Yoshi's Safari
Encyclopedia
Yoshi's Safari, known in Japan as is a video game made for the Super NES
in 1993.
Yoshi's Safari takes advantage of the Super Nintendo's mode 7
capability, which allows backgrounds to be transformed by rotating or stretching it.
and Yoshi
have to save King Fret and his son Prince Pine of Jewellery Land from Bowser and his Koopalings
. Unlike most Mario games, it is a rail shooter, with support for the Super Scope
light gun
.
The game is played from the perspective of Mario
, riding on Yoshi's back. Yoshi's head is always visible, and accidentally shooting at him causes a loss of health and he turns to give the player a dirty look. The Super Scope can be fired automatically, which quickly drains power. The RPM of the Super Scope would decrease when its Power Meter was close to empty. When completely empty, it will continue firing but only one shot at a time if the Fire Button was still held down, signifying that the player needs to release the fire button and let it recharge. There are two fire flowers in the game, and collecting them increased the amount of time that the scope could shoot before needing to recharge.
Yoshi's Safari puts emphasis on platforming, and at times, it is imperative to jump (via the cursor button) in order to avoid some obstacles. Also, there are branching paths that lead to different enemies, mini-bosses, or prizes, though they always end in the same main road, which leads to a boss. The bosses can be the Koopalings
, with some of them piloting mechs; bigger versions of normal enemies (such as a big Magikoopa or the Big Boo); or Bowser himself, wearing a suit of armor equipped with two gun-hands and a devastating energy cannon located in the stomach.
At the end of the game, a code for a harder game is given to use at the title screen. This not only changes the colors of the levels, but it also makes the bosses harder and changes the text of the story scenes to say that the events of the story are repeating themselves.
is referred to by that name in the North America
n release, predating Super Mario 64
which popularized it. Secondly, this game contains an individual Magikoopa boss, which may have been the inspiration behind the Kamek character. This game also marked the last appearance of the Koopalings
in an official Nintendo game until Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
, released in 2003. Yoshi's Safari is also the first and only dedicated shooting game that Mario has starred in.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in 1993.
Yoshi's Safari takes advantage of the Super Nintendo's mode 7
Mode 7
Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super NES video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects this can create is the application of a perspective effect on a background layer...
capability, which allows backgrounds to be transformed by rotating or stretching it.
Gameplay
In this game, MarioMario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
have to save King Fret and his son Prince Pine of Jewellery Land from Bowser and his Koopalings
Koopalings
The , also called the Koopa Kids, are a group of seven fictional characters in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Their names are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. They first appeared in the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3, and...
. Unlike most Mario games, it is a rail shooter, with support for the Super Scope
Super Scope
The Super Scope, or Nintendo Scope in Europe and Australia, is the official Super Nintendo light gun. It was released in the European and North American markets, with a limited release in Japan due to a lack of consumer demand...
light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
.
The game is played from the perspective of Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, riding on Yoshi's back. Yoshi's head is always visible, and accidentally shooting at him causes a loss of health and he turns to give the player a dirty look. The Super Scope can be fired automatically, which quickly drains power. The RPM of the Super Scope would decrease when its Power Meter was close to empty. When completely empty, it will continue firing but only one shot at a time if the Fire Button was still held down, signifying that the player needs to release the fire button and let it recharge. There are two fire flowers in the game, and collecting them increased the amount of time that the scope could shoot before needing to recharge.
Yoshi's Safari puts emphasis on platforming, and at times, it is imperative to jump (via the cursor button) in order to avoid some obstacles. Also, there are branching paths that lead to different enemies, mini-bosses, or prizes, though they always end in the same main road, which leads to a boss. The bosses can be the Koopalings
Koopalings
The , also called the Koopa Kids, are a group of seven fictional characters in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Their names are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. They first appeared in the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3, and...
, with some of them piloting mechs; bigger versions of normal enemies (such as a big Magikoopa or the Big Boo); or Bowser himself, wearing a suit of armor equipped with two gun-hands and a devastating energy cannon located in the stomach.
At the end of the game, a code for a harder game is given to use at the title screen. This not only changes the colors of the levels, but it also makes the bosses harder and changes the text of the story scenes to say that the events of the story are repeating themselves.
Legacy
Although not a regular Mario game, Yoshi's Safari contained a few milestones seen to be notable. For one thing, this is the first game where Princess PeachPrincess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
is referred to by that name in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n release, predating Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
which popularized it. Secondly, this game contains an individual Magikoopa boss, which may have been the inspiration behind the Kamek character. This game also marked the last appearance of the Koopalings
Koopalings
The , also called the Koopa Kids, are a group of seven fictional characters in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. Their names are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. They first appeared in the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3, and...
in an official Nintendo game until Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003...
, released in 2003. Yoshi's Safari is also the first and only dedicated shooting game that Mario has starred in.
External links
- Official Nintendo Japan Yoshi's Road Hunting site
- Yoshi Safari at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...