Editing Yoshi (section)

== Concept and creation ==
[[File:Yoshi-concept.png|left|thumb|upright|Considered after the development of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', Yoshi's early design differs greatly from his finished appearance.<ref>{{citation|title=Mario Mania Player's Guide|author=Pam Sather, Scott Pelland|publisher=Nintendo Power|year=1991|page=32 | isbn=0-450-49606-6 |display-authors=etal}}</ref>]]

[[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the video game designer at [[Nintendo]] credited with inventing the ''Mario'' series, had wanted [[Mario]] to have a dinosaur companion ever since the first release of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''; however, Nintendo engineers could not add such a character into the game due to the limitations of the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES).<ref name="ignpresents">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/14/ign-presents-the-history-of-super-mario-bros|title=IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros.|website=IGN|access-date=May 4, 2022|first=Marc|last=Nix|date=14 September 2010|archive-date=14 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214150252/http://au.games.ign.com/articles/833/833615p1.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="history" />{{sfn|Kawasaki|1991|p=31}} The inspiration for Yoshi can be traced back further, to the green dragon Tamagon in the 1984 video game ''[[Devil World]]:'' also designed by Miyamoto, both are green lizards that hatch from eggs and can eat enemies with their large mouth, and also emit the same noise when they hatch.<ref name="onm" />{{sfn|Nutter|2006|p=118}} During the development of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', Miyamoto had a number of sketches around his desk, including an image of Mario riding a horse.<ref name="IGN2">{{cite web|title=Super Mario World: Mario Was Originally Punching Yoshi In The Head|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/09/28/super-mario-world-mario-was-originally-punching-yoshi-in-the-head|website=IGN|access-date=September 29, 2017|first=Hope|last=Corrigan|date=28 September 2017|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929043031/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/09/28/super-mario-world-mario-was-originally-punching-yoshi-in-the-head|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto7">{{Cite web|last=Sholars|first=Mike|title=Yoshi Devolved From Babysitter to Baby|url=https://kotaku.com/yoshi-devolved-from-babysitter-to-baby-1845999049|website=Kotaku|date=7 January 2021|access-date=10 October 2021|archive-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010090758/https://kotaku.com/yoshi-devolved-from-babysitter-to-baby-1845999049|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Takashi Tezuka]], a ''Mario'' series developer, speculated that Miyamoto's love of horse riding as well as country and [[Western (genre)|western]] themes influenced Yoshi's creation.<ref name="onm">{{cite journal |year=2012 |title=A Brief History of... Yoshi |journal=[[Official Nintendo Magazine]] |issue=47 |pages=81–83|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|issn=1836-4276}}</ref>{{sfn|East|2012|p=52}} The concept of Mario riding a dinosaur also came from the NES video game ''[[Excitebike]]'', which featured people riding [[motorcycle]]s.<ref name=onm/>

Once the more powerful [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] was released, Miyamoto was finally able to implement Yoshi into the series, putting Yoshi into the video game ''[[Super Mario World]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol2_page1.jsp |title=Wii.com – Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii |publisher=Nintendo Wii |access-date=2010-11-09 |archive-date=2009-12-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217145552/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol2_page1.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref> As development of ''Super Mario World'' progressed, the team opted to set the game in a "dinosaur land", so Tezuka asked designer Shigefumi Hino to draw a reptile-like creature based on Miyamoto's sketches.<ref name="IGN2"/> Hino originally produced a design that Tezuka deemed too reptilian, and "didn't really fit into the Mario world", so he encouraged the designer to create a "cuter" character.<ref name="IGN2"/> According to Hino, Yoshi's tongue attack was originally conceived as Yoshi sticking out his tongue in surprise when Mario hit the back of his head. This was later "passed off" as Mario merely pointing forward to signal Yoshi to stick out his tongue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/28/16378812/super-mario-world-mario-punching-yoshi|title=Super Mario World originally had Yoshi getting punched in the head|first=Allegra|last=Frank|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=September 28, 2017|access-date=September 24, 2019|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405193207/https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/28/16378812/super-mario-world-mario-punching-yoshi|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/confirmed-mario-was-originally-punching-yoshi-1818873540|title=Confirmed: Mario Was Originally Punching Yoshi|website=Kotaku|date=28 September 2017|access-date=10 October 2021|archive-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010100825/https://kotaku.com/confirmed-mario-was-originally-punching-yoshi-1818873540|url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside the individual Yoshi, ''Super Mario World'' also introduced other members of the Yoshi species, characterized by their variety of colors.<ref name="ignbio">{{cite web| title=Yoshi Biography | url=http://stars.ign.com/objects/924/924294_biography.html | website = IGN| access-date=November 28, 2017| url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126124100/http://stars.ign.com/objects/924/924294_biography.html|archive-date= November 26, 2007}}</ref>

Yoshi proved to be popular in this debut, which caused the next game in the series, ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'', to focus on the Yoshi species.<ref name="ignpresents" /><ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|title=Character Profile: Yoshi|work=Hardcore Gamer|date=2 December 2013|url=https://hardcoregamer.com/features/articles/character-profile-yoshi/62893/|access-date=10 October 2021|archive-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010095749/https://hardcoregamer.com/features/articles/character-profile-yoshi/62893/|url-status=live}}</ref> At Miyamoto's prompting, Hino landed on the idea of using Yoshi as the main character of a platforming game, with the goal of being more accessible than previous games in the ''Mario'' series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world/|title=Super Mario World & Yoshi's Island Developer Interview - SNES Classic Edition - Official Site|website=Nintendo|access-date=2021-10-10|archive-date=2021-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609090516/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref> To give the gameplay a more "gentle and relaxed pacing", the levels lack time limits and feature more exploration elements than previous games; Yoshi's flutter jump also makes him easier to control in the air than Mario.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-super-mario-world-2-yoshis-island/|title=The making of Yoshi's Island – How Nintendo delivered a sensational successor to Super Mario World|date=August 5, 2020|website=[[GamesRadar]]|access-date=October 6, 2020|archive-date=October 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001084510/https://www.gamesradar.com/making-of-super-mario-world-2-yoshis-island/|url-status=live}}</ref> In this game, he is responsible for Baby Mario, which leads him to Bowser's Castle, where he is reunited with Baby Luigi. Yoshi successfully pulls the twins together just in time to go home after beating a huge Baby Bowser.<ref name="auto3" />

The version of Yoshi seen in the live-action ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' film was realized using a {{convert|0.91|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall|abbr=}} [[animatronic]] dinosaur. Yoshi was designed in the film by Dave Nelson. The animatronic had nearly 60 meters (200&nbsp;ft) of cable and hundreds of moving parts inside of it and was controlled by nine puppeteers. The body was cable-controlled, while the head was radio-controlled. Nelson described the overall process as being "difficult."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/media/behindthescenes/yoshi.htm |title=Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive |publisher=SMB Movie |access-date=2010-11-09 |archive-date=2011-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513230427/http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/media/behindthescenes/yoshi.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The creation of Yoshi was handled by a company independent from the filmmakers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/specials/interviews/2_JeffGoodwin_3-30-09.html |title=Jeff Goodwin - SMB Archive Interview |publisher=Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive |date=2009-03-30 |access-date=2010-11-09 |archive-date=2010-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310101125/http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/specials/interviews/2_JeffGoodwin_3-30-09.html |url-status=live }}</ref>