cookie deliveries. Bowser conquers Jewelry Land during the events of ''
Yoshi's Safari ''Yoshi's Safari'' is a 1993 light gun shooter developed and published by Nintendo for its Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is the only ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise game to feature first-person shooter gameplay and require ...
'' (It is the only ''
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
'' franchise game to feature
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
gameplay and requires the SNES's
Super Scope The Super Scope, known as the Nintendo Scope in Europe and Australia, is a first party light gun peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The successor to the NES Zapper, the Super Scope was released in North America and the P ...
light gun.), kidnapping its rulers, King Fret and Prince Pine, and removing the twelve mystical jewels that gave the kingdom its name and stability, forcing it to split into two realms: the Dark Realm and the Light Realm. Princess Peach then summons Mario and Yoshi to restore order. To help the two, Peach provides Mario a new weapon, the Super Scope, an energy pistol. Mario and Yoshi enter a Warp Pipe with this new weapon, which transports them to Jewelry Land. The Magikoopa sorcerer Kamek foresees that two newborn brothers will bring ruin to the Koopas and attempts to capture them as the stork carries them to their mother and father in the Mushroom Kingdom one morning years before the events of most Mario games, during the events of '' Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island''. While Kamek captures Baby Luigi, his twin brother, Baby Mario, escapes to Yoshi's Island unseen. Fortunately, Yoshi is out walking in the woods that day, and Baby Mario lands unharmed on his saddle, along with a map to Bowser's Castle, where Kamek has stolen Baby Luigi. Bowser and his forces attack Yoshi's Island during the events of ''
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (released in North America as ''Yoshi Topsy-Turvy'') is a 2004 platform game for the Game Boy Advance that was developed by Artoon and published by Nintendo. It features a built-in tilt sensor, which is used to manipulate the game's environmen ...
'' (also known as ''Yoshi's Universal Gravitation''), bringing chaos and anarchy. A spirit named Hongo, by chance, encases the entire island in a storybook to keep Bowser and his army at bay. In ''
Yoshi Touch & Go ''Yoshi Touch & Go'', known in Japan as , is a video game that was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It debuted in Japan on January 27, 2005, in North America on March 14, 2005, in Europe on May 6, 2005, and in Australia ...
'', Yoshi must help Baby Mario in safely floating down to the forest at the start of each mode. They can use the stylus to block opponents or move Baby Mario about, as well as to form coin bubbles around non-spiked enemies and to add coins to Baby Mario. Kamek and Bowser travel back in time in ''
Yoshi's Island DS ''Yoshi's Island DS'', later released in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Artoon for the Nintendo DS. Published by Nintendo, it was released in North America and Australasia in November 2006, in Europe in December 2006, and in ...
'' to try to capture the famous star children (Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Donkey Kong), who had special energy in their bodies that, once in Bowser's hands, would let him to take over the world. Without knowing who the star children were, Kamek and Bowser went out to kidnap all of the Mushroom Kingdom's youngsters, only to have their prey escape their hands and join Yoshi in a journey to save the other kids. In ''
Yoshi's New Island ''Yoshi's New Island'' is a 2014 platform game developed by Arzest and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. First released in Europe and North America in March 2014, ''Yoshi's New Island'' is a retcon of the events ...
'', Yoshi reappears alongside Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. The game takes place between ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'' and ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island DS''. In ''
Yoshi's Woolly World ''Yoshi's Woolly World'' is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is the seventh main entry in the ''Yoshi'' series of games, the first home console title in the series since 19 ...
'', Kamek tries to transform all of the Yoshis on Craft Island into Wonder Wools in order to assist Baby Bowser in building a new castle, but he misses Yoshi and Red Yoshi. After that, the two embarked on a quest to restore Craft Island to its former splendor. Yoshi and the rest of his kind are gathered around the Sundream Stone in ''
Yoshi's Crafted World ''Yoshi's Crafted World'' is a platform video game developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The eighth main installment in the ''Yoshi'' franchise, it is the spiritual successor to ''Yoshi's Woolly World''. T ...
'', which is claimed to make anyone's dream come true. Kamek and Baby Bowser try to get their hands on the stone. The Sundream Stone breaks into five diamonds, which spread around the island for the Yoshis to collect.


