Yoshi

Yoshi is a Japanese dinosaur-like creature who appears in the Mario series and is Mario's sidekick. His debut was in Super Mario World. He later had his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. However, 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. He has also appeared in many of the spin-off Mario games, such as Mario Party, and Mario Kart series as well as in other various Mario sports titles. He is voiced by Kazumi Totaka.

Joining the Mario brothers
Yoshi was originally found by Luigi in the Dinosaur Land when he was a baby. He called Luigi "Mama Luigi", because he thought that Luigi was his mother.

Appearance and Characteristics
Yoshi is a little green dinosaur that helps Mario on various quests, serving as a transportation. Yoshi has a long, sticky tongue, that he uses to eat certain enemies. Ever since then Yoshi has been one of the major characters in the games. Yoshi can eat almost anything, and is also known to be very intelligent, being able to defend himself even as a baby. Although in the Super Mario World Cartoon, Yoshi can speak just like a human, in most games, his only means of communication are incoherent babbles and noises. In sports games such as Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Tennis, Yoshi is known for his speed and his tongue capability. It's safe to assume that all Yoshi have the same abilities as the main Yoshi, as seen in Yoshi Island, where all Yoshi had the same abilities. In Super Mario Sunshine, Yoshi can not touch water. If he does, he will dissolve and return to his egg. However, in Super Mario Galaxy 2, Yoshi can not only touch water, but he can also swim. In some games, Yoshi can flutter to get to higher places.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Yoshi is one of the characters in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. In the past, Yoshi had been a dinosaur carrying Mario around places where Mario needed to get to. Now, Yoshi is a dinosaur swerving around corners with his partner leaving his opponents in the dust! Yoshi is a Middleweight Character, having the Yoshi Egg as his Special Item. Yoshi also has his own kart, the Turbo Yoshi. Not just this, but Yoshi also has his own course, Yoshi Circuit.

Yoshi Colors
While the main Yoshi is green, they come in many colors. They also come in black and white, although rarely. The eggs are usually white with spots like, green, blue, red, yellow, and many other colors, almost always the same color as the Yoshi that laid them. In games such as the Super Smash Bros. series, the colors of Yoshi are optional, but all Yoshi eggs are always white with green spots.

Appearances In Games
Yoshi first appeared in the Super Mario World games in 1991 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Yoshi had a rival in the form of a bad-tempered, sunglasses-wearing blue creature named Boshi. Yoshi also made an appearance in all of the Super Smash Brothers games. Yoshi made other appearances such as:
 * Yoshi, playable character.
 * Yoshi's Safari, playable character.
 * Yoshi's Story, playable character.
 * Yoshi Touch & Go, playable character.
 * Yoshi's Island DS, playable character.
 * Yoshi's Cookie, playable character.
 * Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, playable character.
 * Tetris Attack, playable character.
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Super Mario Advance 3, playable character.
 * Super Mario 64, a cameo appearance atop the castle; Mario must have all of the Powerstars to find him and he'll receive a special gift.
 * Super Mario Sunshine, Yoshis are like power-ups, Mario rides them and he uses fruits to make Yoshi spit juice. This allows the player access to secret areas.
 * Paper Mario, Yoshis live on Lavalava Island.
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, some Yoshis can be seen at various tourist attractions. (Such as the Excess Express.)
 * Super Mario 64 DS, playable character.
 * Mario is Missing!, one of the many different characters to appear, like Daisy.
 * Mario Superstar Baseball, playable character.
 * Mario Super Sluggers, playable character.
 * Mario Tennis series (except Power Tour), playable character.
 * Mario Golf series, playable character
 * Mario Kart series, playable character in each installment.
 * Mario Party series, playable character in each installment.
 * Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, at the Yoshi Theater.
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Yoshis live on Yoshi's Island.
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, playable character.
 * Super Smash Bros. series, playable character.

In the Mario Kart series
Yoshi has appeared in every installment of the Mario Kart series. He says his name repeatedly and in Mario Kart Wii, he talks in a high-pitched voice. He falls under the mediumweight class in Mario Kart Wii but a lightweight in Mario Kart DS. He has a red saddle and a trademark long tongue. He is one of the most popular characters in the Mario Kart series.

Karts and Bikes in Mario Kart

 * Turbo Yoshi
 * Egg 1
 * Standard YS
 * Cucumber
 * Standard Kart M
 * Classic Dragster
 * Wild Wing

In the Mario Party series
Yoshi has consistently appeared and been playable in all of the mainstream Mario Party games. He even got his own stage on Mario Party. Since his debut to the Mario Party series, Yoshi has usually been partnered with Birdo.

Mario Party
Yoshi is one of the first playable characters to appear in the Mario Party series. Yoshi owned a board in Mario Party named Yoshi's Tropical Island.

Mario Party 2
Yoshi was a playable character.

Mario Party 5
Yoshi appears in Mario Party 5. His Super Duel Car is Egg-celeration and his nickname is Mr. Lucky Yoshi.

Mario Party 7
Yoshi appeared in Mario Party 7. Yoshi and Birdo shared the Egg Orb and were partners.

Mario Party 8 Tag Teams
The following list of Tag Teams names with Yoshi and an Ally.


 * Mario = Fan Favorites
 * Luigi = Green Machine
 * Peach = Kind Hearts
 * Wario = Poached Eggs
 * Daisy = Tomboy Trouble
 * Waluigi = Scrambled Eggs
 * Toad = Good Buddies
 * Boo = Hovering Friends
 * Toadette = Flutter Friends
 * Birdo = Egg Explosion
 * Dry Bones = Sky Bones
 * Blooper = Double-Dippers
 * Hammer Bro. = Hungry Hammers

Mario Party 9
Yoshi was a playable character.

Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64 DS, Yoshi is a playable character. At the beginning of the game, Yoshi is woken up by a Lakitu. The Lakitu tells him that Mario, Luigi, and Wario were captured, and Yoshi needs to save them. In this game, Yoshi can swallow enemies, shoot eggs at them, and use his Flutter Jump.

Super Smash Bros. series
Yoshi appeared in all Super Smash Bros. as a playable character. Although he only has two jumps, his second jump is very high, and can help Yoshi reach places that otherwise would require three or four jumps to be made. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Yoshi's "Egg Throw" move is Yoshi's third jump. Yoshi's final smash is Super Dragon, where Yoshi grows wings, and can fly freely around the stage while breathing fire or shooting fireballs at opponents.

Trivia

 * Yoshi was originally supposed to be a type of Koopa, and the saddle on his back would have been his shell.
 * In some Mario games, Yoshi can't swim, however inSuper Mario 64 DS, he is the fastest swimmer.
 * Yoshi appeared as a doll in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
 * A picture of Yoshi can be found in Hyrule Castle Courtyard in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This picture was omitted from the 3D remake.
 * Yoshi and Mario appeared in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes as dolls on Otacon's desk. When the doll was shot, it made the famous Yoshi sound and shooting Mario made the 1up sound effect, refilling Snake's health.
 * Yoshi was named after Yoshio Sakamoto (Director of Metroid series) due to the friendship between him and Shigeru Miyamoto.
 * Yoshi did appear in Super Mario 64 as a non-playable character, but appeared in the DS version as a starting character.
 * In Mario Kart 64, Yoshi's sound effects are when Mario sits on him...
 * The furniture item Yoshi's Egg in Animal Crossing City Folk, when activated, bounces and makes his famous Yoshi sound.