Overview

Baby Bowser has taken the Super Happy Tree and cast a spell on Yoshi's world, turning it into the pages of a picture book. The only Yoshis not affected by the spell were six hatchlings still protected by their shells. It's up to them to reclaim the Super Happy Tree and restore happiness to the world — that is the only thing that can break Baby Bowser's spell.

Innovative graphics give the look and feel of handmade materials in 24 fully textured and rendered courses across six “pages” of the island. Yoshi comes alive with personality made possible by the animation and sounds of the Nintendo 64 system — and for the very first time in Mario history, Yoshi has his own voice, provided by composer Kazumi Totaka.

Where its predecessor Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was a goal-driven platformer about getting Baby Mario home, Yoshi's Story is a fundamentally different beast: levels end not when you reach a flag but when you eat exactly 30 fruits. Eat your favourite fruit to score more, find the right melons for points multipliers, sniff out hidden treasures — the gameplay loop is closer to a treasure hunt than a race to the finish.

Story

The Yoshis live in harmony on Yoshi's Island, and their ultimate source of happiness is provided by the Super Happy Tree. Baby Bowser becomes jealous of their happiness and steals the tree, crushing their joy — and then performs a spell to turn the entire island into a pop-up picture book.

Six Baby Yoshis hatch on the island and learn what Baby Bowser has done. They set out to retrieve the tree, venturing through six “pages” of the island, eventually fighting him at the end and restoring the Super Happy Tree.

If the player waits about nine seconds on the title screen, the book opens and reads aloud the tale below — reproduced here verbatim:

After each completed page, the storybook turns and a recap appears narrating the Yoshis' progress — ending with the recurring refrain:

The Six Pages of the Quest

Each “page” is a discrete world with its own theme — from the gentle plains of the beginning to the magma-filled finale at Baby Bowser's castle. The end-of-page screens visualise the Yoshis growing happier, marking the trail back to the Super Happy Tree.

Gameplay

Yoshi's Story is played much like its SNES predecessor Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, but with a few important changes. The timer that counted down for Baby Mario is gone (no more rescuing him on a clock); the Yoshi morph abilities (helicopter, train, etc.) are gone too.

To complete a level, the Baby Yoshis must eat exactly 30 fruits scattered through the level. Before starting a level, the player picks a Baby Yoshi. Each Yoshi has a different taste — eating a fruit (or Shy Guy) matching their own colour recovers more health and scores more points.

The Smile Meter is a flower in the top-left corner that serves as the life bar; petals fall off as the Yoshi takes damage, and the flower's facial expression changes from happy to sad as health drains. Hidden helpers include Miss Warps (who teleport Yoshis to different parts of the level) and Poochy (who can sniff out hidden objects from far away).

If a Baby Yoshi is defeated, that Yoshi is whisked off to Baby Bowser's castle by his Toadies. If all six Baby Yoshis are kidnapped, the game is over. Captured Yoshis (except the secret Black and White Yoshis) can be rescued by finding a White Shy Guy and finishing the level with it.

When you start a game in either Story Mode or Trial Mode, the game randomly selects a Lucky Fruit for the level — said Lucky Fruit heals a Yoshi's entire life bar when eaten, even if that Yoshi normally wouldn't like it.

There are four difficulty levels: Novice, Easy, Medium, and Hard.

Yoshi Moves

The Baby Yoshis can perform a range of moves to complete their adventure. Most are familiar from Yoshi's Island, but some have been tweaked and a brand-new ability — Sniffing — is exclusive to this game.

Jump & Flutter Jump

Press A to jump; press and hold A again to flutter. The flutter can be extended by holding A after Yoshi grunts — and pushing up on the control stick during a flutter pushes Yoshi even higher.

Throwing Eggs

When a Yoshi eats an enemy, it can be turned into an egg. Aim with Z or the C-buttons and release to throw. Eggs collect coins, pop Special Hearts, ricochet off walls, and explode if they miss. Eggs cannot be thrown underwater.

Swallowing

Lick with the tongue to swallow enemies and items — direction controlled with the control stick. Unlike in Yoshi's Island, the Yoshi automatically ingests whatever is caught.

Ground Pound

Jump and quickly press Down on the control stick. Reveals hidden items in the ground and stuns or defeats enemies.

Sniffing (New!)

Exclusive to Yoshi's Story. Press R to sniff. If a Yoshi is near a hidden object, a “!” appears next to their head. If they're standing on a hidden item, they wave at the player. Ground-pound or egg-throw at the spot to reveal the goods.

