Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 1995 side-scrolling platformer developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game serves as a prequel to the original Super Mario Bros., telling the story of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi being delivered by a stork, only for Baby Luigi to get kidnapped by Kamek, a Magikoopa serving Bowser. Players control Yoshi through a series of colorful worlds, carrying Baby Mario on his back. What sets this game apart from other platformers of its era is its distinctive hand-drawn art style, which gives every level the look of a children's crayon illustration. Yoshi can swallow enemies and convert them into eggs, which he then throws at targets, activating switches or defeating foes from a distance. The game uses the Super FX2 chip to power its visual effects and scaling tricks, making it one of the most technically impressive titles on the SNES. Its charming aesthetic and creative mechanics made it a standout release in the 16-bit generation.
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Screenshots

SNES ROMs
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Specifications
| Platform | SNES ROMs |
|---|---|
| Genre | Platformer |
| Release Year | 1995 |
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Updated | Jun 22, 2026 |
Overview
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 1995 side-scrolling platformer developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game serves as a prequel to the original Super Mario Bros., telling the story of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi being delivered by a stork, only for Baby Luigi to get kidnapped by Kamek, a Magikoopa serving Bowser. Players control Yoshi through a series of colorful worlds, carrying Baby Mario on his back. What sets this game apart from other platformers of its era is its distinctive hand-drawn art style, which gives every level the look of a children's crayon illustration. Yoshi can swallow enemies and convert them into eggs, which he then throws at targets, activating switches or defeating foes from a distance. The game uses the Super FX2 chip to power its visual effects and scaling tricks, making it one of the most technically impressive titles on the SNES. Its charming aesthetic and creative mechanics made it a standout release in the 16-bit generation.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island offers six worlds, each containing eight levels plus a castle and a bonus stage, giving players a generous amount of content to work through. The game tracks a score for each level based on red coins collected, flowers found, and stars kept, rewarding thorough exploration with a perfect 100-point rating. Yoshi transforms into various vehicles at certain points, including a helicopter, submarine, and car, adding variety to the standard running and jumping gameplay. A unique health system replaces traditional lives with a star counter that depletes when Baby Mario gets knocked off Yoshi's back, creating tension without feeling punishing. The game also includes bonus mini-games between stages where players earn extra lives and items. Boss fights at the end of each world are creative and memorable, requiring players to study attack patterns before striking. Overall, Yoshi's Island delivers a rich, inventive platforming experience that holds up as one of the finest games on the system.