Yoshi Roster, Updated

YOSHI ROSTER

And here's our Yoshi roster, adding Snifits and the two main ghosts of Yoshi Topsy-Turvy. Who ya mainin', if different?

Hongo the Book Spirit

HONGO THE BOOK SPIRIT

Over the years, the Yoshi series had a relatively minute presence in Nintendo's history, often being just a fun catch-all for random gimmicks they wanted to show off to players in some way, or as a face to slap onto a random puzzle game to get players to buy it. One such gimmick game was Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, a game built around the tilting mechanics included in the Game Boy Advance. The plot of the game features Bowser rampaging across Yoshi's Island, a powerful spirit becoming furious about it, and sealing up the entire island in a book to stop him.

This spirit was Hongo the Book Spirit, a stubborn but not ungenerous spirit who allowed Yoshi to seek a new way to keep Bowser contained, as he refused to undo the spell on the island as long as Bowser would remain free if he did so, leading to Yoshi going on his quest.

As a fighter, Hongo will have a lot of power behind his attacks, but will be light and floaty in his movements. His moveset will pull from many of his own abilities as well as various gimmicks of his home game, and the abilities of the various spirits under him.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Second Chance: Hongo the Book Spirit

HONGO THE BOOK SPIRIT

If there were to ever be a gimmick rep for Yoshi Topsy Turvy, a game built around the tilting mechanics of the Game Boy Advance, I'd say it would have to be Hongo the Book Spirit, the powerful being who trapped all of Yoshi's Island into a book to stop Bowser's rampage, or perhaps the Spirit Who Loves Surprises, his assistant who opposed him doing so and was promptly fired for it, then acting as a guide for Yoshi to convince Hongo to release the island again. Or any of the game's spirits, I suppose.

I passed on it before, but I figure it's worth a shot. First, we have Hongo's book-trapping, naturally, as well as the ability to turn and tilt the world granted to Yoshi by the two spirits. Other notable things we can build off include the other spirits, such as the Spirit of Cuteness, giving you missions to save little creatures called Egglings; the Spirit of Money, challenging you to collect money; the Spirit of Power, challenging you to kill as many enemies as possible; the Spirit of Speed, giving you timed challenges; the Spirit of Kindness, the Spirit of Power's opposite; and the Spirit of Fright, who sets up a grinding machine that follows Yoshi and forces him to keep moving to avoid it. Obviously some of these things give us something solid to work with, like Fright's grinder, and Speed's speed. Yeah, I think we can manage it.

So, my answer is . . . 

YES

In fact, since I can do it, and both are prominent parts of the game's story, let's have the Spirit Who Loves Surprises become an echo, with the other spirits represented in color swaps. Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Book

Both spirits will lunge forward with a book and trap an opponent inside it temporarily, similar to an egg.

Side B: Spirit of Speed

The Spirit of Speed will inhabit both spirits and send them shooting forward at breakneck speed.

Up B: Cannon

The cannons unique to this game will appear under the spirit and will fire them upward at the player's selected angle.

Down B: Spirit of Fright

The spirit will place down the Spirit of Fright's grinding machine, sized down to about the height of the average player. It will then roll and grind slowly back and forth, acting as a possible trap on the stage.

Final Smash: Universal Gravitation

The player will suddenly gain the ability to rotate the entire screen 360 degrees with their joystick. The player is then free to turn it however they'd like to take out their enemies before it resets to the base.

Entrance: The little splash screens for both characters will flash briefly before they appear. Surprises might pop out of a Jack-in-the-Box.

Taunts: Up, Hongo will cross his arms and look stubborn while Surprises will pop up suddenly with fanfare. Side, Hongo will open a book and flip through it while Surprises will giggle happily. Down, Hongo will disappear himself into a book while Surprises will float around merrily.

Kirby Hat: Hongo's little book, Surprises' horned hat.

Kart: Based on Hongo's book, and based on a Jack-in-the-box.

Special Move: Hongo will be able to trap an opponent in a book for a short time. Surprises' splash screen will suddenly pop up in front of a random player.

Spirit Battle: A giant battle on Universal Gravitation. A battle, with Bowser, on Universal Gravitation.

Victory Screen: The books bursting open and Yoshi's island being released for both.

Losing Screen: Bowser breaking out of the book and burning it. The book remaining closed while Surprises looks sad.

Color Swaps: Both having a base form, and then colors based on each of their fellow spirits. (One could have the color swaps actually be the other spirits but I'm not sure who).

Thanks for reading! Next up, we move on to Wario!

Yoshi's Topsy-Turvy

YOSHI'S UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION

Yoshi's Topsy-Turvy, or Universal Gravitation, or whatever the frick you want to call it, was basically a gimmick game for the Game Boy Advance that happened to feature Yoshi, and generally existed to show off the system's rotating mechanic.

Basically, the game starred Yoshi who had to work through a number of levels built around the gimmick, while being set challenges by a number of spirits. He basically acted as Yoshi, running, jumping, eating fruit, making eggs, and transforming into a hot air balloon, ski, boat, ball, and steam boat. Not really a whole lot unique.

Our spirits consisted primarily of Hongo the Book Spirit, who was more of a story-based character, having trapped Yoshi's Island in a book because Bowser was rampaging, and the "Spirit who Loves Surprises," who hosted various minigames. From there, there was the Spirit of Cuteness, who wanted you to help trapped creatures called Egglings; the Spirit of Money/Greed, who told you to collect as many coins as possible; the Spirit of Power/Cruelty, who wanted you to take out all the enemies; the Spirit of Speed/Swiftness, who basically tasked you to a speed run; the Spirit of Kindness, who didn't want you to harm any enemies; and the Spirit of Fright/Scariness, who basically just hosted Haunted House levels.

Bowser appears as the main villain in the game, casting spells, breathing fire, and dropping minions in his boss battle, while the enemies working for him included Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, Tap Taps, Ravens, Goonies, Boos, Gusties, and little spiky bird things called Daruma otoshi-kun. Most of them act pretty much as they normally would.

Now, this game seems like it would be ripe for a gimmick rep, but honestly throughout most of the game, I didn't find really much anything that would lend itself to a Smash-style moveset. It would make for a sweet stage though.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:
Mario: hold and switch around plates, pump switches, play with dough, super scope
Yoshi: hatch from egg, play with dough, throw egg, play Tetris Attack, drop blocks, run, jump
Peach: pump switches, eat enemies, make eggs, flutter jump
Bowser: pump switches, giant mech, stomp, throw shells, breathe fire, cast spells, drop enemies
Koopalings: mechs, pipes, throw bombs
Kamek: teleport, cast spells
Koopa: giant mech, wings
Goomba: wings
Piranha Plant
Boo: throw rocks
Blooper
Lakitu
Poochy
Grinder
Wiggler: fly, Egg-odil partner
Shy Guy: fire guy, swing mace
Chargin' Chuck: jump and slam, throw rocks
Hongo the Book Spirit: best gimmick rep if I could figure it out

Stages:
A stage based on the game, with switching platforms and falling eggs?
This probably helped inspire Cookie Land-type stages that came later, so . . . that?
A stage based on this game perhaps
A stage based on the game's gimmick for sure

Items:
Yoshi Eggs
Ball of Dough
Cookies
Panels
Blocks
Eggs
Giant Balls

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover Yoshi: Touch 'n' Go!