Other ''Super Mario'' games

Yoshi has appeared in nearly all of the ''Mario'' spin-off games, including every game in the ''
Mario Kart is a series of racing games developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses from the ''Mario'' series as well as other gaming franchises such as ''T ...
'' series as a playable character (usually as a middleweight or light middleweight) and every '' Mario Party'' game to date as a playable character. Yoshis have also made appearances in multiple ''Mario'' sports games, such as ''
Mario Tennis ''Mario Tennis'' is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following ''Mario's Tennis'', it is the second game in the List of Mario sports games#Mario Tennis series, ''Mari ...
'', ''
Mario Golf There have been numerous sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise. Although originally a branch of the Mario sports games, the ''Mario Kart'' series is not included in this list, as it has since become a stand-alone series in the Mario franchise. ...
'', ''
Mario Super Sluggers ''Mario Super Sluggers'' is a sports and adventure video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and Now Production, and published by Nintendo. It is part of the ''Mario Sports'' series, and the sequel to ''Mario Superstar Baseball'' fo ...
'', '' Super Mario Strikers'', and '' Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games''. Yoshi appeared as a supporting cast member in ''
Mario is Missing ''Mario Is Missing!'' is a 1993 educational game developed and published by The Software Toolworks for MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, later released on Macintosh in 1994. The player controls Luigi, ...
'' for NES, SNES, and MS-DOS in 1993. The Yoshi species makes its '' Paper Mario'' series debut in the fifth chapter of '' Paper Mario'' when Mario comes across a village of Yoshis and rescues a group of Yoshi kids after they become lost in the surrounding jungle outside of the village. In the sequel '' Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' Mario rescues a Yoshi egg that hatches into a baby Yoshi, who then joins his team during the third chapter of the game and can be named upon doing so. He also appears in '' Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time''. Yoshi is a playable character in ''
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
'', and he arrives late in the story. After fighting Mecha Jr. in the Lava Pit, he is unlocked. He also returns as a playable character in the sequel ''
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope ''Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope'' is a 2022 action-adventure turn-based strategy video game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a crossover between Nintendo's ''Mario'' and U ...
''.


In other media

Outside of ''Super Mario'' and ''Yoshi'' series. Yoshi makes a cameo appearance in ''
Metal Gear is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operativ ...
'' ( ''The Twin Snakes'' and ''Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D''). In '' Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes'', Yoshi and Mario appears as a dolls that stand on a desk. Additional video game series in which Yoshi has made a cameo appearance includes ''
The Legend of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...
'' series (''
Link's Awakening ''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'' is a 1993 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the first installment in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series for a handheld game console. ''Link's Awakening'' is o ...
'' and ''
Ocarina of Time ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998, and in PAL regions the following month. ''Ocarina of Tim ...
'') as a collectible doll and as a framed photo in Hyrule Castle. Yoshi is the main character in the English localization of ''
Tetris Attack ''Tetris Attack'', also known as in Japan, is a Puzzle game, puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A Game Boy version was released a year later. In the game, the p ...
''. Yoshi also appears as a playable character in every installment of the ''
Super Smash Bros. ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' series. He is one of the more unique characters in the series' early history, most notably in how his recovery is a single interruption-resistant Flutter Jump, as opposed to most characters having multiple jumps and special moves to use in sequence. Yoshi's moveset mostly consists of kicks, headbutts, tail attacks, and tongue grabs. The animated series '' Super Mario World'' produced by DIC Entertainment is based on the game of the same name, and similar in plotline to the previous series ''
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' is an animated television series. It premiered on September 8, 1990, on NBC. It is the second animated series to be based on Nintendo's ''Mario'' video game series and is loosely based on the video game ' ...
'', and ''
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is an American live-action/animated television series airing from September 4 to November 30, 1989, on syndication. The series is based on the video games ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' by ...
'', except with a different setting. The show features Yoshi as a regular character, voiced by Andrew Sabiston. In the cartoon, Yoshi is a young, friendly, and fleet-of-foot dinosaur who occasionally talks in 3rd person until speaking coherent English from slightly later in the episode "A Little Learning". Yoshi is featured in the '' Super Mario Adventures'' comic serial printed in
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
, the ''
Nintendo Adventure Books is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards. ...
'', and the ''Super Mario Bros.'' movie (taking the form of a realistic animatronic dinosaur). Yoshi is King Koopa's pet, and is referred to as a "throwback" by a gang of Koopas. He later joins
Princess Daisy is a fictional character in the ''Mario'' series of video games. She debuted in 1989's '' Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland. Described as a tomboy, she used to be rumored to be Luigi's love interest, similarly to Princess Peach ...
's side and selflessly takes a stabbing for her. However, he does reappear at the end of the film in good health. Yoshi first debuts in the first volume of ''Super Mario-Kun'' and has since become a frequent companion to Mario. Yoshi is prone to making surprising behaviors and mistakes, prompting Mario to chastise him. Yoshi abandons Mario, Luigi, and Wario in volume 23 when they take advantage of him.


