That’s a shell on Yoshi’s back, not a saddle

_Perhaps it was originally intended to be a seat in Super Mario World, but confusion later on down the line resulted in the artists assuming that it was a shell, thus explaining it getting much rounder in later renders/art._

I think this is most likely right. Most of the Yoshi source art you’ve linked is to later (Yoshi’s Island and on) versions of Yoshi, but if you look at the original box to Super Mario World, or one of the really early spinoffs like Yoshi’s Cookie (”image”:/images/yoshiscookie.jpg), it really doesn’t have any roundness to it like a shell would. It looks like a saddle draped over his back.

Yeah, it totally looks like a saddle there. A strange evolution for everybody’s favourite dinosaur, but there you go!

While on the subject, I’m not too fond of how they’ve made him look increasingly baby-like in the more recent games, with Mario Sunshine of particular notability. I much preferred him when he had a bit more of a taller look to him – his neck has almost disappeared completely “here”:http://www.ryansgoblog.com/blog/images/shellyoshi3.jpg and he resembles more of a general ball shape than anything else.

Interesting topic.
I say it’s a saddle. The reason for the roundening of the saddle? As has been done with most nintendo characters, it’s to make it more cute, it’s a funny big round seat, like a camels hump, kids like camels.

If it indeed was a shell, that adds alot to the story. Not all Koopas look the same (eg; King Koopa), Is Yoshi a good koopa? Wow, just wow.

I always thought it was a shell. It looks just like koopa shells. If it was a saddle, the artists would at least make it look somewhat different (taking away a few lines doesn’t count).

I always figured it was a piece of shell from the egg he hatched from.

I wrote nintendo its a saddle that looks like a shell

Its definitely a shell. Yoshi is a ‘good’ koopa, if you look, he bears characteristics to earlier koopas. Long neck, eyes protruding from the top of the head, so on. More modern koopas also bear slight resemblance (bipedal, long neck, eyes protruding from top of head) And the whole thing about Yoshi being able to synthesize Koopa powers by eating their shells- that aint no coincidence.

Perhaps, with all the setient fungi walking around and such, it is sort of a fungal mutation. In that way it could be seen as a “shell” for the purposes of the yoshi, protecting a vunerable spine or somesuch. However, seeing as they are the utilitarian companions to the human(ish) residents of their world, it is probably considered to be a saddle, as that is it’s primary function to others.
also:
I much preferred him when he had a bit more of a taller look to him – his neck has almost disappeared completely here and he resembles more of a general ball shape than anything else.
That particular image is from Yoshi’s Story, and is intended to look like a baby. I like the rounder appearance, but when it is supposed to be an adult yoshi, like in the Mario Party games and such, his face is still slightly elongated and he has a different look to his body. Not quite so stumpy. I personally adore the baby-yoshi look though. But big and ride-able is cool too.

god I want a yoshi.

I love yoshi, and i always thought it was a saddle….it actually ruined my day for anyone to refer it it as a shell. WHY HAS HE BEEN LYING TO ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS??

hmm…im not sure, ive never notiiced it ’till today. My friends think its a bit of shell from when he waas born, but it makes sense that it is a saddle. My friend has really weird “creation myths’ of the mario characters. Acoording to him, DK is Bowsers father, so maybe yoshis parents are Godzilla and Bowser!

Well, i think my vote goes to the theroy of it intentionally being a saddle, but having the artist mistaken it for a shell.=D

my friend dillon thinks it’s a shell. but he’s foolish.

in the older mario games yoshi had orange arms could it be some kind of shirt like saddle that changed into a shell over time by newer artists taking over

but i still agree with fruit bat and how it could be a shell or just hard skin meant to protect yoshis spine or from marios boney butt who knows its not the best thing to argue about newer artists in anything make mistakes all the time they also slack alot more potentially ruining games,shows, and movies i guess its something ur just guna have to live with

umm this will be the last comment i say (sorry for writing 3) but all the yoshis in the newer games ARE babies and they do get taller as they grow older its rare to see any adult yoshis in the games after yoshis story least the babies are cuter then those ugly frog-like things that used to be baby yoshis the ones u gotta feed till they become adult in super mario world lol:P

hey im yosi aka yoshi and yoshi doesnt have a saddle it his shell

if you look closly you can tell its a shell but to mario and in the game its used a a saddle so i guess you can say its both
at least i think

I’ve been playing Mario Party and Yoshi Island on Nintendo 64 for years and I have always been under the belief that it was a shell. I am still currently under that belief and will not hesitate in defending the shells honor.

i remember playing mario party back when i was a child (number 3 i think), and a curse bowser placed on me was to wear the red shell. Although i was very young at the time, i am sure my memory is correct.