Yoshi (Japanese: Yossy no Tamago) is a puzzle game developed by GAME FREAK and published by Nintendo. First released in Japan on December 14, 1991, for the NES and Game Boy, it marks the first title starring Yoshi, the green dinosaur from the Super Mario series.
In the game, players control Mario, who holds two trays to catch falling monster blocks from the top of the screen. By swapping the trays’ positions, players can match identical monster blocks to clear them and earn points. The goal is to prevent blocks from piling up to the top of the screen and keep the play area clear.
Yoshi features single-player and multiplayer modes: players can chase high scores solo or compete against friends. Its simple controls and challenging gameplay made it one of the most popular puzzle games of its era.
The game’s success laid the groundwork for the Yoshi series, cementing the character’s key role in Nintendo’s gaming universe.