One of Nintendo’s Most Beloved Characters Debuted 35 Years Ago Today (And Their Next Game Is Coming Soon)

Nintendo has given us some of the most recognizable faces in gaming. Even those who’ve seldom held a controller could probably recognize Mario on sight, and Luigi and Princess Peach aren’t far behind. But not every beloved Mario character has been around since the beginning. In fact, a certain fan favorite didn’t make his first appearance until 5 years after the first Super Mario Bros. game was released.

Believe it or not, Yoshi didn’t make his Nintendo debut until the 1990 release of Super Mario World. This game was the 5th installment in the Super Mario series, and it brought us the lovable green dinosaur for the very first time. Super Mario World was released for the Super Nintendo on November 21st, 1990, and the world got to see Yoshi for the very first time. But he was actually quite different in that first game compared to the version that went on to star in his own series of delightful Mario spinoffs. In honor of Yoshi’s 35th birthday, let’s dig into the history of this Nintendo icon.

Yoshi’s First Debuted as Mario’s Dinosaur Mount, But Became a Core Nintendo Star

From his beginnings in Super Mario World, it was probably hard to predict that Yoshi would become the staple Nintendo figure he is today. The green dinosaur was a companion character in the 2D platformer, serving as a mount that Mario could ride. Though the default Yoshi was indeed green, you could also unlock hidden dinosaur pals in other colors.

In his first gaming appearance, Yoshi helps Mario by letting him ride on his back while also eating any enemies that get in the duo’s way. Eating some of them even grants him special abilities, letting Yoshi fly, shoot fire, and more. Though it took several games for fans to finally meet Yoshi, he was supposedly part of the core Mario concept from the beginning. Gaming technology simply had to advance far enough to allow a rideable dinosaur mount to be plausible, and with the SNES, it finally happened.

While many mounts are lovable but not star characters, Yoshi was destined for greatness. The adorable green dinosaur was incredibly popular with players, and Yoshi quickly became a core fixture in the Super Mario Bros. series. In fact, the Super Mario World sequel was called Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, giving the developers an excuse to build on the Yoshi lore. But this cute character couldn’t be confined to Mario games alone. He would become part of the recurring cast in games like Mario Kart and Mario Party, and would also claim the honor of his very own series of platformers.

Many consider Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island to be the first Yoshi platformer, but the game still piggybacks on the Super Mario name. The truly standalone Yoshi games started in earnest with the Nintendo 64 release of Yoshi’s Story. This game took players through a storybook world, using Yoshi’s unique ability to eat enemies and turn them into eggs to their advantage. Since then, we’ve seen several more games that star the green dinosaur himself. In fact, Nintendo is giving us a brand-new Yoshi game in 2026.

In 2026, We’re Getting the First New Yoshi Game in 7 Years

Read Next

Kirby Air Riders Is a Switch 2 Sequel With More Style Than Substance (Review)

Though Yoshi isn’t quite as famous as his friend Mario, the games are clearly popular enough to revisit. The first Yoshi’s Story got only middling reviews due to its simplified mechanics compared to the Super Mario series. But even so, it had a certain cozy charm that landed well with fans, and we’ve seen several new Yoshi games released since.

The Yoshi games often use unique art styles that set them apart from 3D Mario platformers. There were the storybook vibes from Yoshi’s Story, and the yarn creation of Yoshi’s Woolly World. Now, it looks like we’re returning to the storybook format for the next new installment in the Yoshi platformer series.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book was announced as one of the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives headed our way in 2026. Since its reveal at the Nintendo Direct in September, we haven’t learned too much more about this new Yoshi game. We do know that Yoshi will find himself inside a storybook and that it uses a sort of stop-motion animation style.

The new Yoshi game will be one of 10 confirmed first-party Nintendo releases for the Switch 2 in 2026, and it’s the first Yoshi game in 7 years. The prior installment, Yoshi’s Crafted World, came out in 2019. The game performed fairly well with critics and fans alike, and continued the popularity of the Yoshi series. Although many hoped to see a new Mario platformer revealed for the Switch 2, a new Yoshi game is a pretty close second in my book.

Who is your favorite Mario side character? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!