Game Modes

Story Mode

The main game. Yoshi's Story's Story Mode contains 24 levels (four per world, six worlds), but only six can be played in a single playthrough — the game jumps directly to the next world after a level is completed. To play every level you need to complete the game at least four different times, picking unvisited levels each time.

The player can choose which of the four levels on the first page they wish to start on. However, the choice of levels in later worlds is determined by the number of Special Hearts collected in the previous level. Whenever a level is completed, the Baby Yoshis start singing and a text appears to explain what happened in the level.

Trial Mode

A score-attack mode that lets you replay any stage cleared in Story Mode. The Black and White Yoshis are NOT available here — they're Story-Mode-only.

The most efficient way to score is to eat nothing but melons. If you achieve this, a marker appears at the end of the level. Eating all 30 melons requires sniffing constantly to find every hidden one. To quit a stage early, press Z + START together.

Easter egg: if you wait 2 minutes 10 seconds on the Trial Mode menu, Totakeke's theme plays — composer Kazumi Totaka's signature 19-note song hidden in nearly every game he's worked on.

Practice Mode

An exclusive tutorial level explaining controls and techniques. The only level in the game without 30 melons to collect.

Playable Yoshis

All eight Yoshis are playable. Six default Yoshis hatch at the start of the game; two more — the Black Yoshi and White Yoshi — are unlocked by finding hidden Giant Eggs. The colour you pick functions like a life: each is a separate stock, and the order you select them in matters.

Each Yoshi has a Favourite Fruit that, when eaten, restores more health and scores more points than usual. Eating melons triggers the same bonus regardless of which Yoshi you're playing.

The Default Six

Green Yoshi

Favourite fruit: Watermelon

Egg colour: Green

The classic. Average all-rounder, and the first Yoshi the game gives you when you start. Spotted green eggs with green markings.

Red Yoshi

Favourite fruit: Apple

Egg colour: Red

Loves apples. Throws red-spotted eggs.

Pink Yoshi

Favourite fruit: —

Egg colour: Pink

No specific favourite fruit listed — treats all fruits roughly equally. Pink-spotted eggs.

Yellow Yoshi

Favourite fruit: Banana

Egg colour: Yellow

Goes bananas for bananas. Yellow-spotted eggs.

Blue Yoshi

Favourite fruit: Grapes

Egg colour: Blue

Adores grapes. Also notably: Blue Yoshi is the only colour that can safely eat Ick Worms without losing health. Blue-spotted eggs.

Light Blue Yoshi

Favourite fruit: —

Egg colour: Light Blue

No specific favourite fruit listed — treats all fruits roughly equally. Light-blue-spotted eggs.

The Hidden Two

White Yoshi

Favourite fruit: All fruit

Egg colour: White

The White Yoshi is treated as a secret Yoshi above and beyond the standard six. Loves every fruit equally (including peppers and Bomb Berries, which would hurt the others). Throws white-spotted eggs with extra-large explosive radius. Black-spotted eggs detonate when the White Yoshi throws them. Story Mode only.

Unlock: Find the hidden white Giant Egg in The Tall Tower (3-2) or Poochy & Nippy (3-3).

Black Yoshi

Favourite fruit: All fruit

Egg colour: Black

Like the White Yoshi, the Black Yoshi loves every fruit equally and can safely eat the spicy and explosive fruits (peppers and Bomb Berries). Throws black-spotted eggs with extra-large explosive radius. Black-spotted eggs detonate when the Black Yoshi throws them. Story Mode only.

Unlock: Find the hidden black Giant Egg in Bone Dragon Pit (2-1) or Torrential Maze (2-4).

Supporting Characters

The Baby Yoshis don't go it alone. These friendly faces lend a paw, a peep, or a sniff along the way.

Poochy

The friendly orange-and-yellow dog who returns from Yoshi's Island. Poochy follows a Yoshi around and uses his nose to sniff out hidden items from far away — ideal for finding melons buried in the ground. Found in select levels.

White Shy Guy

A friendly white-clad Shy Guy. Find one and finish the level with it to rescue any captured Yoshis (except the Black and White Yoshis, who must be unlocked through their hidden Giant Eggs).

Miss Warp

An egg-shaped creature found asleep at certain points in levels. When woken up she warps the Yoshis to another Miss Warp elsewhere in the level — a shortcut to hidden areas.

