Yoshi! The little green dinosaur has been on our screens for a long time now, and while many first got to know him as an expendable resource in Super Mario World that helps Mario get extra height on his jump, he’s much more than that.
But he’s much more than that. Over the past three decades, Yoshi’s starred in all sorts of platform games (and puzzlers, and even an FPS, although we’re focusing on the platformers here), and although not all of them are quality games, the ones that are good are really good. So we’ve put together this reader-ranked list of every single Yoshi game to celebrate everyone’s favourite companion.
So, let’s find out which of T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas’ platformers you think are worth another lick, and which ones should be sacrificed by letting them fall into a pit.
Best Yoshi Games Ever
11. Yoshi Touch & Go (DS)
Yoshi Touch & Go is a cute and enjoyable score-attack game that sadly doesn’t offer much variety or long-term appeal. With only four modes included — two of which need to be unlocked — and no real sense of progression, there’s not much incentive to keep playing beyond a couple of hours; that’s unless you’re content competing against yourself for top honours on a local leaderboard.
Quite frankly, with various alternatives available, this is a tough sell.
10. Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (GBA)
Also known as the less-exciting-sounding Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation in Europe, this GBA game’s plot and art style were made to match Yoshi’s Story on the N64.
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy is a neat but short puzzle-platformer game, which came with a tilt sensor. The idea was that each stage could be completed by tilting the Game Boy Advance to help out Yoshi and solve the puzzles. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly repetitive, and the tilt controls weren’t very good, either.
9. Yoshi’s New Island (3DS)
Every time Nintendo tries to reinvent the wheel by creating a new Yoshi’s Island sequel, the question on everyone’s lips is always “How could it be better than the first one?” The biggest problem with Yoshi’s New Island is that it feels stripped of the style, substance, and ingenuity that once made the series such a treasured property.
By watering down the game design and failing to incorporate new ideas that enhance the established mechanics in any meaningful way, you’re left with an egg that’s not necessarily bad, just dull and unimpressive. There’s little denying that this is an underwhelming outing for our favourite dino.
8. Yoshi’s Story (N64)
Coming after the incredible (and incredibly beautiful) Yoshi’s Island on SNES, it’s no surprise that Yoshi’s Story rubbed some people the wrong way with its accessible, storybook approach and cutesiness.
It’s certainly not the strongest or most complex 2D platformer you’ll ever play, but it’s brimming with the Yoshi series’ trademark charm and we’d say it’s worthy of reassessment if you’ve dismissed it in the past.
The N64 wasn’t blessed with an abundance of side-on platformers, but armed with the knowledge that this isn’t a 64-bit Yoshi’s Island, this is a great little game starring everyone’s favourite fruit-munching dino.
7. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Switch 2)
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book isn’t a bad game. There’s a lot of fun to be had in discovering the many creatures hidden within Mr. E’s pages, though it also suffers from a repetitive structure that doesn’t evolve or provide any sense of meaningful challenge. Visually, it also lacks the punch that Woolly World and Crafted World offered, and it frankly looks pretty bad in handheld mode.
If you’ve got young children who are eager to see more from Yoshi after catching him in the Mario Galaxy Movie, then this will provide a few hours’ worth of fun while getting them used to basic platforming tropes. Otherwise, I’d probably recommend a Switch Online subscription to check out Yoshi’s Island for the SNES.
6. Yoshi’s Island DS (DS)
Is Yoshi’s Island DS a good game? Yes, but it shouldn’t be expected to sit on the same blockbuster level as its predecessor.
The five worlds ramp up into a pretty sizeable challenge by the end, especially for those who want to unlock the secret and extra levels in each. At first glance, there is a lot of the charm that made the first game so appealing and still makes the DS sequel worth looking at.
But some of the level design feels there to try and recreate the original without bringing any fun, new elements that made so many Yoshi’s Island stages so memorable. Many of the new enemies that are introduced feel rather generically crafted, and even the music feels more subdued. Not bad, by any means – just too ‘by the book’.
It’s still certainly worth checking out for super-happy Yoshi’s Island fans, though.
5. Yoshi’s Crafted World (Switch)
Yoshi’s Crafted World has colour and charm to spare, even if its inventiveness is largely limited to its looks. For Yoshi fans, it does exactly what you expect it to, which is perhaps the worst thing we can say about it; it contains few genuine surprises.
The game is delightfully presented, though, and makes for another very solid entry in Nintendo’s ever-growing pantheon of material-based platformers. If you’re looking to share a light-hearted platformer with the family, or simply relax in a big chair with a cup of something warm and a comfy pair of socks, be sure to have a spare pair ready – Yoshi’s Crafted World will charm the ones you’re wearing right off.
4. Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World (3DS)
While Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS fell slightly below the standards of the Wii U original in our view (and scored as such), the same can’t be said of Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World. It takes fantastic material and carefully tailors it for the portable, with extras compensating for one lost feature: local co-op.
