Characteristics
Yoshi has a variety of abilities that render him unique amongst other characters in the Mario series. He has a prehensile tongue that can extend a surprising distance, allowing him to eat almost anything; anything that can't be eaten can be spit out at enemies. In some games the tongue can also be used as a grappling hook to pull objects or access otherwise out-of-reach areas. Yoshi is also capable of laying distinctive spotted eggs after swallowing objects, which can then be thrown at enemies or objects; eggs are in fact the primary "logo" of Yoshi in multiplayer games. Yoshi is also capable of forming an egg around himself and rolling around. By rapidly flapping his arms and legs, Yoshi can hover in midair or even gain height (depending on the game), this "flutter jump" makes difficult jumps much easier to accomplish. Yoshi is also a heavy user of the ground pound, dropping from the air onto targets. Yoshi's large nose allows him to detect hidden collectibles by smell, and aside from kicks and tail whips, is Yoshi's main instrument of close-range combat.
Yoshis come in a variety of colours, including green, red, blue, yellow, cyan, pink, purple, black, white, orange, and brown. In some games the colour of a Yoshi provides additional abilities: in Super Mario World, Red Yoshis can breathe fire, Blue Yoshis have wings, and Yellow Yoshis produce damaging dust clouds on landing. In other games, eating fruit changes a Yoshi's colour and provides an ability; Yoshis in Super Mario Sunshine can spit fruit juice to defeat enemies and create platforms, while those in Super Mario Galaxy 2 can use fruit to gain super speed, inflate like a balloon, or produce a platform-enabling glow. Yoshis of various colours appear often in multiplayer games as alternate choices, which may or may not have tweaked stats.
Another one of Yoshi's characteristics is the sounds he makes. In most games up to and including Mario Party 3, as well as New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, his vocals consist of record-scratching noises for positive interactions and whistling noises for negative interactions. In Yoshi's Story, Super Smash Bros., Mario Tennis, and almost every game since Super Smash Bros. Melee, his vocals consist of high-pitched baby-ish squeals backed with numerous unintelligible words and his own name, as well as the game's company. Because his name is one of his vocalizations, it is a common misconception that he talks by repeating it numerous times. The character's voice is played by Kazumi Totaka, the composer of Yoshi's Story.
In Super Mario World, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and New Super Mario Bros. U, bongos (or other appropriate percussion instrument) are added to the level's background music whenever a player rides Yoshi; also, in New Super Mario Bros. U, a choir is added to the level's background music whenever a player is holding a baby Yoshi. While being ridden, Yoshi acts as an extra hit point; taking damage will cause Mario (or whoever is riding Yoshi) to fly off. This makes Yoshi start to panic and run around haphazardly until remounted.
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