Balloon Bully

A balloon-like entity that carries a log on its head, allowing the Yoshis to reach otherwise inaccessible high places.

Dragon

A serpentine creature that acts as a lift for the Yoshis to use while in the air or over lava. Comes in green and red varieties.

Ghost Rider

A whisp-like spirit that acts as a moving platform for the Yoshis to ride.

Power Bee

An insect that restores health when eaten. Despite being a bee, it cannot harm a Yoshi if simply touched.

Lakitu

A cloud-riding helper Lakitu rewards Yoshis with melons depending on their performance in certain minigames. (A different, hostile Lakitu also exists as an enemy in some levels — tossing items.)

Pak E. Derm

Big elephant creatures that hold up a stop sign in an attempt to block a Yoshi's progress. They can be temporarily stunned with a Ground Pound. Iconic gatekeepers of the game.

Worlds & Levels

The six “pages” of the storybook each contain four levels (24 in total) but only one level per page is played in a single run — the choice in the next page is determined by the number of Special Hearts collected in the previous level. To experience every level you need to complete the game at least four separate times. Each page closes with an end-of-level screen showing the Yoshis a little happier.

Page 1 — Beginning

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier.

1-1Treasure Hunt
Plains

1-2Surprise!!
Coast

1-3Rail Lift
Coast

1-4Tower Climb
Tower

Page 2 — Cavern

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier.

2-1Bone Dragon Pit
Cave (Black Yoshi Giant Egg here)

2-2Blargg's Boiler
Lava / Coast

2-3Jelly Pipe
Sewer / Cave

2-4Torrential Maze
Sewer (Black Yoshi Giant Egg here)

Page 3 — Summit

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier.

3-1Cloud Cruising
Coast

3-2The Tall Tower
Tower (White Yoshi Giant Egg here)

3-3Poochy & Nippy
Snow (White Yoshi Giant Egg here)

3-4Frustration
Snow / Sewer

Page 4 — Jungle

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier.

4-1Jungle Hut
Village

4-2Jungle Puddle
Swamp

4-3Piranha Grove
Brambles

4-4Neuron Jungle
Swamp

Page 5 — Ocean

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier.

5-1Lots O'Jelly Fish
Coast / Underwater

5-2Lots O'Fish
Coast / Underwater

5-3Shy Guy Limbo
Plains

5-4Shy Guy's Ship
Coast

Page 6 — Finale

The page turned, and the Yoshis grew happier — the Super Happy Tree was theirs once more.

6-1Mecha Castle
Castle

6-2Lift Castle
Castle / Tower

6-3Ghost Castle
Castle / Cave

6-4Magma Castle
Lava / Castle / Cave

Bosses

Each “page” ends with a boss encounter on the page's 4-1 stage. Five named bosses culminate in the final showdown with Baby Bowser at Magma Castle.

Cloud N. Candy

Encountered at: Page 1-4 / Page 1 end

A friendly-looking cloud boss who can be gradually eaten by a Yoshi. The boss is defeated when she is entirely consumed. A surreal opening boss in the lightest of tones.

Inviso

Encountered at: Page 2 end

A ghost that stays invisible while releasing Peepers (small birds) to attack. A Yoshi must hit him with three eggs to defeat him — tricky because you need to time hits when he flickers visible.

Cloudjin

Encountered at: Page 3 end

A giant, wind-bending genie that floats around. Hit his stomach with three eggs while he is tangible to defeat him. He blows you around with gusts of wind while you try to land hits.

Don Bongo

Encountered at: Page 4 end

A giant Gabon (Spike)-like creature that creates earthquakes with each step. Shoot three eggs at his lips to defeat him. A hulking, slow but devastating opponent.

(Final Boss) from Yoshi's Story” loading=”lazy”>

Baby Bowser (Final Boss)

Encountered at: Magma Castle (Page 6 finale)

The mastermind himself. First phase: Baby Bowser rides around on his pet Ghost while throwing bombs — you must send those bombs back at him. Second phase: the remainder of the battle is on foot. Beat him and the spell on Yoshi's Island is broken, the storybook closes, and the Super Happy Tree is restored.

Mini-Bosses

Smaller boss-style encounters that appear within individual levels — harder than regular enemies but not the page-finale boss.