Both this and the home console version deliver the same terrific core game. If you haven’t played this on Wii U and like Yoshi, 2D platformers, or just plain-charming games, then this is an excellent 3DS platformer, especially for kids.
3. Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island (GBA)
With its deep exploration-based gameplay and gorgeous art style, Yoshi’s Island is still a joy to play all these years later — it’s a platformer with considerable depth and challenge.
Exploring is made fun thanks to Yoshi’s egg-based abilities and collecting everything will require a gargantuan effort, but it’s never less than immensely entertaining (provided you can put up with Baby Mario’s whining).
The smaller canvas of the handheld screen inevitably reduces the impact of the SNES original’s incredible pastel-shaded world, but this remains one of Nintendo’s 2D platforming finest efforts.
If you’ve never played it before (or have a hankering to go through it all again), the GBA version is a fine one.
2. Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U)
Yoshi’s Woolly World is accomplished platforming within Yoshi’s quirky and unique template and has enough soft cuteness to charm young gamers and melt the hearts of the most jaded veteran gamers.
Along with some of Nintendo’s best co-op platforming, tough collectible challenges for skilled players, and some simple but neat use of amiibo, it also delivers where it matters the most with clever, witty stage design. This stands up as one of the Wii U’s elite games – perfect for snuggled-in gaming time.
1. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
Yoshi’s Island is the absolute summit of not just Yoshi games, but platformer games in general, with a wonderful vision of pastel colours, majestic backdrops, and character-oozing sprites.
Honestly, it’s difficult to remember any other game that matches or even comes close to the amount of detail that Yoshi’s Island did, past or present. The presentation is second to none on the system. The level of charm is astronomical. There will be moments when you refrain from killing an enemy just to watch its animation.
With its deep exploration-based platforming and gorgeous art style, Yoshi’s Island is still a joy to play all these years later. Yoshi’s Island isn’t just a great game: it’s a reminder of why this silly hobby of ours is so wonderful.
“Woo-hoo!” That’s a lot of Yoshis, right? Let us know what you think of this list, and don’t forget, you can always influence the rankings here by clicking on the star next to the game.
Best Yoshi Game FAQ
If you need to take a wee break from riding on Yoshi’s back or throwing eggs, then we’ve got a list of commonly-asked questions about our favourite dino.
What was the first Yoshi game?
While Yoshi first appeared in Super Mario World in 1990, did you know that his first-ever game was an underwhelming block-falling puzzle à la Tetris? On the NES? Yoshi, a stack-and-match puzzle game, isn’t amazing by any stretch, but it’s cute.
His first main game, however, came in 1995 in one of the best sequels of all time — Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Now that’s a classic.
How many Yoshi games are there?
Since his first starring game in 1991, Yoshi has had top billing in 17 different games, although several of those are ports across multiple consoles.
What’s the newest Yoshi game?
Yoshi’s latest game is Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which launched for Switch 2 on 21st May 2026.
He’s appeared in many, many Mario games in between headlining his own games, of course.
What’s the best-selling Yoshi game?
That would be his very first mainline game, Yoshi’s Island, on the SNES, as of December 2022.
The gorgeous 2D platformer has reportedly sold around 4 million copies since its release, though Yoshi’s Crafted World is surely close behind it, having sold over 3 million copies by 2023, according to the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association.
What about the other non-platformer Yoshi games?
To date, Yoshi has also headlined the following six games:
They’re all puzzlers save for 1993’s Yoshi’s Safari, a light gun shooting game in which you play as a first-person Mario riding Yoshi, shooting down Koopas, Goombas, and Cheep Cheeps. There was even a multiplayer mode, with one person controlling Yoshi via the SNES controller, and the other using the Super Scope to control Mario.
What is Yoshi’s full name??
Uhh… yes, he does have a full name.
The little boot-wearing fella’s full name, from a 1990 Nintendo Character guide, is apparently T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas. Charming!
Is there a Yoshi game on Switch 2?
That’ll be the aforementioned Mysterious Book! If you’re after more Yoshi games on Switch 2, you can still enjoy any NSO games alongside Yoshi’s Crafted World thanks to backwards compatibility.
And, hey, he’s in Mario Kart World. In many different forms.
Wait, why are the ports and remakes on the list?
We don’t always consider ports and remakes, but for the sake of this list, we’ve included a couple of them for completeness’ sake.
If you’d personally count them as one or discount the inferior version, just imagine they’re not there and the rest of the ordering stands.
And no, even though Yoshi is in Mario Kart, it’s not a Yoshi game.
How can I change the ranking in this article?
Have you been living inside an egg? Same as all our other ranked lists! You can give each Yoshi game a score, and the overall User Rating influences its position on the list.
All you have to do is click on the star and give the game a score between 1 and 10. So if you disagree with any of this list, you might be able to change the order in real-time.
“Yoshi! Yoshi!” We hear you shout. Yes. He’s the best. Let’s talk about our favourite dinosaur’s games in the comments below.
