Despite being one of the cutest faces in the Super Mario roster of characters, Yoshi has been almost neglected as of late, with Nintendo really underusing the iconic dinosaur in comparison to its other characters. This is especially true when it comes to the most modern Mario media such as the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the upcoming Nintendo Switch game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. While Donkey Kong and Princess Peach enjoy the spotlight, Nintendo seems determined to send Yoshi to the shadows.

With so many characters in the Mario franchise, it makes sense that Nintendo can't give everyone their time to shine, but some recent and controversial decisions for Yoshi certainly make it seem as though the company is favoring others right now. The pet-like mascot of the Mario brothers is a firm fan-favorite of the roster, but it's been quite a while since the character was truly given what it deserves.

Related: Super Mario Bros' Missing Green Yoshi Is Actually A Big Movie Hint

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Left Yoshi Behind

April 2023 saw the release of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, starring Chris Pratt, Jack Black, and Anna Taylor-Joy. While the movie paid homage to plenty of heroes and villains from the series, Yoshi was sadly missing from the adventure. Instead, the movie decided to focus more on characters like Seth Rogen's Donkey Kong and his ape family, which provided an exciting and often hilarious story, but one that was missing a key franchise mascot.

While it's heavily believed that Yoshi will be appearing in the movie's sequel, having it absent from the debut of the new film franchise isn't just a blow for Yoshi fans, but also for the movie's merchandising. Yoshi is arguably ones of the easiest characters to make plushies, toys, and figures of, creating yet another missed opportunity by its exclusion.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Makes Yoshi More Approachable - At A Price

The upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the next highly-anticipated side-scroller in the 3D era, with lots to be excited for thanks to the clever world design, fun character power-ups, and dynamic gameplay shown in trailers leading up to release. The game will let users play as one of several Mario characters - including Yoshi - but there's a caveat. Selecting Yoshi means the player won't take damage, according to the recent Wonder Nintendo Direct.

While this will definitely make playing the game more approachable for younger audiences or those who struggle with the gameplay, it also means that die-hard Yoshi fans will be receiving a very large buff should they select the character. Those who want to play as Yoshi and experience everything Wonder has to offer simply won't be able to, as the buff can't be toggled on or off. While having characters that don't take damage really does make the game easier for those who need it, it also makes Yoshi something of a secondary character, and likely not one that veteran players will want to select.

Related: Every Playable Character In Mario Bros. Wonder Has The Same Problem

We're Long Overdue A New Yoshi Game

When it comes to Mario spin-offs, plenty of other characters have had their own games. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, the Donkey Kong games, and even Yoshi have all had their own dedicated releases. However, Yoshi releases have definitely slowed down over the years. Looking at the table below, it's clear to see that Yoshi received the love it deserved back in the 2000s, though Nintendo has seemingly left it in the dust in recent years. Between 2005 and 2006 Yoshi starred in three games, with another two in close succession from 2014. However, we now haven't had a new Yoshi-focused title since 2019.

While this isn't the longest fans have gone without a new Yoshi game, it's notable that Nintendo once released Yoshi games quite close together, a pattern which seems to have now been broken.

Peach is getting her own new game in March 2024 with Princess Peach: Showtime!, which has been a long time coming. Peach is another character who deserves more spin-off titles, but for Yoshi, who once upon a time starred in plenty of games, the future looks barren.

Hopefully Nintendo is already working on the next Yoshi game, and hopefully, everyone's favorite green dinosaur will appear in the next Super Mario Bros. Movie. It's also possible that a post-launch update for Wonder could give players more options when it comes to buffs, but for now, it seems like Nintendo doesn't really care if you love Yoshi.

Source: Nintendo Direct/YouTube