Bone Dragon

Encountered at: Bone Dragon Pit (2-1)

A three-headed skeletal dragon that shoots flames. The Yoshis must defeat each head either by throwing two eggs at each head or by ground-pounding each head twice. The black Giant Egg hides here for those hunting the Black Yoshi.

Slug

Encountered at: Various cave levels

A giant colourful creature that can be defeated only by making eggs pop near its eyes. Looks deceptively friendly with its bright colours.

Snorkel Snake

Encountered at: Underwater levels

A gigantic eel that attempts to encircle a Yoshi. Despite being treated as a mini-boss, it cannot be defeated — instead, the Cheep Cheeps in its lair must be defeated while the Yoshi avoids it.

Enemies

A bestiary of Baby Bowser's minions, grouped by family. Cards show the standout enemy types — many appear in multiple colour variants throughout the game.

Shy Guy Family

Shy Guy

First seen: Practice

The ubiquitous masked enemy. Wanders around in red, yellow, green and blue colour variants. The colour determines what bonus a Yoshi gets for eating it — matching colours give the biggest boost.

Flying Shy Guy (Fly Guy)

First seen: Practice

An airborne Shy Guy that carries a fruit. If a Yoshi eats the fruit, the Fly Guy flies away. Defeat a quartet with a single egg for a bonus melon. Variants include propeller-helmet, tiny swarm, and Black Shy Guy.

Snow Guy

First seen: Poochy & Nippy (3-3)

A Shy Guy dressed in winter attire, throwing snowballs at any Yoshi it sees. Appears in the snow levels of Page 3.

Pak E. Derm

First seen: Treasure Hunt (1-1)

Elephant creatures that hold up a stop sign to block a Yoshi's progress. Can be temporarily stunned with a Ground Pound. Pure gatekeeper personality.

Toady

First seen: When a Yoshi gets a Game Over

When a Yoshi faints, Toadies appear carrying it off to Baby Bowser's castle. They also appear after Baby Bowser is defeated to carry HIM out. Crucial to the level-loss mechanic.

Bob-bomb

First seen: Shy Guy's Ship (5-4)

A sentient bomb that wanders around, eventually exploding. Any Yoshis caught in the blast take damage. Parabombs (parachute-wearing Bob-bombs) appear later when dropped by Baby Bowser.

Ghost & Lava Family

Boo

First seen: Ghost Castle (6-3)

A ghost enemy that stops moving when looked at and follows a Yoshi when facing away. Can only be defeated by looking away from it and bouncing an egg off a wall to hit it. Block Boos (disguise as blocks) and Blindfold Boos (use sound cues) are variants.

Blargg

First seen: Blargg's Boiler (2-2)

A giant blob-like creature that randomly arises from lava. The signature lava enemy — arguably the most beloved Yoshi-series enemy of all.

Spark Spook (Lava Bubble)

First seen: Blargg's Boiler (2-2)

A fireball that jumps up and down out of lava. The longer Lava Ghost variant jumps in arcs.

Water Family

Cheep Cheep

First seen: Neuron Jungle (4-4)

The classic Mario-series fish swims in straight lines or set patterns. Variants include the giant Red and Blue Blurps (jumping Cheep Cheeps), and the dangerous Spiny Fish that hurts Yoshis when eaten.

Piranha Plant

First seen: Piranha Grove (4-3)

A plant enemy that grows on a vine, attempting to ensnare a Yoshi. Variants include the Piranha Pest (small sprouts that can swallow a Yoshi to shrink them) and Piranha Sprout (low to the ground).

Bullet Bill

First seen: Tower Climb (1-4)

A bullet-like enemy emitted from a Turtle Cannon (Bill Blaster), travelling in straight lines. Found in the towers and Shy Guy's Ship.

Other Notable Enemies

Bumpty

First seen: Frustration (3-4)

A penguin-like foe that can bump a Yoshi around. Familiar to fans of Yoshi's Island, where they made their debut.

Goonie

First seen: Poochy & Nippy (3-3)

A bird that flies around and can be ridden on. Some Goonies carry bombs. Goonies cannot directly harm a Yoshi if touched — they're effectively flying platforms.

Spider

First seen: Surprise!! (1-2)

An arachnid-like enemy that attacks a Yoshi by dangling from a string. Appears in the jungle and surprise-themed levels.

Chomp (Chain Chomp)

First seen: Jungle Hut (4-1)

A dog-like enemy that constantly chomps forward. The Yoshi-series take on the Mario Chain Chomp.

