Yoshi (franchise)
| Yoshi | |
|---|---|
| |
| First installment | Yoshi (1991) |
| Latest installment | Yoshi's Crafted World (2019) |
| Number of installments | 13 (12 main, 1 expansion game, and 2 ports) |
| Series | Yoshi's Island |
The Yoshi franchise is a video game franchise starring Yoshi, who was introduced to the Super Mario franchise in Super Mario World. Though he has his own franchise, Yoshi still appears quite frequently in the Super Mario franchise. The Yoshi franchise includes characters from the Super 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 Baby Luigi. 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.[1]
Games
Puzzle games
The first Yoshi game, simply called Yoshi, is a two-dimensional puzzle game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy, with elements similar to those of Tetris. The rules are fairly basic: the player must stack the same enemies on top of each other to make them disappear; the more the player does this, the more points they earn.
Just as Yoshi did, Yoshi's Cookie, first released in 1992 for the NES and Game Boy, used many of the same elements found in Tetris. In order for the player to earn points and clear a stage, they have to have an entire row or column of the same type of cookie lined up. Six type of cookies could be found in the game: Heart Cookies, Sunflower Cookies, Green Cookies, Checkered Cookies, Donut Cookies, and Yoshi Cookies. A Super Nintendo Entertainment System version was eventually released in 1993. A remake later appeared in Nintendo Puzzle Collection on the Nintendo GameCube, along with Dr. Mario 64 and Panel De Pon.
Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie was a Japan-only edition of Yoshi's Cookie. It was developed by Human Electronics to promote their new Kuruppon oven. Only 500 copies were made of the game, and are now very expensive collector's items. It included the SNES version of Yoshi's Cookie and an additional mode which has Yoshi exploring an island and teaching the player some recipes the player can actually cook.
Tetris Attack was a puzzle game that, despite the name, is unrelated to Tetris. The game was based around the Japanese game Panel de Pon, but it is themed around Yoshi and associated characters. The gameplay involved square panels rising from the bottom (called the "stack") and the player has to line up three or more matching panels either horizontally or vertically as the stack rises. The game was released on both the SNES and the Game Boy.
Rail shooter
Yoshi's Safari, first released in 1993 as the game that made Yoshi its own franchise, has Mario and Yoshi on a quest to save King Fret and his son, Prince Pine, of Jewelry Land from King Bowser and his Koopalings. Unlike most Super Mario and Yoshi games, it is a rail shooter. This game also utilized the Super Scope for the first time. The game itself is from Mario's point of view, while he is mounted on Yoshi.
Yoshi's Island series
- Main article: Yoshi's Island (series)
Yoshi's Island is a video game series in the Yoshi franchise. It is a series of 2D side-scrolling platformers, with the ability to throw eggs to defeat enemies. Most of the installments take place in Mario's past, featuring Yoshi and Baby Mario setting out on a journey to rescue Baby Luigi from Kamek and Baby Bowser. Another common story line has Yoshi going on a quest to restore Yoshi's Island to its original form after it is turned into a storybook. Most of the series' titles like Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, and Yoshi Touch & Go were developed by Nintendo EAD. However, Yoshi's Island DS was developed by Artoon and Yoshi's New Island was developed by Arzest. The series began with a home console title, but it later switched to a focus on handheld installments.
Other Yoshi platformers are related to the Yoshi's Island series. Yoshi's Story takes place in Yoshi's Island, where six Baby Yoshis hatch; during the story, Baby Bowser steals the Super Happy Tree, leaving the Yoshis hungry for fruits. The Baby Yoshi that eats 30 fruits in each level advances to the next one, and the newborn Yoshis are able to defeat Baby Bowser and reclaim the Super Happy Tree. Yoshi Topsy-Turvy known in Europe and Australia as Yoshi's Universal Gravitation, features a similar story to Yoshi's Story, this time set in the present, similar to when Super Mario World took place in. Yoshi's Island ends up being transformed into a picture book known as the Forbidden Pop-Up Book by the tiny spirits, tasking Yoshi to go through several challenges to earn the right to transform the island back to normal. In this game, Yoshi can eat enemies, but he cannot lay eggs. Collecting the required amount of Happiness Medals allows Yoshi to defeat Bowser and save his home. Yoshi's Woolly World, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, and Yoshi's Crafted World all play similarly to the Yoshi's Island series. Both Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World take place in the Craft Island, where Kamek turns the Yoshis out of yarn into Wonder Wool, except for Green Yoshi and Red Yoshi, who must save the rest and defeat Kamek and Baby Bowser, who wishes to use the Wonder Wool to build a great castle for himself. Yoshi's Crafted World features the ability to flip between the front and back of stages to throw Yoshi Eggs on a three-dimensional plane, with the story revolving around the Yoshis on a journey to collect the Dream Gems for the Sundream Stone before Kamek and Baby Bowser do.
Species and characters
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 Super Mario franchise, 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 franchise. 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 favorite fruits often depend on their color. Yoshis also come in a variety of different colors, 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.
| Colors | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Green | Yoshi · Yoshi's Cookie · Yoshi Safari · Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie · Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Tetris Attack · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Topsy-Turvy · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Pink | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Tetris Attack · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Light-Blue | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Tetris Attack · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Yellow | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Tetris Attack · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Purple | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Tetris Attack · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Brown | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island |
| Orange | Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Red | Yoshi's Cookie (SNES) · Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Blue | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi's Story · Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's New Island · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World · Yoshi's Crafted World |
| Black | Yoshi's Story · Yoshi Touch & Go · Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World |
| White | Yoshi's Story · Yoshi Touch & Go· Yoshi's Island DS · Yoshi's Woolly World · Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World |
Bowser
Bowser has appeared in several Yoshi games. In Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, Bowser serves as the main antagonist. When Bowser terrorizes Yoshi's Island, the tiny spirits turn the island into a pop-up book. Yoshi must collect a certain number of happiness medals in order to earn the chance to fight Bowser. In Yoshi's Island DS, Bowser serves as the main antagonist; he travels back in time to find the seven star children, in hopes of receiving their power to conquer the universe. Bowser kidnaps as many children as possible, 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 without using the Flutter Wings power-up. Bowser also appears in Yoshi's Safari, in which 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 Guys
Shy Guys are the most common enemies of 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.
