Yoshi's Island - Gameplay

Gameplay

Following a linear pattern, the goal of each level sees the player controlling a Yoshi in order to safely escort Baby Mario to the end and pass him onto another Yoshi. If Yoshi is struck by an enemy or obstacle, Baby Mario will be sprung from Yoshi's back and float around in a bubble crying while a timer counts down, requiring Yoshi to try and recover him by popping its bubble. If Yoshi does not reunite with Baby Mario before the timer reaches 0, Baby Bowser's minions will kidnap him and the player will lose a life, beginning from the start of the level or a mid-way checkpoint. The timer will automatically recover to 10 shortly after recovering Baby Mario, although players can collect little stars in order to increase the timer to a maximum of thirty. Although Yoshi can take numerous hits so long as the timer hasn't counted down, certain situations, such as landing on lava, falling down a bottomless pit, or touching spikes, will instantly cause Yoshi to lose a life regardless of how much time he has left.

Yoshi has a unique set of controls that separate the game from other titles in the Mario series. Along with jumping on most enemies, Yoshi can perform a flutter jump that allows him to reach higher areas or cross large gaps, and can also perform a butt stomp which can be used to smash through crates or push down stumps. Similar to Super Mario World, Yoshi can grab enemies with his tongue and can spit them out at other enemies. By swallowing enemies he grabs with his tongue, Yoshi can produce up to six eggs which he can aim and throw at enemies or obstacles such as small clouds that can spout forth items or trigger events within the level. Eggs can be ricocheted off of walls to reach areas and items Yoshi can't reach by himself. Certain coloured eggs will also produce coins or other items upon hitting their target.

In certain areas, players can collect a Starman which puts players in control of 'Super Baby Mario' for a short amount of time. In this form, Baby Mario is invincible, can run up walls and ceilings and glide with his cape. Additionally, certain areas will features boxes which allow Yoshi to temporarily transform into various vehicles such as a car, a helicopter or a digger, which can be used to access new areas. At the end of each level, a roulette spins for a chance to enter a bonus stage to win items, the odds increasing depending on how many flowers Yoshi has collected in the level. Any items won can be accessed in the pause menu to give Yoshi bonuses such as extra stars or eggs. Depending on how many flowers, red coins and remaining health Yoshi has at the end of the level, the player can earn a score out of 100. Additional stages can be unlocked by getting perfect scores on all the main levels within a world.