Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury gives fans an updated take on a franchise favorite with a new campaign with original power-ups and Piranha Plants that look like cats. However, some Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury players have noticed a glaring absence in the cast of playable characters.
There are four playable characters in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (five, if you get Rosalina), but Mario’s old friend, Yoshi, has yet to make an appearance. Now, thanks to Napstio, a modder on GameBanana, fans of the faithful companion aren’t completely out of hope.
With “Playable Yoshi,” fans can take their favorite character - and, potentially, the video game industry’s most popular sidekick - along for the adventure, but not without a few strings attached. Described as a work in progress, the mod allows fans to substitute Yoshi for Luigi’s place on the team, but only in appearance. Essentially, the mod is cosmetic, providing seven unique character models (including a Cat Yoshi who comes in white, green or brown), new icons for the player’s Heads-Up Display, and Yoshi-specific audio cues, but it doesn’t include any new abilities. Yoshi will still play like Luigi, which means no Egg Throw, Tail Flurry, or Yoshi Bomb.
Playable Yoshi may not provide a fully actualized Yoshi, but it does serve to fill a certain gap in the market. With such a beloved character (some believe Yoshi deserves his own movie), the mod is likely to see plenty of downloads.
The popularity of the character doesn’t go unnoticed by Nintendo, so there always exists the possibility that a playable Yoshi might be added in a future DLC. Nintendo is a savvy company - Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury players can use their real-world amiibo collectibles to spawn in-game bonuses - so it’s not unlikely that it plans to address the market gap itself.
On February 17, a Nintendo Direct will livestream information on upcoming games in 2021, so it’s possible they will have good news for Yoshi fans. Unfortunately, the company is fresh off the release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and its first update, which mean that it’s likely it will focus on its other popular franchises (the only game that gets a specific mention in the announcement from the Nintendo Direct is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). For now, players will have to decide between Luigi in Yoshi cosplay, or crossing their fingers for additional content.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is available now on Nintendo Switch.
Source: GameBanana