Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: How to Pick Yoshi's Color

There are a lot more options in the RPG than Yoshi's standard green!

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is now available on Nintendo Switch, and like most RPGs, the game has several unique characters that can join the player's team. One of the most notable of these characters is a spunky young Yoshi. Yoshi joins the player's party during Chapter 3, when Mario and friends are trying to get the Crystal Star located in Glitzville. This Yoshi is a bit unique compared to the rest of the party, as players will have some customization options available, including the ability to name their Yoshi, and even choose a different color than the standard green.

How to Determine Your Yoshi Color

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Yoshi hatches from an egg obtained at Glitzville's Hot Dog stand. The egg can only be obtained once Mario reaches Rank 14 in the arena, which happens after 6 matches have been won. The egg will always hatch after the Rank 11 match against the Iron Adonis twins. That battle cannot be won without Yoshi's help, requiring a rematch. Basically, once Mario loses, he'll head back to the locker room, where the egg will hatch. 

Yoshi's coloration depends on how much time passes between when Mario gets the egg, and when it hatches. Basically, players can make Yoshi hatch into their desired color by killing the requisite amount of time. If players hatch the egg within 6 minutes of getting it, they'll get the standard green. Following that, players will get the following Yoshi colors: 

  • 6-9 minutes: Red
  • 9-11 minutes: Blue
  • 11-15 minutes: Orange
  • 15-18 minutes: Pink
  • 18-19 minutes: Black
  • 19-20 minutes: White

Nailing the Timing

The timing on getting a different colored Yoshi is very specific; if the player takes too long, the time cycle will go back to the start. The time the game is paused does count towards the clock, but not time spent in cutscenes, or if the game has been put in Sleep mode. At the end of the day, the Yoshi's coloration has no impact on the actual gameplay, as it's just a neat extra. It should also be noted that this is not like dying Link's clothing in Breath of the Wild; once Yoshi has hatched, that's the color he'll stay unless the player starts another save file. As such, players might want to save before claiming the Yoshi egg and trying for their favorite color. 

Yoshi is one of the better partner characters in The Thousand-Year Door. On top of having some helpful abilities in battle (which are needed to clear Chapter 3), Mario can also ride on Yoshi in the game's overworld, adding a bit more speed. Since players are going to see a lot of Yoshi throughout their journey, they might want to consider spending a little extra time picking a color they won't mind seeing! 

What Yoshi color do you plan on shooting for? Did you know you could determine the color? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: IGN]