Series guide
All Yoshi games in order
Yoshi’s own series did not start as a platformer: the first three games are puzzle and light-gun games that happen to star him. The series everyone means began in 1995 with Yoshi’s Island, and every platformer since follows its design — eggs, flutter jump, a baby to protect. Below are all thirteen games in release order, each marked by type, with the Nintendo platforms linked — because those are the copies we stock and test.
The short answer
Puzzle years: Yoshi (1991) → Yoshi’s Cookie → Yoshi’s Safari. The Island line: Yoshi’s Island (SNES, 1995) → Yoshi’s Story (N64) → the GBA port (2002) → Universal Gravitation → Touch & Go → Yoshi’s Island DS (2006) → New Island (3DS) → Woolly World (Wii U, 2015; 3DS 2017) → Crafted World (Switch, 2019). No order is required.
Every Yoshi game in order
Years are the first release; Europe was sometimes a few months later. The European box title is used where it differs from the American one.
| # | Game | Platform | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoshi | NES / Game Boy | 1991 | puzzle |
| 2 | Yoshi's Cookie | NES / Game Boy | 1992 | puzzle |
| 3 | Yoshi's Safari | SNES (Super Scope) | 1993 | light-gun shooter |
| 4 | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | SNES | 1995 | platformer |
| 5 | Yoshi's Story | Nintendo 64 | 1997 | platformer |
| 6 | Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2002 | platformer (SNES port) |
| 7 | Yoshi's Universal Gravitation (Yoshi Topsy-Turvy in the US) | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | platformer (tilt sensor) |
| 8 | Yoshi Touch & Go | Nintendo DS | 2005 | stylus platformer |
| 9 | Yoshi's Island DS | Nintendo DS | 2006 | platformer |
| 10 | Yoshi's New Island | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | platformer |
| 11 | Yoshi's Woolly World | Wii U | 2015 | platformer |
| 12 | Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World | Nintendo 3DS | 2017 | platformer (Wii U port) |
| 13 | Yoshi's Crafted World | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | platformer |
Do you have to play them in order?
No. The platformers each stand alone and the puzzle games are unrelated to them. Pick the type first — puzzle or platformer — then the console you own.
Which Yoshi game should you buy now?
- Today, on Switch: Yoshi’s Crafted World — relaxed, handsome, and with a Mellow mode for the youngest players.
- The classic: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES) — or the GBA port if you want to play it anywhere.
- Handheld and complete: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World (3DS) — the Wii U game plus extras.
- The curiosity: Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation (GBA) — a tilt sensor in the cartridge, nothing else like it in the series.
- For the collector: Yoshi’s Story (N64) — the storybook one, and a cartridge that keeps its save without a battery.
Buying Yoshi second-hand
Yoshi’s Island exists three times — pick the format
The 1995 SNES original is the collector target; the 2002 GBA port (Super Mario Advance 3) is the same game with a few extra levels in a cartridge that plays on any GBA in the world; Yoshi’s New Island (3DS) is a new game in the same style. If you want the classic and own a GBA, the port is the affordable way in.
Universal Gravitation has a tilt sensor in the cartridge
The GBA game sold as Yoshi Topsy-Turvy in America has a motion sensor built into the cartridge — you tilt the console to tilt the world. It only works in a real GBA or DS slot, and a counterfeit cannot reproduce it. Ours are tested on hardware, sensor included.
The SNES cartridge carries a save battery
Yoshi’s Island on SNES saves to battery-backed memory that can be thirty years old. The GBA, DS and 3DS entries save without a battery. Every copy we sell is play-tested including the save.
Woolly World: the 3DS version is the complete one
Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World (3DS, 2017) contains the Wii U game plus extra Poochy stages and the amiibo patterns. The Wii U original is the one with the higher-resolution yarn; both are region-locked to Europe on European hardware.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, saving, label, contacts — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
Browse tested Nintendo gamesQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Yoshi games in order?
No. The platformers each stand alone, and the early puzzle games are unrelated to them. Start with the entry on your console — or with Yoshi’s Island if you want the one the rest of the series is built on.
Which Yoshi game should I start with?
Yoshi’s Crafted World on Switch for a modern, relaxed platformer; Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES, or the GBA port) for the classic everyone means when they say "a Yoshi game".
What is the difference between Yoshi Topsy-Turvy and Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation?
The same GBA game with different names: Topsy-Turvy in North America, Universal Gravitation in Europe and Japan. The cartridge has a built-in tilt sensor either way.
Is Yoshi’s Island a Mario game or a Yoshi game?
Both: the SNES original is titled Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, but you play as Yoshi carrying baby Mario, and every later Yoshi platformer follows its design. Most lists count it as the first real Yoshi game.
Is Yoshi suitable for young children?
Yes — the whole series carries PEGI 3, and the modern entries (Woolly World, Crafted World) have a Mellow mode that makes Yoshi almost impossible to lose. The N64 and SNES games are harder than they look.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first release; European dates were sometimes a few months later. Onze Yoshi-collectie in het Nederlands.