Items & Fruit

Fruit is the core currency of Yoshi's Story — you need exactly 30 per level to complete it. Special items hide in the levels too, from health-restoring flowers to score-boosting Special Hearts.

Standard Fruit

Watermelon

Green Yoshi's favourite. A standard fruit that fully heals if eaten by Green Yoshi.

Apple

Red Yoshi's favourite. Same logic — eats best with Red Yoshi.

Banana

Yellow Yoshi's favourite.

Grapes

Blue Yoshi's favourite.

Melon

The universal bonus fruit. Every Yoshi gets the maximum healing and score from eating a melon. Eating only melons in a level is the key to a top-tier Trial Mode score. Hidden melons are often buried — sniff for them.

Heart Fruit

Eating this makes a Yoshi Super Happy — a temporary buff that increases speed, prevents damage, and triggers hidden coin formations spelling out letters in international versions of the game.

Special Items

Special Heart

A pink heart-shaped item that unlocks the next level in Story Mode. Three Special Hearts can be found in each level. Collecting more in your current page determines the level options on the next page.

Bomb Berry

An explosive spiked fruit that tastes horrible to standard Yoshis. Only Black and White Yoshis can stomach them safely. Slowly grows, drops, and regrows endlessly.

Giant Egg

A hidden egg that unlocks a secret Yoshi if found and carried to the stage's end. The white-spotted version unlocks White Yoshi; the black-spotted version unlocks Black Yoshi.

Pepper

A spicy fruit that only Black and White Yoshis enjoy. Not included in the level's 30-fruit tally regardless of who eats it.

Power Flower

A flower that restores a Yoshi's health when eaten. Doesn't count toward the 30-fruit total.

Tulip

A flower that transforms a Yoshi into an egg to reach high and seemingly inaccessible places.

Bumber 'Chute

An umbrella that helps a Yoshi glide to places. Slows your fall to a hover.

Coin (Hopping)

Coins with feet that spawn in sets of five for a short period — collecting all five always gives a melon as the reward.

Key

Required to open locked doors. Obtained by defeating certain enemies or popping a ? Bubble. Single-use.

Regional Differences

Many small but meaningful changes were made between the Japanese release (21 Dec 1997) and the international versions (9 March 1998 in N. America). Here's the complete catalogue.

• Yoshi voices — In the Japanese version, all eight Baby Yoshis share the same vocal range used for the Green and Yellow Yoshis. International versions gave each colour its own distinct voice.
• Egg Block colours — Japan: all Egg Blocks have green spots regardless of which Yoshi you're playing. International: the Egg Block spot colour matches your current Yoshi's colour.
• Cloudjin damage flash — Cloudjin flashes red when hurt in the Japanese version only.
• Data erase audio — Japan: erasing save data plays an explosion sound. International: plays a fanfare instead.
• Intro font — Japan: the intro is written in a rainbow pastel font. International: a normal font coloured with a two-tone gradient.
• Fruit display at level completion — International: eating 30 of the same fruit shows an image of that fruit on the Level Complete screen. Japan: only a heart icon appears.
• Save in Story Mode — Not possible in the Japanese version. International versions added Story Mode saves.
• Language switching — NTSC version: switch between Japanese and English text. PAL version: the Japanese option was replaced with German and French.
• Eating-on-ground momentum — The international version cancels all momentum when the Yoshi eats a fruit while on the ground.
• Blargg's Boiler — Japan: two bubbled melons above the second-to-last bone bridge. International: only one.
• Shy Guy Limbo music — Only the international versions have a music track for sections where Bamboo Dancers appear.
• Baby Bowser distance — In the final fight, the Yoshis start slightly farther away from Baby Bowser in the Japanese version.
• European Game Over sound — The European version contains an additional sound effect on the Game Over screen.
• Ghost Stream vs Vine Slime — Some Ghost Stream sections in the international versions were replaced with Vine Slimes in the Japanese version.
• Hidden coin letters — The international version adds secret coin formations that spell letters in every level, triggered when a Heart Fruit is eaten by Yoshi. These were entirely absent in the Japanese version.
• Practice Mode glitch — The Japanese version has a glitch that allows the player to play any level from the first world in Practice Mode. International versions fixed this.

Reception

Yoshi's Story received broadly mixed reviews on release. Critics praised the music, graphics and ease of play, but criticism focused on the short play length, low difficulty, and the repetitive fruit-collection objective. Despite the lukewarm reception, the colourful art style and warm soundtrack have earned the game an enduring cult following.