Promotion and reception

Yoshi is one of the most recognizable characters in the ''Mario'' series and is featured in a myriad of ''Mario'' merchandise, such as toys, shirts, and figures. Yoshi also appeared in two of Happy Meal promotions of ''Mario'' toys, which only featured
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi. Yoshi was also one of the 12 initial
Amiibo (, ; officially stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Ninten ...
figurines. As part of the release of ''
Yoshi's Woolly World ''Yoshi's Woolly World'' is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is the seventh main entry in the ''Yoshi'' series of games, the first home console title in the series since 19 ...
'', Yoshi Amiibo made out of yarn are either bundled with the game or sold separately. In addition to the regular-sized green, pink and light blue yarn Yoshi Amiibo, an 8-inch tall, green "Mega Yarn Yoshi" has been released. Since debuting in ''Super Mario World'', Yoshi has received largely positive reception. An article in ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' commented, "Maybe it was the undeniable dino charm. Maybe it was the insatiable appetite that put fellow foe-eater
Kirby Kirby may refer to: Buildings * Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States * Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England * Kirby House (disambiguation), various houses in England and the Unit ...
to shame. Or maybe it was the status of being Mario's newest best buddy. Whatever the reason, gamers took an immediate liking to Yoshi and his multicolored kin when ''Super Mario World'' hatched him into the pantheon of classic game characters." The 2011 issue of the ''
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' ranked Yoshi at 21st place in their list of the "Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time", making him the second highest-ranked ''Mario'' character on the list, of which Mario himself is ranked first. In a poll conducted in 2008, Yoshi was voted as the third-favorite video game character in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, with Cloud Strife and
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
placing second and first, respectively. ''
GameTrailers ''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
'' created a special tribute video for Yoshi for the release of '' Super Mario Galaxy 2''. ''
Yardbarker Yardbarker is a digital media property focused on the publishing of sports and entertainment news and information. Founded in 2006, the property distributes content on Yardbarker.com, social media platforms and via third party syndication partne ...
'' included Yoshi in their "The most memorable characters from old school Nintendo games", stating that "Yoshi began life in ''Super Mario World''. However, the dinosaur with the lengthy tongue was swiftly spun off into his own video games. There’s ''Yoshi’s Island'', ''Yoshi’s Cookie'', and more. Yoshi is off doing his own thing a lot of the time." Chris Carter of ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ' ...
'' described Yoshi, along with Poochy, as "cute as hell" in the "Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World" promotion. Yoshi was voted one of the finest dinosaurs of pop culture by Jim Vorel of '' Paste'', he said that "Yoshi has been a fan favorite since he first appeared alongside Mario on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. That's why he's the most famous dinosaur in the world." Yoshi was also praised for being the best video game sidekick.''
GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
'' ranked Yoshi as the seventh-best video game sidekick, above Luigi by reasoning that only Yoshi can pull off being green and still be cool. '' Complex'' ranked Yoshi at fourth place among "The 25 Most Kickass Dragons in Video Games", adding "Yoshi would have to be one of the best sidekicks of all time". Australia's '' Official Nintendo Magazine'' called Yoshi a "cute, trustworthy, a plumber's best friend" and compared Yoshi's loyalty to that of a dog. Yoshi is ranked at 52nd place on ''
GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
''s Top 100 video game heroes. 4,228 gamers from all over the world were asked to choose their favorite "most loved sidekick characters in video games." Yoshi from Super Mario World came in top place and was voted the most popular sidekick character with 71 percent of the voting. Yoshi was included in ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
''s "The Best Video Game Wingmen Ever", stating that "Always ready to give his plumber friend a ride, Yoshi doesn't shy away from putting in extra effort, whether that means holding a Koopa shell in his mouth for an entire level or kicking his feet to get a little extra air during a jump, Yoshi has Mario's back." Yoshi has been named one of the best-supporting characters in video games by Kevin Wong of ''Complex'', stating that "Yoshi has everything Mario and Luigi need in a sidekick – a monstrous appetite, boots that can walk on Munchers, and the ability to breathe fire, fly, and cause earthquakes, depending on the Koopa shell's color. You have to love a sidekick that hatches with a built-in saddle." Yoshi was also included as 4th in ''Complex''s "The 25 Most Kickass Dragons in Video Games". While Alyssa Mercante of ''GamesRadar'' also included Yoshi in their list of "The ten best video game animal companions," she stated that "Yoshi is another companion that has achieved a level of fame virtually unrivaled by video game sidekicks." "Yoshi Committed Tax Fraud", an
internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
that began in May 2018, is a reference to jokes about Yoshi dodging taxes.


Notes


References


Sources

* Text was copied fro
Yoshi
at Super Mario Wiki, which is released under
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license
* * *


External links


Yoshi at Play Nintendo

MarioWiki entry
{{Super Smash Bros. Animal characters in video games Anthropomorphic video game characters Anthropomorphic dinosaurs Internet memes Mario (franchise) characters Nintendo protagonists Super Smash Bros. fighters Video game characters introduced in 1990 Video game sidekicks Video game species and races