Sales

The game sold 1.28 million copies in the Americas and 2.85 million worldwide. Despite its mixed reception it became a Nintendo 64 Player's Choice title on August 23, 1998. PC Data reported 679,219 copies sold in the US by the end of 1998, earning $32.6 million — making it the country's 8th best-selling N64 release of the year. In Japan it sold 53,428 copies on launch day alone (placing it #7 on Famitsu's weekly chart), with a total of 618,789 by the end of 1998. In Germany it sold 150,000 units in its first nine months on sale.

Trivia & Easter Eggs

• The game was first revealed at Shoshinkai 1996 under the title Yoshi's Island 64, with an early logo nearly identical to the SNES Yoshi's Island logo. It was originally planned as a direct sequel before the health meter and storybook framing changed its identity.
• This is the first game ever to give Yoshi a voice. Composer Kazumi Totaka provided all the Yoshi vocals himself — making him both the game's composer AND Yoshi's voice actor. He's voiced Yoshi in essentially every Mario game since.
• It was the first Yoshi platformer not produced or directed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto served as supervisor and contributed design ideas, but Hideki Konno took the director role (he had previously directed Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island).
• Totakeke's Theme easter egg: wait 2 minutes 10 seconds on the Trial Mode stage-select screen and Kazumi Totaka's signature 19-note tune plays. Totaka hides this melody in nearly every game he's composed for — Yoshi's Story is one of its earliest hiding places.
• The game was the first Super Mario/Yoshi game on the Nintendo 64 in North America rated E for “Everyone” — the ESRB had just switched from the previous “K-A” (Kids to Adults) rating to “E” in 1998.
• Nintendo described the game's graphics as “2.5D” — lush, hand-crafted-looking levels rendered as 2D sprites against pre-rendered 3D backgrounds. Miyamoto said the 2D format was necessary to create the artistic style the team wanted.
• A short tech demo called Yoshi Demo was shown when the Game Boy Advance was first announced (April 10, 2000). It was either a port of Yoshi's Story to the GBA or a direct sequel — it was never released, but the GBA game Yoshi Topsy-Turvy later inherited the same art style and mechanics, making it the closest thing to a spiritual sequel.
• Promotional Shaped CD: a 15-track promotional soundtrack Music to Pound the Ground To was released in North America. The disc was physically shaped like Yoshi's head — striking but incompatible with most non-portable CD players.
• The full Japanese soundtrack album, Yoshi Story Original Soundtrack, was released by Pony Canyon on February 4, 1998. The European version was Love, Peace & Happiness, a 28-track album released by Nintendo of Europe on April 9, 1998.
• Yoshi's sprites in Yoshi's Story reuse Yoshi's design from Mario Kart 64 — that's where his classic blocky-N64-era look originated.
• The Yoshi soundtrack was made available in its entirety on the Nintendo Music app on June 24, 2025.
• A small portion of the “Flower Garden” track from Yoshi's Island can be heard 43 seconds into the “Games of Happiness” track in Yoshi's Story — a hidden audio callback.
• Despite the mixed reviews, the game still became a Nintendo 64 Player's Choice title less than five months after its NA release.
• Yoshi's Story was the subject of volumes 19 and 20 of Super Mario-kun, the long-running Japanese Mario manga.
• In the Japanese version, the opening intro is written in a rainbow pastel font; international versions use a more standard two-toned gradient font instead.
• The game was originally intended for a North American release by the 1997 holiday season — but was delayed until March 1998. A Nintendo official said this was “based on us demanding A-plus quality.”
• The Super Smash Bros. Brawl Chronicle (North American version) erroneously states that Yoshi's Story was released on February 20, 1998 — the actual release date was March 9, 1998.
• The serial code for the Japanese cartridge is NUS-NYSJ-JPN. The iQue Player (China) release was on March 25, 2004.
• The game has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console (2007), Wii U Virtual Console (2016), and Nintendo Switch Online (N64 Classics) on October 25, 2021.
• Hiroshi Yamauchi — the legendary president of Nintendo who steered the company from playing cards to global gaming dominance — was the game's executive producer.

References to Other Games

Yoshi's Story draws heavily on its predecessor, but its own design DNA can be felt across two decades of Yoshi and Mario games since.

References in Later Games

The Yoshi's Story aesthetic has echoed through Mario's history for nearly thirty years.

Videos

Reference, Information & Downloads